My name is Nektaria Anagnostou and I will be attending Cal Lutheran in the fall as a freshman.  I graduated from Downey High School, class of 2020.  I have been swimming competitively with Lakewood Aquatics since I was 10 and was a part of the varsity team at my high school as well.  I am looking forward to being a Regal on the women's swim team where I will make new friends and continue to work towards my swimming goals.  At Lakewood Aquatics I volunteered as a “Big Fish” in their “Big Fish Little Fish” program.  In this program, I mentored younger swimmers on the team and helped them develop skills and prepare for meets.  On my high school swim team, I continued to mentor less experienced swimmers so that they could reach their personal swim goals.  Outside of the pool, I am interested in photography.  I enjoy capturing landscapes and finding interesting lines in nature.  While at Cal Lutheran I am planning on studying Political Science and Journalism.  I eventually would like to travel and write about how politics plays a part in the daily lives of citizens around the world.  During my time at Cal Lutheran, I hope to have many internship opportunities and to study abroad.  For this, I am very grateful to have received the CLA scholarship to further help me to reach my future goals.

My name is Kylie Cardenas, I am seventeen years old and I just graduated from Thousand Oaks High School. I live in Thousand Oaks, California and in the fall, I plan on attending CLU in hopes to study psychology. I love being involved with both my school and my community. Leadership has always been a part of my life and I look forward to applying it to my future and using it to make a difference in the world.

Eliana Goncuian is a senior at California Lutheran University majoring in Biology. Following graduation, she plans to attend Optometry School, where she will pursue an OD and MS. Her eventual goal is working in optometric medicine, as well as carrying out research in the visual sciences. She works as a Biology Department Assistant at Cal Lutheran, as well as an Optician at Dr. Kevin Hirano Optometry. In addition to work and school, she has been a biochemistry research student under Dr. Katherine M. Hoffmann for three years.

Attending an all Armenian high school has caused her to gain a strong passion for and connection to Armenia and the Armenian community. She has been an active member of the Armenian Youth Federation (AYF) for five years. The AYF strives to advance the goals of a free, independent and united Armenia. Within her chapter of the organization she has been a committee chair for two consecutive years. In addition to partaking in AYF, she is the founder and president of the Armenian Students’ Association Club at Cal Lutheran. This club strives to cultivate an understanding and appreciation of Armenian history, heritage, and culture while also working with other cultural, social, or philanthropic clubs to promote an appreciation of all cultures and people.

Kayla Klussman is a senior at California Lutheran University majoring in Chemistry and minoring in Music. On campus, she has been a Department Assistant for Chemistry, General Chemistry Supplemental Instructor, president of the ACS Chemistry Club, and tutor in various STEM courses. Her passion for teaching has grown significantly from experiences such as being Drum Major of her high school’s marching band, giving private flute lessons, and teaching chemistry courses over the years. Experience in Dr. Jesus Cordova Guerrero’s research group at CLU has provided her with highly valuable experience in writing review articles and creating a textbook of practice problems for organic chemistry courses. She has been on the Dean’s List for each of her semesters at CLU, in addition to most recently being added to the President’s List. Upon graduating, she plans on earning her Master’s in Education and teaching credential to then serve her community as a high school chemistry teacher.