Meet the 2019 Officer Board!
Executive Board: Eric, Jocelyn, Jessica, Jonas
Internal Board: Amy, Shelley, Natasha, Justine, Kelly, Dylan, Charlotte, Queenie, Natlie
External Board: Maya, Yash, Dharaa, Marie, Kate, Ningxin, Nikita, Bryan , Neha
Eric Berkovsky, President
Contact: [email protected] or [email protected]
Year: Junior
Major: Business Administration
Hobbies: Reading, hiking, exploring, tennis, cooking, gardening, and spending time with friends
Service passions: Economic development, the environment, and education
About Me: Hello! My name is Eric and I’m from the faraway city of San Francisco. I’m really excited to serve as president and look forward to getting to know all of you! I have been in Rotaract since the fall of my freshman year and have had so many great experiences, and can’t wait to see everything that we do this year. Some fun facts about me are that I have no cousins, once rode a camel, and am actively trying to visit all 50 states (currently at 31). You can usually find me stu-dying at the East Asian or music libraries, and in the nearly nonexistent occasions when I have free time, I enjoy binge reading or getting boba with friends. I also like listening to alternative rock and indie music, cheering for sports teams I have no personal connection to (Go Twins and Spurs), and attempting to sleep a lot even though I rarely do. I’ll try to meet as many of you as I can in person but please also feel free to introduce yourself any time, I’m quiet but genuinely enjoy meeting new people and would be happy to send you some quality memes or take you on a local’s tour of the Bay Area!
Why Rotaract? Volunteering has always been a big part of my life, and when I came to Berkeley I wanted to stay involved as much as possible, so I signed up to do a Berkeley Project site in my first semester and was randomly placed into the Rotaract group. I quickly saw how passionate everyone was about service and decided to come out to a few meetings. The many great service projects, fellowship events, and incredible people that I met made me keep coming back, and I was inspired to join almost every committee and then served as a co-treasurer last year. Rotaract has truly defined my college experience and helped me become involved with some great causes, develop personally and professionally, and is where I met some of my closest friends. I still find it hard to believe that I have the opportunity to lead this great club, but I’m so excited for everything to come and for this chance to help others find a home away from home.
Jocelyn Cheng, Internal Vice President
Contact: [email protected] or [email protected]
Year: Sophomore
Major: Psychology
Hobbies: K-popping, drawing, baking, trying new foods
Service passions: Protecting the environment, equal access to healthcare, alleviating poverty
About Me: Hi! I’m a SoCal child who has somehow survived a whole year in the Bay weather (but not without many thicc jackets). I’m an intended Psychology major who is possibly pre-med/pre-health, so if you want to cry about all of your MCB sorrows I’m down to cry with you. I love K-pop, watching food shows, and being with doggos. Please feel free to fangirl with me over Hwasa’s thighs and share pictures of all your sweet puppers!
Why Rotaract? I knew I wanted to join some kind of service club and happened to stumble upon Rotaract and checked out their table. Seeing how fast they replied to my emails and how organized the website was impressed me; I knew Rotaract was a club that was definitely on top of things. Even though I joined somewhat midway through the semester, my family members were so kind to me which really helped to create a welcoming and inclusive environment that I had longed for after coming to Cal. General meetings and service events were very fun and fulfilling especially since I was able to meet so many new people. I truly recommend joining Rotaract even if you can only make time for a few events!
Jessica Cheng, Internal Vice President
Contact: [email protected] or [email protected]
Year: Sophomore
Major: English, minor Calteach
Hobbies: Baking, writing, deep talks, reading, handlettering, talking to people about their hobbies
Service passions: Educational equity for all students, as well as youth empowerment from community support and involvement. And mental health awareness!
About Me: I absolutely adore bread. Oh yeah, and also Rotaract, coffee, teaching kids, and deep talks with people! One of the biggest contradictions of my life is that I love getting to know people, but I’m also one of the most introverted people ever. But if you ever want to talk about K-dramas, baking, Harry Potter, or tea (both the drinking kind and not), I am always down for a good chat! I love listening to stories and ideas, and at the very least, you can count on me to crack the best worst puns — or just the best ones.
Why Rotaract? I joined Cal Rotaract because community service had been important to me since I was a kid. Doing service with Rotaract quickly found a special place in my heart because of the people I met. I felt like I could personally connect with so many others who cared as much about serving and leading as I did. Through being a member and officer, I have seen what a person is capable of doing for the community, and been able to grow as a leader alongside some of my best friends I’ve made so far in college. I am so grateful to have found a group of people that work tirelessly to pull off and organize events for their service passions, and can’t wait to do more this next year!
