USD Magazine Spring 2026

Hendricks helps create a real sense of belonging for fellow veterans navigating campus life, both through his job at the Military and Veterans Program Center and by leading marketing efforts for the Student Veteran Organization. He also joined the local chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc., one of the Divine Nine historically Black fraternities and sororities. “I’ve had opportunities to work and volunteer in the community to give back. I’m the first brother at USD in the past five years, and it’s an amazing experience having older alumni call me up and help me reestablish our name here,” he said. Being a 30-year-old college student has given him perspective. He finds he communicates easily with professors and connects what he’s learning in his classes to his previous experiences. “I’ve lived many lives,” he said. “Going back to school at this point in my life, I tie what I’m learning in class to what I’ve seen in life. Especially as a psychology student, there are so many things I wish I knew earlier.” EMMA CHHENG On any given day, you’ll find Emma Chheng ’27 (BA) weaving through the University of San Diego campus walkways, heading to class, greeting friends along the way. She is, in nearly every way, a typical undergraduate junior: enjoying her business analytics coursework, nurturing friendships with her Pi Beta Phi sorority sisters and classmates, and planning for her future. The only difference is the wheelchair she uses to maneuver through life. Born in France to a Cambodian father and Thai mother, Chheng’s family came to the United States when she was in fourth grade with their sights set on an American education. During her high school years in Orange County, she was deeply involved in student government and community service. When it came time to find a college, she knew USD was the place for her after a visit to campus. “At other schools, you can get lost as a number. Here, everyone has an opportunity to thrive in their own way and go at their own pace,” said Chheng, who was drawn to USD’s small size. “I love that I know a lot of

in munitions systems — inspecting, warehousing and delivering bombs, missiles and ammunition in assignments that took him from Alaska to Turkey, Germany and Utah. Military service was part of his family history — his father in the Marine Corps, uncles in the Army and Navy. By choosing the Air Force, he “finished the set.” But his choice wasn’t just tradition, it was necessity. The day after his college acceptance letter arrived, his family learned they were being evicted. College would have to wait. Rather than add to the financial strain, Hendricks enlisted, determined to support his family and forge his own path to stability. After leaving the military and starting at San Diego City College, Hendricks initially pursued business before realizing his heart was elsewhere. “When I was a certified mental health trainer in the Air Force, I’d meet new airmen and airwomen adjusting to life in the military,” he said. “During our conversations, I could see them light up when I’d give them tools to work through their problems or emotions. It gave me a new sense of passion.” He’s now intent on becoming a clinical therapist for veterans and active-duty personnel. He also hopes to eventually contribute to research on psychedelic-assisted therapies for post traumatic stress disorder.

WINSTON HENDRICKS Winston Hendricks ’27 (BA) is proof that sometimes a happenstance 10-minute conversation can redirect your life. On a lunch break from his job at Nordstrom, he was drawn to drive up the hill toward a beautiful campus he had only admired from a distance. In the parking lot, he struck up a conversation with the man getting out of the car next to him. That chance encounter — with a university administrator who encouraged him to apply when the time was right — planted a seed. Months later, Hendricks transferred from San Diego City College to USD and took the next step toward his psychology career. Before college, Hendricks spent eight years in the U.S. Air Force, working

“ WHEN WE TALK ABOUT A UNIVERSITY, WE’RE TALKING ABOUT IDEAS — ABOUT WHAT EACH OF US BRINGS TO THE TABLE. NONTRADITIONAL STUDENTS BRING ENTIRELY NEW PERSPECTIVES, AND WHEN TRADITIONAL AND NONTRADITIONAL STUDENTS LEARN ALONGSIDE EACH OTHER, IT OPENS UP A WHOLE NEW

WORLD FOR EVERYONE. THAT EXCHANGE BUILDS ALL OF OUR CAPACITY.”

Winston Hendricks

— BYRON HOWLETT, EDD, ASSISTANT VICE PRESIDENT FOR STUDENT LIFE

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