Leadership

Graduation, like for many of my fellow peers, is a turning point in my life. Surrounded by many people whom I am blessed to call my friends. All of us are looking to grow and develop ourselves in our own way. My time at UCSD is not marked by the tests I took or the classes I sat in. Rather the people I met and the lessons I learned. They say college is where you learn the most about yourself, and I can’t think of a truer statement. College is where I came face to face with my many strengths and weaknesses. Where I learned to hone my strengths, such as my charisma and my ability to connect with others. While learning to overcome my weaknesses of indecision and self-doubt. In 2 years at UCSD built several communities I was proud to be a part of, gained many lifelong friends, and have grown into a person that a younger me can be proud of.

My time as Treasurer for UCSD was a role where I merged financial strategy with my dedication to our club sports community. My primary role saw me developing and managing our comprehensive budget, alongside implementing tracking systems to organize player payments and dues. I regularly liaised with school admin to manage invoices, secure venues, and organize large-scale events. I learned how crucial behind-the-scenes administrative work is to keeping a sports club thriving. This role taught me many lessons in financial accountability, professional communication, and operational management. Ultimately, ensuring the team’s financial health allowed my teammates to focus on what truly mattered: competing on the field and building the tight-knit community we all cherished.

Serving as the Social Media Manager for the San Diego Nerf Club was a deeply rewarding experience that allowed me to merge my enthusiasm for the hobby with strategic community building. Leading initiatives that grew our social media presence by creating posts and stories that enabled community interaction. I took pride in initiating conversations with new and returning players for feedback and to build a community where all felt welcome. This role taught me how to effectively translate online engagement into real-world community growth, refining my skills in digital communication, project coordination, and audience analysis. I ultimately learned that managing social media is about much more than posting content; it is about fostering a genuine, thriving community.

As a club member outreach officer at the UCSD beach volleyball club, this photo represents a lot more than individuals gathered for dinner. Although the accomplishment of having a party of 23 in a restaurant is a feat of its own. This photo represents the community that I built within the beach volleyball club. All of these individuals, once strangers all brought together under one club. I remember being the first person many of these individuals met and inviting them out to join me for dinner after the club session had ended. All these people I was blessed to meet and call my friends and fellow club members. So although many may just see a group of friends for dinner, this photo represents the community I built, so that a table of 23 for dinner was a common occurrence for a normal Thursday.

As a club member outreach officer at the UCSD beach volleyball club, this photo is a wonderful representation of the community I built. Building a community that functioned even when the club was not in session. Using the group chat that I started with a couple of friends in the club over 1.5 years ago, ending with 200 people whom I all knew by name. A random Saturday morning turned quickly into a 5-team tournament running at a local park with one simple message in said group chat. Members from all across San Diego gathered at a park to play the sport we all grew to love together.

The Nikkei Student Union was a Japanese American culture club I took extensive part in. Although I never held a direct leadership position in the club, I aided staff members several times throughout my time there in setting up events, coordinating logistics, and ensuring the community maintained a safe and respectful environment. Also volunteering in several events hosted by the club, including helping lead a yakitori booth and MCing our annual Matsuri festival. NSU originally was a club I joined on a whim, but quickly became a place where I enjoyed dedicating my time to help and developed many new friendships.

Captaining my first-ever team for UCSD’s intramural volleyball league was an experience. A team made up of people from several organizations I was a part of, culminating in a 2nd-place finish. Leadership and competition have never come naturally to me, but people have. Learning how to captain a team made up of so many different individuals and backgrounds was an easy feat for someone who enjoys the contrast that each person brings. Making us competitive, although tough, was a display not only of my ability to manage people but also of learning the strengths and weaknesses of my peers. Turning a ragtag team of individuals into a competitor against even club-level teams.

Serving as Treasurer for the De Anza Ultimate Frisbee team was a foundational experience in beginning my college journey. During my tenure, I not only managed the club’s financial records, but also successfully developed budget requests to support our growing initiatives. Beyond the numbers, I took pride in acting as the primary liaison for potential sponsors and manufacturers, fostering valuable partnerships. I also stepped outside traditional financial duties to edit engaging short-form social media content and create new interclub policies to promote inclusivity and safety. This role taught me that me the responsibilities that come with leadership. Not only balancing budgets and building sponsor relationships, but also maintaining club cohesion, increasing visibility, and going above and beyond the scope of my responsibilities.

Originally, Nerf was a small hobby I joined for fun. But over the years, it slowly became not only a hobby but a sport I started to compete in. For the past 3 years, I have captained a local Bay Area team that competes every year in the largest annual Nerf Tournament. I have transferred my experience in sponsorship outreach to secure my team over $1000 in funding for my team each year and developed/taught our game strategies to all new and current members. Nerf has quickly become a hobby I not only enjoy for recreation but also a way for me to use both my personal and professional skills for the betterment of our competitive team.