Twenty international students from the 51°µÍø were named King O’Neal Scholars in recent spring commencement ceremonies in recognition of their perfect 4.0 GPAs, one of the university’s highest honors reserved for those who demonstrate exceptional academic excellence.
The international students were among the record-breaking 138 USF undergraduate students awarded the honor.
Representing a diverse array of countries and disciplines, these scholars also have distinguished themselves through their commitment to research, community engagement and cross-cultural collaboration. The students were awarded a special medallion to wear with their commencement regalia.
The international students were among the record-breaking 138 USF undergraduate students awarded the honor, which is sponsored by the USF Alumni Association and is named after 1962 charter graduates Lucas King and Evelyn O'Neal.
As one might expect, many of the students who earned King O’Neal honors also were
highly motivated members of USF’s community who contributed in many other ways, from
serving in student government to leading student organizations and excelling at undergraduate
research. USF World collected some of their stories to put a spotlight on just some
of the contributions international students make USF’s culture of student success
and excellence.
Meet the International King O’Neal Scholars
Arshia Esmaeilian
Chemistry
The recently inducted Phi Beta Kappa honoree, Esmaeilian was also a chemistry tutor and peer math coaches at the USF Academic Success Center and participated in undergraduate research projects. He’s an aspiring physician.
Livia Gabricio Hertel
Criminology & Psychology
The standout scholar at the USF College of Behavioral and Community Sciences was honored with the prestigious USF Golden Bull Award, recognizing her exceptional leadership, academic excellence, and community service. She also served on the board of the Brazilian Student Association (BRASA) at USF. She plans to pursue a doctorate in clinical psychology and continue integrating clinical care, research and systemic reform to improve outcomes for vulnerable populations in the United States and Brazil.
Anzhelika Kurnikova
Computer Science
Anzhelika is headed to New York City as an Incoming Software Engineer at Google, where she’ll be a full-stack developer for Google Docs Editors. She landed the position after serving as a Google intern last summer. Among her contributions to USF is she led a team of students at the Judy Genshaft Honors College in developing the Undergraduate Research Portal. She also two tenures as chair of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Computer Society at USF.
Giovanna Siega Novello
Integrated PR & Advertising
As a USF Ambassador, Giovanna represented USF students and served as a bridge between the students, alumni, and university leadership. In addition to her many campus activities, she worked as an events intern at the Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce and graduate from the Chamber’s Collegiate Leadership Tampa Bay program. She also was recognized by the American Advertising Federation as one of the 2026 Most Promising Students.
Ha Le
Psychology & Econometrics
Le served in USF student government as both a senator and programming chair, as well as being active in the Vietnamese International Student Association at USF. She also worked as a research assistant in the WORST Lab (Work Stress Lab) in the Department of Psychology, which studies workplace well-being.
Linh Nguyen
Cell and Molecular Biology
With her goal of pursuing a PhD, Nguyen’s interest in cancer biology and gene expression bioinformatics led her to a role as a student research assistant at the Byrd Alzheimer's Institute.
Linh Tran
Econometrics & Quantitive Economics
Tran served as Senate President Pro Tempore in USF Student Government, was a tutor for student athletes and last summer completed an internship at Deloitte near Washington, D.C.
Isabel Oliveira
Psychology
She served as President of the USF chapter of Rotaract, a global, youth-led organization sponsored by Rotary International that focuses on community service, professional development and networking. She also worked as both a research assistant and project coordinator for the Addiction Research and Treatment Laboratory at USF. She also served as a research assistant for the Disordered Eating Prevention and Health Lab at USF.
Anh Van Nguyen
Psychology
She served as Professional Development Coordinator for the Vietnamese International Student Association at USF, worked as a tutor for student-athletes, and was a Student Engagement Specialist for the USF Alumni Association. Additionally, she conducted research as a research assistant for the Research on Ecological and Applied Cognition in Humans (REACH) Lab and the Supporting Parents and ADHD Research for Kids (SPARK) Lab at USF.
Ines Rosales
Marine Biology
She served as a research assistant in Professor Heather Judkins’ Invertebrate Lab at USF St. Petersburg and worked as a Sea Turtle and Migration Laboratory intern for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Huu Dang Pham
Computer Science
He served as a Judy Genshaft Honors College Ambassador and completed software engineering internships with ServiceNow, Moffitt Cancer Center and Meta. He also worked as a teaching assistant and student developer for the USF Bellini College for Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Computing.