Honors Ambassadors 2024-25
Our Honors Ambassadors are available as a resource to all Honors students to share about their experiences in Honors (e.g., balancing Honors & major requirements, requirements of the Honors program) and as Cal Poly students more generally. Please feel free to reach out to any of our ambassadors via email if you have any questions and/or would like to meet a new friend within Honors! They are here for you!
Meet the Ambassadors from each College
College of Architecture & Environmental Design
Ella Brooks (she/her)
Major: Architecture, 2nd year
Hometown: Prophetstown, IL
Campus Involvement: CAPED; Design Village; showing cattle across the country through the NJAA and NJHA
Career Interest: Restoration Architect
Fun Fact: I caught a foul ball at my first MLB game when I was eight. Go Cubs!
Email: ebrook05@calpoly.edu
Maddie Komatinsky (she/her)
Major/Year: Architecture major with minor in Sustainable Environments; 3rd Year
Hometown: Manhattan Beach, CA
Campus Involvement: Honors Design Build, Sustainable Fashion Club, AIAS, Honors IM Volleyball
Career Interest: Working in commercial architecture with focus on sustainable practice
Fun Fact: I can name any Taylor Swift song in the first 10 seconds
Email: mkomatin@calpoly.edu
College of Agriculture, Food, & Environmental Sciences
Amelia Bettencourt (she/her)
Major: Agriculture Business; 2nd year
Hometown: Turlock, CA
Campus Involvement: Agribusiness Management Club
Career Interest: Agricultural Economics and Finance
Fun Fact: I love country music and going to concerts!
Email: apbetten@calpoly.edu
Fernanda Sebastian (she/her)
Major/Year: Animal science Pre-Vet track, Spanish minor; 2nd Year
Hometown: San Diego, CA
Campus Involvement: Latinx Cultural Association (LCA), Multiracial Student's Association (MUSA), Alpha Phi Omega (APO) National Service Fraternity
Career Interest: My goal is to go to Veterinary School so I can become a Vet.
Fun Fact: I have 13 pets!!!
Email: fesebast@calpoly.edu
Safiya Rufino (she/her)
Major/Year: Food Science & Microbiology Minor: Ethnic Studies; 3rd Year
Hometown: Oahu, Hawaii
Campus Involvement: Secretary of Hui O Hawaii and the Cal Poly Nutrition Club Student researcher w/ COSAM
Career Interest: Food Microbiologist
Fun Fact: I love hiking!
Email: srufino@calpoly.edu
Bailey College of Science and Mathematics
Sophie Brennan (she/her)
Major/Year: Biological Sciences; 4th Year
Hometown: Davis, California
Campus Involvement: President of Cal Poly Chapter of the American Medical Students Association -Cal Poly Bailey College Dean's Advisory Council Treasurer -Mentor Collective Peer Mentor -Member of Keadle Research Group
Career Interest: Doctor
Fun Fact: I have my Girl Scout Gold Award!
Email: sobrenna@calpoly.edu
Miranda Nguyen (she/her)
Major/Year: Biological Sciences concentrating in Anatomy and Physiology; 2nd Year
Hometown: Austin, Texas
Campus Involvement: BCSM Mentor Program, Frost Research, volunteering at Adventist Health
Career Interest: Physician (pre-med)
Fun Fact: I work at a fertility clinic back home and am passionate about women's health!
Email: mnguy424@calpoly.edu
College of Engineering
Jack Cornwall
Major/Year: Civil Engineering, music minor; 2nd Year
Hometown: San Diego, CA
Campus Involvement: Officer for Engineers Without Borders, member of Triathlon Club
Career Interest: Structural engineering, sustainability, environmental protection
Fun Fact: I have an everything playlist with over 4000 songs!
Email: jcornwal@calpoly.edu
James Khoury
Major/Year: Computer Science, 1st Year
Hometown: La Jolla, CA
Campus Involvement: Arab Music Ensemble, Cal Poly Security Club, Computer Science AI Club, Investing Club, French Club, Intramural Soccer
Career Interest: Cybersecurity
Fun Fact: I speak four languages: English, French, Spanish and Arabic
Email: jakhoury@calpoly.edu
Donnie Paxton (he/him)
Major/Year:Mechanical Engineering; 1st Year
Hometown: Morgan Hill, CA
Campus Involvement: Swim Club, Mustang Film Society, and excited to join BAJA Club
Career Interest: I am inspired by the creativity and innovation of poly engineering. When I was young, I always wanted to design action toys or work as an imagineer. I am exploring career paths in my fist-year that would allow me to design/test/create and hopefully improve the lives of others.
Fun Fact: I'm left-handed.
