UC Davis was one of the most unique lived experiences of my life. From being friends with local musicians, to partnering with students to make websites, to even leading my own organization, UC Davis taught me so many lifelong lessons that I will always carry with me.
When I joined as a bright-eyed freshman it was overwhelming. I come from a minority-majority town so this was the first time in my life living with such a diverse array of people. I loved learning about everyone’s backgrounds and inter-sectionalities. I found my friend group almost immediately, friendly and outgoing people who came to this university to grow further. It seemed every passing week I was changing as a person, co-opting bits and pieces from everyone around me.
I learned very early on that if I was paying for this experience I needed to get the most out of it. I would frequent office hours, tour clubs around campus, and plot how I can leave an impact on the college.
I very quickly resonated with the Davis Computer Science Club. The older members of the club were what I wanted to be. All graduating to great jobs, had their head on straight, and insightful to talk to. I joined as a secretary and worked my way up to president over my course of my undergraduate. I knew from the beginning I would only pursue a minor in the discipline but I felt the design coursework at Davis lacked the technical skills of a product designer. I set out to enrich that part of my skillset through the club and the minor.
"It seemed every passing week I was changing as a person, co-opting bits and pieces from everyone around me."
By the time I was a senior I had a solid foundation of knowledge in digital design and web development. I had two internships under my belt, and was president of the Davis Computer Science Club. Now was the time I could leave an impact on the college and leave it better than I found it.
I talked to local organizations of the city like Davis Downtown, and set out to make a program where students can gain career experience. I founded a design agency that brought together developers and designers from my university to help revamp local business websites. Our goal was to support small businesses recovering from the effects of COVID-19 while also creating job opportunities for fellow students. I led a cohort of 15 students, organizing them into teams, managing the project from start to finish, and contributing to the design work myself. It was a significant responsibility, but the project was a success—both the businesses in Davis Downtown and the students involved benefited meaningfully. I graduated feeling fulfilled by the impact we made and ready to take on new professional challenges.
