LMU Program Helps Students Reach Graduate School Dreams

When Amira Mahomed stood before current ACE scholars at Loyola Marymount University, she brought a powerful message from her journey to UCLA's dental school: never let anyone dim your light.

The Academic Community of Excellence program celebrated its scholars on March 13, 2026, honoring students who've set their sights on graduate school. Since 2004, ACE has supported undergraduates through their academic journey, helping them become competitive candidates for master's and doctoral programs across the country.

Mahomed, who graduated in 2023 and now attends UCLA School of Dentistry, reminded students to protect their sense of self. "There's no one who is truly like you," she told the crowd of scholars and families. "What cannot happen is you allow other people who have not walked your walk to tell you who you are."

Her classmate Daisy Huerta also returned to campus, now a first-year medical student at UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine. Their presence showed current students the concrete results of ACE's mentorship and support.

Senior Vice President Kawanna Leggett told families that excellence grows from community. "At LMU, we believe in opening doors and helping students walk confidently through them," she said.

The ceremony recognized standout achievements, including Amelia "Mia" Palacios, who won the Marshall Sauceda Rising Scholar Award for her engineering research. Palacios developed a device to measure skin elasticity, helping surgeons plan reconstructive procedures. Her work shows how young researchers tackle real medical challenges before even graduating.

The program also honored students with top grades across three class cohorts, from freshmen through seniors preparing to graduate this spring.

Why This Inspires

More than 20 new sophomores and juniors joined the 2026-29 cohort, stepping into a program that doesn't just teach academics. Director Steven Neal and Associate Vice President Linda Clowers lead a community where students learn to see themselves as future doctors, researchers, and scholars.

Clowers noted something special about every ACE participant: "Each of you see yourself somewhere else in the future, you have your eye on what you could be, and you actually believe that 'I can do that.'"

Mahomed's parting advice captured the program's deeper mission beyond test scores and applications. She urged students to develop such strong self-knowledge that when challenges come, they stand firm. "I hope each and every one of you can know you belong in any space you enter, with your head held high, so people can see you for all you bring."

Twenty-two years of opening doors means hundreds of students who might have doubted their place in graduate school now walk confidently into medical schools, doctoral programs, and research labs across the nation.