Jonas Katona, External Vice President
Contact: [email protected] or [email protected]
Year: Junior
Major: Applied Mathematics
Hobbies: writing/playing/listening to music, mathematics, traveling, hiking, playing TF2, coding random stuff, watching YouTube, trying new foods, linguistics, history, scrolling through memes, deep and meaningful conversations
Service passions: educational equality, diversity in STEM, technology, awareness and representation for underrepresented cultures
About Me: Hello hello!! ~ Thank you for taking the time to read these. My name is Jowonas Katowona (okay, this meme will be dead within a few months, so never mind) Jonas Katona, and I am a junior studying Applied Mathematics with a likely minor in Physics. I will be your EVP (executive vice president; yeah, I know that Cal Rotaract uses wayyy too many acronyms) for the 2019 year. As with many of the rest of us, I am from Southern California; Santa Clarita. If you don’t know where that is, Six Flags Magic Mountain is in the intersection of the set of all landmarks and popular destinations and the set of all locations in Santa Clarita. Don’t worry, I don’t actually talk like this. :,)
Okay, so I’m 20 years old, and since I was raised in Washington state and then SoCal from freshman year of high school onwards, I can flex on friends who can only handle a narrow range of weather. Music has always been a massive passion of mine, whether that be checking out all kinds of music (French house, jazz fusion, psychedelic rock, 20th-century classical music, electronica, chillwave, etc.), playing piano, oboe, or E. Horn, or writing music as well. Of course, mathematics is also a major passion: my most familiar and favorite topics include dynamical systems, optimal control theory, mathematical modeling, and numerical analysis, and I hope to learn more about these topics, as well as many others. Besides that, some of my other interests include food, m e m e s, linguistics, history, society, and just life in general. Trying out new things and learning about new topics is always great! Anyways, I consider myself an avid conversationalist and advice-giver, so if you want to talk about anything, or just need someone to hear you out, reach out to me on Facebook, Instagram, email, wherever. See ya around!
Why Rotaract? Nikhil, one of the former co-treasurers, and I actually founded the first Interact Club at our high school, West Ranch High School (WRHS). Well, technically, he founded it as the president; I was the secretary. While I was actually more involved in my high school’s Key Club as secretary as well, when I came to Cal, I found an amazing community of supporting individuals who are passionate to making the world and our community a better place. Despite the fact that most of them are trying to go to medical school, become a quant, etc., we still all share a surprising number of similarities in our values and life goals. It’s also a wonderful opportunity to destress and escape from an otherwise hectic and work-filled life, while using much of this time to give back to others.
Amy Zhang, Webmaster
Contact: [email protected]
Year: Junior
Major: Environmental Sciences
Service Passions: Environmental health and sustainability, healthcare equity and justice, increasing mental health awareness
Hobbies: I have such an unhealthy addiction to anything stationary related (MUJI pens, anything tombow fudenoske), love late night adventures to grocery stores (Trader Joe’s is everything), wasting hours stumbling down the rabbit hole of Wikipedia, hiking to the Botanical gardens after long midterm seasons to reflect, and I enjoy hand lettering quotes or playing guitar, ukulele and piano in my spare time- let me know if you ever want to jam sometime, or want your favorite quote handlettered!
About Me: Hi there! Thank you for stumbling upon the Cal Rotaract website that I work hard to spice with updates throughout the semester :’) My name’s Amy and I’m excited to be your Webmaster this year! I’m a HUGE fan of tea (both literally and figuratively ;D) binge watching Parks and Rec (all 7 seasons for the 4th time) alternative rock (please check out Sleeping at Last if interested) and anything remotely related to dark chocolate. Hit me up if you ever want to study, rant about pre-med classes (actually how I’ve bonded with so many people, @Shelley) or just need general advice on how to get through Cal (because go bears).
Why Rotaract? I honestly joined quite late in my college career and I am now realizing that I should have joined much earlier! Rotaract has brought great technicolor to my former dreary life of non-stop studying in the deep bowels of Main Stacks, and I’m glad to have found such a wholesome group of friends. Aside from the welcoming community, so many of Rotaract’s service events have been extremely rewarding experiences of actively helping underserved populations that have really broadened my perspective on what we can do for the community – I have gradually learned that every little bit goes a long way.
