The University of San Diego Welcomes Its Newest Students Nina Dameri eagerly opened her new residence hall door in Founders Hall on the University of San Diego (USD) campus, with her mom following closely behind. The new USD student from Northern California had carefully organized her belongings for the trek to USD and chronicled her […]
The University of San Diego Welcomes Its Newest Students
Nina Dameri eagerly opened her new residence hall door in Founders Hall on the University of San Diego (USD) campus, with her mom following closely behind. The new USD student from Northern California had carefully organized her belongings for the trek to USD and chronicled her first few days on Instagram.
USD was proud to welcome its newest first-year and transfer students and kicked off the school year in September with its orientation event, known as OLÉ! Weekend — an exciting time filled with students meeting friends, moving into residence halls, celebrating the Mass of Welcome and filling the sold-out stadium to cheer on the Torero football team.
This year’s incoming class was chosen from the largest pool of applicants in USD history and arrived with an impressive, average weighted GPA of 4.02. The students represent 17 different faith traditions and come to the campus from 40 states and the District of Columbia, as well as 22 countries and three U.S. territories or military bases around the world and 25% are the first in their families to attend college.
“We couldn’t be more excited to welcome the Class of 2029. At USD, we have much to celebrate,” President James T. Harris III, DEd, told the students and their parents during the weekend’s new student and family welcome address. “Just this summer Ollie Tarvet, a member of our men’s tennis team and a rising senior, qualified for Wimbledon and made it to the second round and played the defending Wimbledon champion, Carlos Alcaraz, on center court. We also enjoyed watching our USD women’s volleyball team represent the United States at the world university games in Berlin, Germany this July.”
The president also recognized other notable USD alumni, including Jonathan Kim ’12 who graduated summa cum laude with a degree in mathematics and went on to become an astronaut who’s currently orbiting Earth on the International Space Station. He also mentioned Matthew Dominick ’05, who graduated from USD with a degree in electrical engineering and previously commanded the International Space Station.
“So, we can proudly say that we are not only a global university, we are also intergalactic!” the president exclaimed, to an arena of cheering students.
And, while USD continues to celebrate the Class of 2029, the university has already set its sights on the application cycle for the Class of 2030. Melore Nielsen, USD’s inaugural vice provost for enrollment management, recently announced that the university will offer both early decision and early action options for first-year applicants, beginning with those who plan to apply for the Fall 2026 semester.
“This strategic change aligns us with our peer institutions and reflects our commitment to providing students and families with earlier, more personalized engagement,” Nielsen said. “Offering early options strengthens our ability to build deeper, earlier relationships with students and families and give them more time to engage with USD, explore our community, and take advantage of special visit opportunities designed just for admitted students in February.”
USD, named recently by Niche among the Top 10 Best Catholic Colleges in the nation, is now accepting applications. Prospective students who are ready to make USD their first choice (early decision) or who want the benefit of an early admission decision without the binding commitment (early action), may apply by Nov. 1, 2025. USD’s deadline for regular decision admission is Jan. 15, 2026.
A perfectly designed home rarely happens by accident. Those kitchens that feel effortless and rooms that seem to tell a story the second you walk in? They’re usually the work of someone who knows exactly what they’re doing.
It’s knowing which ideas will actually work, which materials will hold up over time, and how to turn a collection of choices into a space that feels intentional. That’s where a professional interior designer comes in.
For the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) California San Diego Chapter, the goal is to help people see interior design as more than just the finished look. Behind every well-designed space is a process built on technical expertise. Designers are educated in everything from professional software and construction details to building codes, space planning, materials, and functionality.
Courtesy of ASID
“People don’t always realize how much goes on behind the scenes,” Kirsten Recce , current president of the ASID California San Diego Chapter, says. “Our designers are not just doing furniture placement and color selection and picking out new fluffy pillows. That’s not what they’re trained for.”
ASID members bring formal education, continued learning, and industry knowledge to their projects, helping create spaces that are not only beautiful, but designed to work. A paint color that changes completely depending on the lighting. A material that looks beautiful in a showroom but doesn’t make sense for everyday life. A layout that photographs well but doesn’t function for the people living there. These are the details where professional guidance can make all the difference.
Still, one of the biggest misconceptions about hiring an interior designer is that it’s reserved for massive renovations, luxury homes, or people who already know exactly what they want. The process can feel intimidating. Where do you begin? Is a designer worth the investment? What if you only need help with one room?
