USD Magazine Spring 2026

people, who I’ve met in different ways, and we always have a reason to run into each other on campus.” The resources available to support students, including the Disability and Learning Difference Resource Center (DLDRC), have exceeded her expectations. “I can basically do everything my classmates do, but I need different resources. The DLDRC made sure I had a really smooth transition to college,” said Chheng, who has used a wheelchair since a spinal cord injury and surgery when she was less than a year old. She has long wanted to study abroad, but she wasn’t sure it was something she’d be able to do. With the support of the DLDRC and the USD Madrid Center, Chheng spent a “life-changing” semester abroad in Madrid this past fall. “It’s hard to be in a wheelchair in Europe, but the USD Madrid Center and the DLDRC made it possible for me to have an above-and-beyond experience,” she said. They mapped out a plan and addressed concerns before they became barriers, especially making sure she could participate in every aspect of their weekend travel seminars. “I got to travel to so many places that I never thought I’d be able to see,” she said. Back on campus and wrapping up her junior year, Chheng is now focusing on her future after graduation. She recently joined the Women in Business group and is exploring internships. “If I went to another school, I wouldn’t be as free to do all that I’ve been able to do,” she said. AZAD KURDI As the sun sets over Mission Bay, Azad Kurdi ’26 (MS) likes to visit a favorite bench on the western edge of campus, what he half jokingly calls the “secret spot.” From there, he can see the whole city, and it reminds him how different his view was just six years ago. Kurdi was born in northern Iraq as part of the Kurdish minority, and he grew up watching U.S. service members in his city — with a vision for a different future. “Seeing the U.S. military in Iraq was my inspiration,” he said. “I told myself, I’m going to learn English, and I’m going to go to America one day.”

Emma Chheng

12 | University of San Diego Magazine