Shelley Kong, Human Relations
Contact: [email protected]
Year: Sophomore
Major: Intended Public Health
Hobbies: Cooking, baking, hiking, watching sunsets, photography, stationary
Service passions: Equal access to healthcare, food security, youth empowerment
About Me: Hi! I am a Bay Area native from Alameda, where we’re apparently known for In-N-Out. I’m generally pretty introverted, but don’t be afraid to strike up a conversation with me. I love cooking, baking, and trying out new restaurants. I probably spend way too much time meal prepping in my kitchen. Although I enjoy hiking and running, I’ve been pretty lazy lately. Feel free to hit me up if you need a gym buddy since I need someone to get me out of this slump.
Why Rotaract? I was involved in Interact throughout high school and was lucky enough to attend Stayover during my fall semester of senior year. Stayover was one of my favorite events throughout my four years of Interact– I met a lot of amazing people and could feel the sense of community in Rotaract. Coming to Cal, I wanted to continue Rotaract as a way to give back to the club. This club has exceeded my expectations and I hope that Rotaract can be your home away from home as it is for me!
Natasha Ham, Design Chair
Contact: [email protected]
Year: Sophomore
Major: Molecular Environmental Biology
Hobbies: watching TV shows, reading, trying new food places and ~*graphic design*~
Service passions: volunteering in our local community
About Me: Hi! I am your design chair and grAphIC dESIgN iS mY pASSioN uwu
Why Rotaract? In high school I always enjoyed helping out my community and I wanted to continue this service in college. I remember my friends and I were about to go to Circle K’s first meeting because one of my friends use to be in key clubs. But my RA stopped us and told us to join Rotaract! So my friends and I checked it out and here I am now as an officer!
Justine Liang, Co-Treasurer
Contact: [email protected]
Year: Sophomore
Major: Environmental Economics and Policy
Hobbies: Arts&Crafts, looking up fun recipes, watching Youtube, read
Service passions: Trying to provide equal opportunities for everyone, helping women feel empowered, improving the environment
About Me: An awkward turtle who wants to get to know others but sometimes don’t know how to and am very sassy and sarcastic once we start talking but always enjoy deeper conversations more than small-talk!
Why Rotaract? I wanted to continue doing community service in college but didn’t know how and where until I came with Shelley to the first Rotaract meeting and immediately fell in love with the club, the people and everyone’s service passion. The energy for service is always very high and everyone is very supportive unlike some other clubs out there that is very intense and everyone is trying to compete with one another. There is a wide variety of service opportunities so I feel like I am able to make an impact locally and internationally.
Kelly Lam, Co-Treasurer
Contact: [email protected]
Year: Sophomore
Major: Intended Public Health
Hobbies: swimming, sleeping, eating, handcrafts (knitting, origami, etc.), gardening, cooking, cleaning
Service Passions: promoting mental health, striving for universal healthcare, educating society about different cultures and perspectives
About Me: One time I went bowling and sucked really bad because it was the first (or second time) going. Seeing that I was doing so bad, I wanted to get closer to the pins to have a better shot of knocking them all down. However, I forgot that the lanes are waxed so I slipped and fell on my butt while approaching the pins. I even dropped the ball and left it stuck in the middle of the gutter. An employee then proceeded to walk to my lane and return the ball to me while laughing because he saw it all on camera.
Why Rotaract? Everyone was (and is) very welcoming and friendly. I also really love doing volunteer work, so I thought it was the perfect opportunity to both do what I love and meet some amazing people.
Dylan Supencheck, Co- Historian
Contact: [email protected]
Year: Freshman
Major: Intended Data Science & Urban Planning
Hobbies: photography, netflix binge watching, origami, staying up until sunrise, D&D, exploring new places
Service passions: Coming from a majority low-income high school, my main service passion is equal access to education and educational resources for all students! From this environment, I learned how much of a disparity there is between students in terms of access to resources and opportunities. While it’s a large, complex issue, I hope to do what I can to make at least somewhat of a difference in this area of service.
