University of San Francisco

Jackson Nystrom was 20 and about to play in his first Division 1 baseball game for USF when he was sent for an MRI on his left hip, possibly for a strained hip flexor.

Instead, doctors found a tumor the size of a small melon. They diagnosed him with stage 4 round cell sarcoma, a cancer that attacks soft tissue and bone. It had spread to nearby lymph nodes and to his lungs. He was given a 13 percent chance of survival.

Nystrom started treatment right away at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital. He had 14 rounds of chemotherapy, three surgeries, and 35 rounds of radiation. He took a leave of absence from the university and from the team.

But the team never left Nystrom.

Throughout the season, the team hung his jersey in the dugout before games and put stickers with his number, 48, on their helmets.

After his treatment, during which his entire left hip flexor was removed, Nystrom took another year to learn how to walk again and to regain his strength. Then, in fall of 2025, the team welcomed him back.

Nystrom’s family and friends, his oncologist, and one of the nurse practitioners who cared for him were among the fans who cheered USF on to a winning 2026 season, supporting them all the way to the WCC tournament. The Dons defeated Santa Clara, Gonzaga, and Pacific to advance to the championship game against St. Mary’s. Nystrom hit two home runs and was named to the all-tournament team.

🎙️ Attention, USF Alumni!

Applications for the 2026–27 Alumni Mentor Program are now open.

As a mentor, you'll be paired with a current USF student and provide guidance, encouragement, and professional insight throughout the academic year. Whether you're sharing career advice, helping a student navigate opportunities, or simply offering perspective from your own journey, your experience can make a lasting difference.

Find your mentorship track and apply today » https://bit.ly/m/USF-AlumniMentorProgram

Starting this fall, USF students can earn a degree in artificial intelligence.

“AI is changing how organizations make decisions, deliver services, develop products, and solve problems in every area, including healthcare, technology, education, and law. We prepare students to lead this field with both technical expertise and a strong sense of responsibility.” - David Guy Brizan, associate professor and department chair

"With skills in machine learning, data science, and AI development, you can work as an AI engineer, machine learning engineer, AI researcher, interaction engineer, data engineer, knowledge engineer, or AI software developer.”

Brizan added that these AI jobs aren’t just in-demand and high-paying; they’re critical for society. “We have a chance to build this technology and use it in a way that serves all of us instead of just some of us.”

More at USF News: https://www.usfca.edu/news/ai-major

Today, we celebrate the feast day of Saint Ignatius, founder of the Society of Jesus. Ignatius of Loyola founded the Jesuit order in 1540. Three-hundred fifteen years later, USF’s first campus was established by the Jesuits on the south side of Market Street. The original college, known as St. Ignatius Academy, opened its doors to its first class in October 1855.

USF, in conjunction with Jesuit universities and organizations across the world, celebrated an Ignatian Year from May 2021 until July 2022. This period of reflection marked 500 years after Ignatius of Loyola was struck by a cannonball, an event which moved him to pray daily and examine his plans, hopes, and ambitions. He gave up his dreams of honors and riches and set out as a pilgrim to embrace a life of solidarity with those who were poor and marginalized.

“Whatever you are doing, that which makes you feel the most alive, that is where God is.” - Saint Ignatius

There's no place like the Hilltop.💚💛

CelebrateUSF returns this fall, Oct. 22-25, bringing alumni, families, students, and friends together for a weekend of reunions, family-friendly events, the Welch Field Festival, the Silk Speaker Series, and plenty of Dons pride.

Come reconnect with classmates, make new memories, and celebrate what it means to be part of the USF community.

📅 Save the date and join us this fall » https://bit.ly/CusfFB1

USF alumni are leading with compassion and service. 🩺

For these alumni, their journeys began at USF, where classes, community, and mentorship helped shape careers dedicated to helping others.

🧠 Morgan Cosby Howson ’10 — After studying marriage and family therapy at USF, Howson is the co-founder and clinical director of Headlands Psychotherapy Group.

🦷 Andrew Dela Rama ’00 — Grounded in USF’s emphasis on lifelong learning, Dela Rama carries that mindset into his work as a dentist.

