Leo T. McCarthy Center for Public Service and the Common Good

Mentoring The Next Generation

Koa Fong ’25 Finance major is dedicated to social justice, Chinese-American activism, and the Jesuit values of USF. She is a member of the USF Rising Youth Mentorship program, which demonstrates how our country’s education needs the help of young people to show the way. During the 2023-2024 year, Koa helped middle school and high…

Meet Our 2024 USF in DC Fellows

We are pleased to announce our group of 8 students who will join us in the Fall for our USF in Washington, D.C. program. They range from various backgrounds, have diverse interests, and a common thread and dedication to public service. Currently they are exploring opportunities for internships in our nation’s capitol. Any support and…

Building Financial Foundations for Youth

Leatitia Ngandu ’25 worked as a Summer Financial Literacy intern this summer, a program where teaching financial literacy skills to youth is essential to growth and development. When discussing the importance of financial literacy, we often focus on its significance for college students and beyond, assuming they need these skills before entering the “real world.”…

Civic Engagement Through an Outsider’s Lens

Franchesca Rugayan ’26 Politics major, started her political engagement early on in the Philippines, knowing that voter engagement was on the forefront of her mind. This summer as a McCarthy Fellow in Sacramento worked at the California Democratic Party, furthering her passion for advocacy. My application process for the McCarthy Fellows in Sacramento program began…

Teaching Financial Literacy Skills

Raven Brown ’25 was excited to step out of her comfort zone when she joined the Summer Financial Literacy program — seeing it as an opportunity to explore a new path beyond her psychology major. As a program supported through the Silk Financial Empowerment & Education Initiative, Summer Financial Literacy targets youth in Boys &…

Congratulations to our ’24-’25 Holstein Scholars

Congratulations to our 2024-25 Robert Holstein Memorial Scholarship awardees. The scholarship is awarded to students who are deeply committed to scholarship, public service, and policy-making programs for the common good. Read the profiles our five deserving recipients, who are participating in one or multiple programs including the Public Service and Community Engagement Minor, USFVotes, Community…

Bridging passion and policy at the State Capitol

Sofia Fontana ’26 found public service as a career path during her freshman year in a living learning community at the USF. Eager to learn more, she participated with the Leo T. McCarthy Center‘s USFVotes and this summer, is now a McCarthy Fellow in Sacramento. Sofia shares her journey over the last few months as…

The Light of the West End is in the Bayview

Traveling 3,000 miles away from home, Ashton Green ’26 , has been able to find his home away from home. Through the McCarthy Center’s Equity Intern program, he feels a close relationship between his hometown Atlanta, Georgia, and educating the youth of our future. Slowly intertwining within the Bayview community through this opportunity made me…