About Me: Hi! I’m Dylan and I’m from just an hour south–San Jose, CA. You’ll see me running around events, GM’s, committee meetings, and more this year taking pictures as your historian! I could talk for days about my service passion above, as well as shows/movies I love like Bojack Horseman, Brooklyn 99, this one D&D show I watch, Parks & Rec, Arrested Development, and anything Marvel! When you meet me, you might notice that I’m pretty quiet or a bit distant. While I’m definitely a little shy, I’m really open to making new friends and meeting new people, I swear! Even if I’m glued to my phone or behind a camera, feel free to say hi! I have a habit of being terrible at initiating, but if you do I’d love to get to know you.
Why Rotaract? In high school, helping keep our Interact Club up and running was a labor of love for me–from working on meeting slides at 2 AM, to organizing fundraising events, to bugging all my friends to come to community service events–and it really made my high school experience! Coming to Berkeley, it was kind of terrifying to be in a whole new environment without anyone I knew, so I decided to join a group that I hoped would be filled with the same wholesome people and spirit of service as Interact was at home. Luckily, my hopes were right! Rotaract turned out to be everything I hoped for and more (cheesy, sorry) and I can’t wait to see what this year holds.
Charlotte Ong, Co- Historian
Year: Freshman
Major: Nutritional Sciences/ Intended Public Health
Hobbies: movies, food, adventure, people?, art and craft, hiking, chilling/ hanging out friends, shopping, trying new food
Service passions: My service passions involve helping those who are less fortunate, food insecurity and being involved in our community.
About Me: Hellooo! My name is Charlotte but I also go by Charlo. I enjoy trying new things out in the world but also enjoy binge watching a bunch of shows. I am usually down to eat great food and enjoy having funny conversations. You can hit me up anytime if you’re interested in hanging
Why Rotaract? I joined Rotaract because since service was a big part of my life in high school, I wanted to continue doing that in which Rotaract would allow me to do. It allowed me to be apart of an organization that focused on service but also meeting friends along the way. I’m not from NorthCal but Rotaract allows me a chance to explore the area and the organizations that are involved in doing good for the community.
Queenie Shen, Rotary Co-Chair
Year: Freshman
Major: Environmental Economics and Policy
Hobbies: Listening to music, trying different restaurants and foods, board games, binge watching TV shows, Youtube surfing, playing badminton, and writing
Service passions: Environmental conservation and justice for lower-income communities, sustainability, mental health advocacy and awareness, and education that encourages female empowerment
About Me: I’m an LA suburban native who has just the slightest addiction to boba. Currently, I love finding new music to listen to, binge watching Marvel movies on repeat, singing (even if I’m not particularly great at it), and Netflix (The Office, Parks and Rec, Gossip Girl, Black Mirror, Great British Baking Show are some of my favorites). I might be a little reserved at first, but hit me with some sarcasm and self-deprecating humor and I’ll be good to go. I love nature and I want to travel the world someday, but for now I’ll settle for a walk around campus and a boba date.
Why Rotaract? Service has always been a constant in my life, so it was only natural to continue that experience in college through Rotaract. I wanted to find a group of people that was passionate and eager to incite change in the world. In the short period of time that I’ve been involved in this organization, I’ve met so many amazing individuals and gained so much knowledge from them. I want to have an impact on my community, and Rotaract helps provide the resources and experiences in order for me to do so.
Natlie Lee, Rotary Co-Chair
Year: Sophomore
Major: Environmental Sciences
Hobbies: Listening to simpy music, overanalyzing all forms of literature and art, binge-watching YouTube (cats, documentaries, ALL the recommended videos), trying delicious new restaurants (join me!)
Service passions: Social and racial equity, environmental justice and sustainability, mental health awareness
About Me: If you ever come across someone crouching on the ground in Berkeley, trying to get a stray cat to love her, congratulations!! There’s a 97% chance you’ve seen me, and you should definitely say hi next time
As a proud Taiwanese-American, I spent the first six years of my life in Taiwan and all the rest so far in NorCal, specifically in San Ramon and now Berkeley. Although I’m more of a homebody, I love spending quality time with friends and getting to know anything and everything you’d like me to know about you, so feel free to strike up a chat with me any time and take me on your adventures, especially if there’ll be some good food and puns involved!
Why Rotaract? It started off as simply wanting to join a service club like the one I had been in during high school, to get breath of fresh air from focusing so much on academics. After attending a few Rotaract social and service events, I found myself in a group of fun, motivating, and endearingly quirky individuals who all came together to form the most welcoming community on campus. As my Rotaract experience continued throughout the semester, I realized that I’d love to spend the rest of my college years (and beyond!) supporting and growing alongside this community that has helped make this big campus feel a little more like home to me.
