A Los Angeles native hailing from South Pasadena, Emily Vargas is a passionate communicator and storyteller, graduating in 2026 from USC with her B.A. in Communications and a minor in Themed Entertainment and pursuing her M.A. in Public Relations and Advertising, graduating in 2027. A Thematic Option Honors Student, she is also a member of Alpha Lambda Delta Freshman Honors Society in addition to Phi Beta Kappa. Her honors thesis at USC Annenberg examines how themed environments, particularly Disneyland’s Tomorrowland, reflect and shape American ideals on smart home technology. Holding internship roles since her Freshman year from the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation and Infinity Marketing Team, she has helped craft narrative-driven campaigns across professional baseball, sports philanthropy, e-sports communities, and experiential spaces. Emily also enjoys serving as Co-President of USC’s Women’s Leadership Society at USC Annenberg and Social Director for the Themed Entertainment Association. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, rooting for the Los Angeles Dodgers, and watching almost any documentary she can get her hands on.