Email: dpaxton@calpoly.edu
Kate Rizzi (she/her)
Major/Year: Mechanical Engineering; 2nd Year
Hometown: Rancho Palos Verdes, CA
Campus Involvement: Engineers Without Borders Club, Cal Poly Amusement Park Engineers and Designers Club, Society of Women Engineers, Alpha Omega Epsilon, Honors Intramural Volleyball
Career Interest: Mechatronics/Product Design Engineering
Fun Fact: I learned to snowboard at 3 years old, and have loved it ever since!
Email: krizzi@calpoly.edu
College of Liberal Arts
Malik Bailey (he/him)
Major/Year: Sociology; 3rdYear
Hometown: Morro Bay, CA
Campus Involvement: Intramural basketball, BSU
Career Interest: I'm planning on switching my major to comms, and getting a masters in business. I hope one day to get into business management and/or sports commentary.
Fun Fact: I can speak fluent German
Email: mbaile31@calpoly.edu
Landon Block (he/him)
Major/Year: Political Science Major; Ethics, Public Policy, Science, and Technology Minor; 3rd Year
Hometown: Encinitas, CA
Campus Involvement: Political Science Club Vice President, Opinion Editor at Mustang News, Club Ultimate Frisbee
Career Interest: Political Communications, Journalism, Public Policy
Fun Fact: I won a trip to Grenada on The Price is Right!
Email: lrblock@calpoly.edu
Giada Brose (they/them)
Major/Year: Political science; pre-law (undeclared); 1st Year
Hometown: Lincoln, CA
Campus Involvement: Mustang Band
Career Interest: Labor/union attorney
Fun Fact: I absolutely love cheese.
Email: gmbrose@calpoly.edu
Sophia Goldstein(she/her)
Major/Year: Political Science, Pre-Law; 3rd Year
Hometown: Berkeley, CA
Campus Involvement: Phi Alpha Delta, a pre-law fraternity. I also volunteer at Front Porch, and run a small business based in San Luis Obispo, called Beanie Bugs!
Career Interest: I hope to work in the legal field of international relations and global politics.
Fun Fact: I am studying abroad in Florence, Italy currently!
Email: sgolds06@calpoly.edu
KJ Jacobs (she/her)
Major/Year: Sociology; 2nd Year
Hometown: Seattle, WA
Campus Involvement: Member of College of Liberal Arts Student Diversity Committee, Sprout Up Club, Poly Child Development Club
Career Interest: Working with children!
Fun Fact: I work for the City of SLO Parks and Recreation Youth Services Division.
Email: kjacob22@calpoly.edu
Megan Kettwig (she/her)
Major/Year: Psychology (Pre-Health Concentration); 3rd Year
Hometown: Colfax, CA
Campus Involvement: Cal Poly Cognitive Neuroscience Club Psi Chi Research with Dr. Bennion & Dr. Antony Memory Lab PULSE
Career Interest: Physician Assistant with a specialty in Neurology or Neurosurgery
Fun Fact: I've been open water shark diving before in Hawaii!
Email: mbkettwi@calpoly.edu
Youngji Kim (she/her)
Major/Year: Child Development Major, Biology Minor (Pre-Med); 2nd Year
Hometown: San Diego, CA
Campus Involvement: I'm a Study Session Leader under the Academic Skills Center, Service Desk assistant at ITS, involved in the Mustang Mentorship Program, and I'm in the Cal Poly Lion Dance Team, PCE, and CSA. I'm also an undergraduate research assistant in Dr. Martinez's microbiology lab.
Career Interest: Health and Medicine: Pediatrics, Child Psychiatry and Counseling
Fun Fact: I'm EMT-certified!
Email: ykim136@calpoly.edu
Basil Wainwright
Major/Year: History; 1st Year
Hometown: Visalia, CA
Campus Involvement: Men's Rugby Mock Trial Phi Alpha Delta Fraternity Armenian Student Assosciation
Career Interest: Civil litigation attorney
Fun Fact: I play the piano
Email: wainwrig@calpoly.edu
Orfalea College of Business
Lily Bryan(she/her)
Major/Year: Business Admin, Entrepreneurship Concentration, Spanish Minor; 2nd Year
Hometown: San Diego, CA
Campus Involvement: Cal Poly Entrepreneurs, Surf Club
Career Interest: Entrepreneurship, Consulting
Fun Fact: I love to scuba dive!
Email: libryan@calpoly.edu
Chloe Millstein (she/her)
Major/Year: Business Administration, Financial Management Concentration, Spanish Minor; 3rd Year
Hometown: Redondo Beach, CA
Campus Involvement: Surfrider, Climbing Team, Women in Business, Backcountry Squatters, Financial Management Association
Career Interest: Banking
Fun Fact: I'm learning the harmonica
Email: cmillste@calpoly.edu