Maya Le-Pedroza, International Committee Co-Chair
Year: Freshman
Major: Intended Molecular Cell Biology
Hobbies:Baking, listening to music, yoga, swimming, watching movies/Netflix, exploring new places, eating good food
Service passions: Educational empowerment, healthcare equity, environmental remediation
About Me: Hi! I’m Maya and I’m from SoCal, so I’m still trying to get used to Berkeley’s cold weather. I love to travel and see how cultures differ around the world. I also like taking an obnoxious amount of photos of the places I visit. I’m on the pre-med/pre-health track, so if you ever want to rant about pre-med struggles I’m here to talk. I like to de-stress from studying by baking, cooking, and trying out quality restaurants. I also really love coffee and tea, and I’m always down to try a new cafe. I enjoy meeting new people, so if you ever want to study, go to the gym, or just chat, let me know!
Why Rotaract? I discovered Interact my Sophomore year of high school, and ever since, I’ve really enjoyed the community of service-minded, friendly individuals. Being involved with Interact was definitely a highlight of high school, and so many great opportunities arose due to Interact. So, when I came to Berkeley, I decided to join Rotaract. I was a bit overwhelmed by the largeness of our school, so I thought joining Rotaract would allow me to surround myself with people who are also passionate about giving back to others. I was immediately impressed by the variety of community service events, strong leadership, and uplifting community. The people in Rotaract are all so friendly and inspiring, and I’ve already formed many friendships. I’ve made so many great memories so far in Rotaract, and I can’t wait to get more involved!
Yash Chainani, International Committee Co-Chair
Year: Sophomore
Major: Chemical Engineering
Hobbies: Working out, brewing coffee, exploring and trying out new coffee places, hiking, traveling, photography
Service passions: Mental health awareness
About Me: Hi! I’m Yash and I am in love with Coffee! I enjoy brewing my own coffee, exploring new coffee places to study, trying out coffee at those new coffee places, photographing coffee, photographing cafes, and just everything coffee. When I’m not so obsessed with coffee, I love hiking, being outdoors, or being with friends. My ideal hangout is just sitting and talking with friends without having to do anything like playing board games or partying. In school, I am a second year chemical engineering major and I am an international student from Singapore. I’ve grown up in Singapore my entire life and served in the military there for two years as well since Singapore enforces military service.
Why Rotaract? This might sound really cheesy but I joined Rotaract because I felt as if the Universe had been sending me many signals to join the club. Hear me out: on a visit to india during the summer before I began at Berkeley, I met up with a friend who told me about Rotaract at his college in India. Then in spring semester of freshman year, I met Prachi (a previous officer) at a chemical engineering event and that’s when I first heard about Rotaract at Cal. The following summer, when I went back home to Singapore, my best friend told me that he had joined Rotaract at his college in Singapore. So after all these signs, I was like “man, I gotta join Rotaract now”. And a lot of the decision, apart from being motivated by my gut, was also motivated by how nice people in Rotaract are and how much they care about the world around them. When I first joined Rotaract last semester (fall of Sophomore year), everyone was really welcoming and actually put in a lot of effort into getting to know me despite the fact that I was just a new member. In many clubs, one has to spend a semester or two to fully get to know people but that certainly wasn’t the case with Cal Rotaract. Everyone here is so warm and approachable that they make going to service events really enjoyable and fulfilling. Joining Cal Rotaract really has been one of the best decisions I’ve made thus far.
Dharaa Upadhyaya, Local Committee Co-Chair
Year: Sophomore
Major: Molecular Cell Biology
Hobbies: I love reading, drawing, eating any kind of desert, watching paranormal/crime/comedy shows, listening to music and true crime podcasts
Service passions: Education and healthcare for everyone
About Me: Hi! I’m Dharaa and I grew up in the same town as Richard Nixon, 20 minutes from Disneyland, so now I get cold when the temperature drops below 70. I have a huge sweet tooth (especially for ice cream), a bond with coffee, and a love for popcorn
I love crime shows and true crime-with a soft spot for rom coms, indie and alternative music (with some hip hop and R&B on the side). I’m always down to chat, study, etc so come hang out with me and give me an excuse to eat more ice cream
I’m excited to be a part of the local committee and am super excited to meet and get to know you guys!