🤝 Stephanie Estrada-Novelich, LMFT ’13 — Through her studies in psychology and service to local communities, Estrada-Novelich discovered her passion for marriage and family therapy and social advocacy.

Learn how these USF graduates are turning their education into careers of care » https://bit.ly/4bRlV7d

"USF is beautiful because the classes are so small and intimate. Stay after class, go to office hours, talk to your professors. That’s what got me to where I am today."

Izaiah Tovar ’26 just graduated from USF with a major in biology and minors in neuroscience and chemistry two months ago, but has been working in neurology labs at UCSF since he was a sophomore.

"I help coordinate clinical research studies, where they’re testing a medication to see if it’ll induce remyelination, or reverse the effects of multiple sclerosis. I see patients, do various testing on them over long periods, collect that data, and see if we can find a remyelinating therapy. I’ve committed to UCSF for two years. In my second year there, I plan to apply to medical school."

More at USF News:

New Grad Lands Research Position at UC San Francisco | University of San Francisco I graduated in May with a major in biology and with minors in neuroscience and chemistry. Starting in my sophomore year, I did research in the neurology department at UCSF. I didn’t know about the world of research when I first came to USF. Once I learned from my professors and peers, I reached ou...

Janet Lee ’15, co-founder of Sōhn, San Francisco’s newest Korean American café and gathering space, is helping shape the city’s food scene. ☕

After enrolling at USF, Lee’s decision to major in hospitality was a natural fit. As a student, landmarks such as the Fairmont San Francisco and the Bohemian Club became classrooms, offering hands-on experience beyond the Hilltop.

“I felt very fortunate to go through extensive rounds of professional development while at USF. It truly felt like a safe space to do so, encouraging me to say ‘yes’ to as many opportunities as I could.”

Inspired by the need for more Korean-led community spaces in the Bay Area, Lee co-founded Sōhn, a café and gathering space designed to bring people together through food, culture, and creativity.

Read on » https://bit.ly/4hkSuhn

From independent productions to major studio features, these five USF alumni are making their mark across the film industry.

🎥 Ellora Coombs ’12 — After discovering media studies, Coombs built a career in production, writing, and set decoration.

✍️ Jesse Feldberg ’06 — A writing class at USF helped Feldberg develop the storytelling skills that led Feldberg to filmmaking after his military career.

🎭 Richard Leaf ’82 — At USF, Leaf found the freedom to explore theater and discover his passion for acting, launching a career that spans stage and screen.

📍Frances Reyes-Bolinger ’09 — Through theater classes, Reyes-Bolinger found her calling as a location scout and manager.

🍿 Michael P. Vasicek ’01 — Curiosity, networking, and hands-on learning at USF helped Vasicek pursue a career producing feature films.

Discover how these alumni turned their passions into careers » https://bit.ly/4fFZyUx

Erin Brigham, director of the Joan and Ralph Lane Center for Catholic Social Thought and the Ignatian Tradition at USF, wrote for America Magazine on the topic of Pope Leo's first encyclical.

"In Pope Leo XIV’s first encyclical, 'Magnifica Humanitas,' we not only receive timely wisdom on artificial intelligence, we also get a glimpse of his ecclesiology and understanding of Catholic social teaching. Synodality, named explicitly on four occasions, is pervasive throughout the text. It illuminates the way Leo writes about the nature of the church and its role in society as well as the development of Catholic social teaching. Perhaps most important, it offers a synodal approach to authority that the world beyond the Catholic Church, hungry for a moral voice on this topic, will find compelling.

"The pope presents the good Samaritan as an image of the church responding to human suffering out of love and closeness. Perhaps the Synod on Synodality has indeed led us toward a deeper realization of Pope Francis’ dream of a church of closeness, preparing the church to defend human dignity in this moment."

More at America Magazine.

Where synodality shows up in ‘Magnifica Humanitas’ In addition to all it offers us about human dignity in an A.I. age, the pope's new encyclical also offers a synodal approach to authority that the world beyond the Catholic Church, hungry for a moral voice on this topic, will find compelling.