Graduating at the turn of the College’s first century, five Scripps seniors from the Class of 2026 share their growth, goals, and advice for students.
Ella Alpert ’26, Sajni Sheth-Voss ’26, Jordan Becknell ’26, Lyla Johnston ’26, and Kira Sekhar ’26
By Tess Miller ’27 and Nichola Monroe ’27
At the dawn of Scripps College’s centennial, its Class of 2026 is graduating. We asked five seniors five questions about how Scripps has shaped them and the growth they’re most proud of.
Jordan Becknell ’26, a theatre major and media studies minor, transferred to Scripps in her sophomore year. Despite only having three years at the 5Cs, Becknell took the age-old advice to “soak in your time in college” and ran with it.
“I truly took advantage of the liberal arts education the 5Cs provide,” she says. “I’ve taken classes at almost every college, and I’ve found that I can connect my science classes to theatre, media studies, and political science. That is one of the most brilliant things about coming to Scripps. I’m proud that I’ve gained a sense of connection between all these different disciplines.”
Jordan Becknell ’26
Kira Sekhar ’26 is a biology and economics dual major, similarly engaged in the full range of co-curricular leadership opportunities across campus. She’s a Writing Center tutor, music director of an acapella group, and research assistant, and is involved in the Claremont Investment Banking Club and the Scripps Economic Society.
“I’m most proud of the relationships I’ve built,” she says. “I’ve truly made my lifelong best friends in the last four years, and I’m very grateful to the community here.”
Sajni Sheth-Voss ’26, a global politics and geology student, can say the same. During her four years, Sheth-Voss spent her weekends in the mountains with the 5C Ski and Snowboard Team, pitting her friends against each other in themed pick-up basketball games at Harvey Mudd.
“At Scripps, I made time for other things, like skiing and being outdoors. It’s great to be joyfully unserious at times,” Sheth-Voss says.
Kira Sekhar ’26
As Sheth-Voss notes, making time for play is as important as academics for Scripps students. Environmental analysis major Lyla Johnston ’26 is one of the team captains of the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps lacrosse team, and is preparing to work for Fortitude Systems in Atlanta, Georgia, once she graduates.
“I love lacrosse because of the team environment—the grit, the culture—it’s an exciting sport. It’s fast-moving and strategic,” says Johnston. “At Scripps, I got the privilege to play on a team with 30 other amazing women for four years, and that was a special opportunity for me.”
I’ve truly made my lifelong best friends in the last four years, and I’m very grateful to the community here.
For Sheth-Voss, who competed for Scripps at the USCSA national competition three years in a row, skiing for the club team was as much of a privilege.
“It was one of the most transformative experiences in college,” she says. “I made lifelong friends across the 5C campuses that I otherwise would not have met. It got me off campus, allowed me to grow and adventure, and taught me accountability, managing commitments, and how to push myself in competition with nothing but my own determination. That has carried into my academic experiences as well.”
Lyla Johnston ’26
Ella Alpert ’26, a writing and rhetoric and politics double major, works at Scripps’ Writing Center with Sekhar. She is preparing for her summer internship at Children Now in Oakland, California, where she will engage in advocacy and policy work for children’s education and healthcare.
“Developing my thesis is one of the things I’ve been most proud of academically. I really underestimated the amount of time, effort, mental and emotional energy, and strength that goes into this project,” says Alpert. “It’s a monster of a project, but a rewarding one. I feel really lucky to have had the opportunity to do it.”
I’ll miss having lunch in Seal Court surrounded by a group of passionate and curious women.
Seizing the chance to produce original undergraduate research, Sekhar worked in a lab characterizing mutant firefly luciferase—the proteins that make fireflies glow. “The thing I enjoyed the most was learning about the different applications of my work to biomedical imaging techniques,” she says.
But research isn’t restricted to the Scripps campus. While studying abroad in Bhutan, Sheth-Voss assessed a government reforestation initiative for socio-economic viability among rural farmers.
“I conducted a lot of field surveys and analyzed data, and got to meet with farmers to discuss their needs. From there, we developed targeted steps to improve the program,” she says. “It was a really valuable way to learn about policy design.”
Sajni Sheth-Voss ’26
Each member of the Class of 2026 will take core memories of campus with them as they enter life after Scripps.
“I’ll miss having lunch in Seal Court surrounded by a group of passionate and curious women, and being in a community where I am challenged without really realizing it, because it is so supportive,” says Sheth-Voss.
“For me, it’s the smell of the flowers in springtime, especially at night,” Becknell adds. “The jasmine and orange blossoms are so fragrant when you’re walking back from rehearsal, a late-night class, the library, or even your friend’s dorm. It’s a smell that will stick with me forever.”
Alpert puts it succinctly: “It is such a gift to live on a college campus and be able to live and work and play with the people you love. It’s something that I’m really going to miss.”
Ella Alpert ’26
Even though students’ time at Scripps is limited, its impact on students is lasting.
“I was scared at the beginning, but from the first day, I was welcomed into what Scripps College was,” says Johnston. “Everybody was so kind. Everyone wants you to be who you are. Over the past four years, I’ve been able to grow and become that mentor and welcoming face for other first-years, which has been an absolute privilege.”
Put in the work to make Scripps your place, and the place will return the effort.
Alpert says that Scripps’ mission of inspiring confidence, courage, and hope came to fruition. “Scripps has really taught me how to own my quirks, my personality, my identities, and who I am. I’ve become a bold and confident person because of how supportive the community is.”
Becknell had a different experience as a transfer, evolving not in her identity, but as a leader. “I had already done a bit of growing beforehand, but at Scripps, I’ve become a better community member, friend, and collaborator,” she says.
As Commencement looms, Scripps’ seniors have a few words of wisdom for the incoming class of 2030.
“Everyone says that the four years go by quickly, and they really do,” says Johnston. “Embrace the little moments, embrace the sunset outside of your dorm room, embrace laying at the pool, embrace studying in the browsing rooms. Embrace your time at Scripps.”
Sekhar’s advice is simple: “Branch out, try a lot of new things, and take advantage of your resources!”
As always, Sheth-Voss implores first-years to push their boundaries: “As much learning happens inside the classroom as out, so getting involved with as much as possible, even off campus, is an incredible resource. There is so much organizing in the LA area you can contribute to, and it has been a space where I’ve learned the most.”
She concludes: “Put in the work to make Scripps your place, and the place will return the effort.”