Why Rotaract? I joined Rotaract because service to my immediate community was always important to me, and I wanted to keep being involved with my new community when I moved to this school. Rotaract was amazing because it not only offered sustainable ways to really help in the Berkeley community, but it also surrounded me with the best, genuine people around to stay involved with
Marie Shi, Local Committee Co-Chair
Year: Sophomore
Major: Molecular Cell Biology/Cognitive Science
Hobbies: Hiking, swimming, skiing, watching cooking/comedy/trashy crime shows, listening to music!
Service passions: Spreading awareness about the homeless crisis
About Me: Hello, my name is Marie! I’m from socal; unsurprisingly, I love the beach and hate the cold (anything under 60) and rain. I’m also extremely addicted to caffeine, so if you ever want to chat about anything (especially soccer!) or hit me up with some R&B/hiphop recs over coffee and ice cream, I will almost always be down!
Why Rotaract? Throughout high school, I oftentimes found myself really jaded with service clubs, because it seemed like they were created for reasons other than service itself. When I heard about Rotaract, it seemed like a group of genuine people. I joined because I loved the diversity of service opportunities available, and stayed because the people who make up the club are some of the best!
Ningxin Zheng, Interact Committee Co-Chair
Year: Sophomore
Major: Molecular Cell Biology
Hobbies: Drawing, arts and crafts, reading (manga, books, light novels, Quora), napping
Service Passions: Equal opportunities for all
About Me: One time I had to prepare a large amount of lemon juice for a site lesson, and I hadn’t planned enough for all the students. Sadly, none of the stores I could find in Berkeley sold lemon juice in bulk, so I ended up buying several pounds of lemons from Trader Joe’s. I carried a kitchen knife, lemons, and a few plates up to Bechtel, where I started the juicing process. It was pretty successful at first. The lemons were fresh and I was able to extract quite a bit of juice from them. I did end up spilling a bit of lemon juice on the table, which reacted with the baking powder and cabbage liquid remains, resulting in a very slippery surface and dyed my fingers bright red. I was squeezing the lemons into a mason jar, and then I pressed too hard against the side of the container … which tipped over, releasing its contents onto the table and all over my legs. Well then. It was a cold night, and I did my best to clean myself up in the nearby bathroom, though I was still wet and distinctly smelled of lemons. A few hours later, after I was done with juicing all the lemons and packing the boxes, I belatedly realized that it was pouring outside. The weather forecast predicted that the rain would let up around 2 or 3 am. I had prepared myself to wait out the rain at first and finished up a presentation in Bechtel, but my soaked pants and shoes were really uncomfortable, so I opened my umbrella and braced myself for the walk back to my apartment at around midnight. The rain peltered down in slanted lines, drenching me to the core, and my feet landed in calf-high water, completely filling my boots and saturating my socks. After what seemed like an eternity, I made my way back to my place, where I had to wait almost two hours for my roommate to finish taking a shower before I could clean myself up. I think I just wrapped myself in my bath towel and watched a course capture while I waited. After that crazy evening, I crawled into bed around 2 or 3 and dozed off for a few hours before my 8 am the next day. In the end, everything worked out well and there was enough lemon juice for all the kids! I do wish I had cleaned my pants better though, as they still smell faintly of lemons.
Why Rotaract? Coming into Berkeley, I was a bit lost and overwhelmed. I definitely felt imposter syndrome: I worried that I didn’t belong here, that I wasn’t good enough, that Berkeley made a mistake in admitting me. I think Tracy was the one that initially introduced me to Cal Rotaract. I first met her at a SPAN medical panel event in my first semester in freshman year, and she encouraged me to join Rotaract, and now I’m so glad I did! Like many others, I joined for the service and to make an impact on the community: the individuals and environment around me. I joined for the amazing people (shoutout to Tracy and Jocelyn) and the wonderful service and social events. I joined to help others, to grow as an individual, and to make new connections. And now looking back, I’m so thankful that I did. I’ve had a great time as a part of Cal Rotaract, and I can’t wait for the coming semesters!