ASID’s answer: start with one hour.
ASID’s Spruce Up events break down one of the biggest barriers between homeowners and professional design: knowing where to begin. Held twice a year, the community program gives homeowners the chance to work directly with an ASID designer through a one-hour, $125 consultation in their own home. Whether you’re looking for advice on furniture placement, window treatments, kitchen and bath updates, remodeling ideas, vacation rentals, color selections or something else entirely, the upcoming September 2026 event offers an approachable way to get expert guidance before committing to a full project. Signups are open through Sept. 7, with consultations taking place Sept. 21 through Oct. 31. Proceeds benefit ASID San Diego’s educational and community programs. Register here!
Courtesy of ASID
“It’s a great opportunity for people who are in that exploratory phase,” Recce says. “Maybe they’re not sure they want to hire an interior designer yet, or they think it sounds daunting or expensive. This gives them a chance to discover what working with a designer is actually like.”
Design is personal. A good designer isn’t just creating a beautiful room; they’re helping create a space that fits the way someone lives.
“We’re a resource to all of San Diego County,” Recce says. “It doesn’t cost anything to pick up the phone and call and ask. We’ll answer.”
Growing up, Laika Nur, MD, Scripps Clinic sports medicine specialist, loved watching beach volleyball when the Association of Volleyball Professionals tour came to her hometown of Chicago. A talented volleyball player herself, she remembers sitting in the stands all day, and once, even got a couple autographs. Years later, Dr. Nur was attending a professional event focused on women’s sports, and the discussion turned to a new professional women’s volleyball league. The general manager and coaching staff for San Diego’s team, the Mojo, happened to be in attendance, and Dr. Nur took the opportunity to ask them if they needed a team doctor. Flash forward to the Mojo’s inaugural 2024 season, when Dr. Nur officially became the team physician. Click here to read more about Dr. Nur and how she incorporates lessons she learned on the court into her practice.
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Your feet and ankles probably aren’t something you give much thought to—until something goes wrong. Orthopedic surgeons at Scripps Clinic are on the leading edge of foot and ankle reconstruction, treating patients with sports injuries, deformities, traumatic injuries and other conditions. That includes repairing torn Achilles tendons with a minimally invasive procedure that shrinks the incision site to less than a centimeter, and performing advanced ankle replacement on some patients with ankle arthritis. Read more about Scripps’ innovations in foot and ankle care here.
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Mai Vue was just 34 weeks pregnant when she delivered her baby. Her pregnancy had been complicated, and she’d had a recent second trimester pregnancy loss, which led to her receiving specialized care from Sean Daneshmand, MD, a Scripps Clinic perinatologist who oversees high-risk pregnancies. Dr. Daneshmand and his team took care of Mai during her pregnancy, through the birth of her healthy baby girl and beyond. Mai was part of a program Scripps launched to provide support to new moms in the weeks and months after delivery. The postpartum program, known as Scripps Health’s Fourth Trimester Continuum of Care, provides care for women with high-risk pregnancies to optimize their health after childbirth and reduce the risk of complications in future pregnancies. Click here to learn more.
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It’s estimated that one in five people in the U.S. will develop skin cancer at some point in their lives. When you factor in living in a sun-soaked city like San Diego and the outdoorsy lifestyle that comes with it, that figure can jump to as high as one in three, which makes early detection and intervention all the more important. Dermatologists at Bighorn Mohs and Dermatology Center are using innovative imaging methods and advanced surgical techniques to diagnose and treat skin cancer. For certain cancers in sensitive spots, like the face, dermatologists perform Mohs surgery, removing skin tissue layer by layer until reaching healthy, cancer-free tissue. They also use a process called immunohistochemistry to view tissue samples taken during Mohs surgery in far greater detail than previous methods. Read more about how Scripps is advancing skin cancer care here.
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When endurance athlete Isaac Sanchez learned he had cancer, he felt blindsided. He was healthy, surfed often and was training for an Ironman triathlon. But he had to put that on hold to undergo treatment. His physicians at Scripps Cancer Center developed a plan to treat the cancer in his tonsil and lymph nodes that included six-and-a-half weeks of near-daily radiation and weekly chemotherapy. He also worked with a Scripps Cancer Center dietitian to enhance his nutrition to promote strength and healing. Today, Isaac’s back to doing what he loves. Read more of his story here.
For more nutrition, wellness, and healthy living tips, sign up for the San Diego Health newsletter here.