Kate Im, Interact Committee Co-Chair
Contact: [email protected]
Year: Sophomore
Major: Political Sciences
Hobbies: Playing video games, having fun with friends, drawing (once in a while), watching Netflix and Youtube
Service Passions: Equalizing Inequality; Tackling Inequality
About Me: I head out to Memorial Glade for the beautiful Llamapalooza. It’s everything I ever wanted. I head there with my high school friend and we soon realized that we could not see them! All we see are crowds of people–surrounding the beautiful llamas! So we dash over to the llamas and try to squeeze through the crowd for a chance to pet these fluffy and sassy animals. We manage to do so and I whip out my phone to take a selfie with the llama. And at this moment, the llama decides to walk away in the exact opposite direction! Flabbergasted, I drag my friend and we follow the llama with 10 other people. Once the llama was satisfied and it stopped walking, I took out my phone again! Then the llama decided to look away from the phone. Oh llama, please just look at my phone for a cute selfie. After a few embarrassing tries, my friend and I finally got our selfie with the llama. Phew, good thing I didn’t have class after this!
Why Rotaract? Initially, I joined Rotaract because I was a part of Interact, the high school version of Rotaract. Coming to Berkeley, I was overwhelmed by the number of clubs and people on campus. I finally mustered enough courage to join Rotaract and it is one of my best decisions my freshman year. The people at Rotaract are always so positive and loving! I knew that I wanted to join the club after a few club events. When I was stressed and having a rough time, I was so lucky and happy to have a group of people at Rotaract who would always welcome me with open arms.
Bryan Huang, Fellowship Co-Chair
Year: Freshman
Major: Pre-Haas
Hobbies: Sports, food, working out, hanging out with people and exploring new things
Service passions: In short, reducing inequality, which I consider to mean giving marginalized populations access to all of society’s opportunities and a chance to maximize their own potential.
About Me: Hey everyone, I’m Bryan and I’m from San Jose, California. I have to define myself as a sports guy having been in sports both playing and watching pretty much my whole life. I could talk sports all day, so if that’s your thing, hit me up. Besides that, I’m a pretty basic guy. I enjoy all different types of food, whether it’s exploring the city or going back to Chipotle over and over. I like adventuring out with people doing just about anything, such as hiking or going to the movies. That’s either because of or in spite of my quietness, which is why I’m so appreciative of the fellowship aspect of this organization. I’m excited to be serving you in that regard and I hope to get to know as many of you as possible (or as will deal with me) over the course of the year.
Why Rotaract? I knew I wanted to join a service organization because I really wouldn’t consider my college experience complete just serving myself, so after Jessica bothered me for about the hundredth time about Rotaract, I decided to give it a shot (I’m only partially kidding). But once I joined, I knew I wanted to stay because I felt that the people in this organization cared about me more than just as partners in service like how other clubs would just view you as a member; I was welcomed with open arms by all different kinds of people even when I joined in the middle of the semester. It’s a community of passionate individuals that I’m proud to be a part of.
Nikita Dhar, Fellowship Co-Chair
Year: Sophomore
Major: Molecular Cell Biology
Hobbies: Music, tennis, Netflix binging, being in nature/hiking, eno (hammock) on Memorial Glade, SF adventures, trips to Walnut Creek for Chick-Fil-A, napping, spending time with family & friends
Service passions: Providing educational opportunities to all, increasing mental health awareness, and equal access to healthcare
About Me: Hi everyone, I’m Nikita and I’m from Houston, Texas. I love my doggo Cocoa, attempting to take aesthetic photos, and playing the ukulele. I’m super excited to serve as your Fellowship Co-Chair for the upcoming year, and I can’t wait to see what we achieve. I also love meeting new people, so feel free to reach out if you ever want to grab some food, need a study buddy, or just want to chat
Why Rotaract? Like most people, I initially joined Rotaract because I was interested in joining a service club in college. I was heavily drawn in, however, by the exceedingly warm and friendly atmosphere of the club. Since then, I have really appreciated the way this club is seamlessly run, with a good balance between the service and social aspects. I think Rotaract is unique in that members have such a genuine passion for helping others that it creates an aura of friendliness and warmth in the club. If you are at all interested, I encourage you to come out to one of our general meetings and experience the community and family that is Cal Rotaract.
Neha Hudait, Project Development Chair
Year: Freshman
Major: EECS + Business
Hobbies: Design, Hiking, Boxing, Drawing, Eating Food w Friends!
Service passions: I LOVE service projects that relate to younger kids. I love seeing their faces when they finally understand a concept or are able to get access to something that they didn’t have in the first place.
About Me: A lil southern brown girl from a small town who’s ready to take on the world by storm like the scorpio that she is
Why Rotaract? I loved being involved with Interact in high school and wanted to continue to serve my community when moving to a big city. I made some life long friends through this organization and I am super excited to get even more involved.
