Alumni

Navid Ghaffari

My name is Navid Ghaffari and I recently graduated from UCI in June 2018 with a degree in Neurobiology. During my time at UCI, I was involved with the Anteater Ambassadors Network for over three years. I enjoyed giving back my time to the campus and learning more about the school. The bonds I made with ambassadors as well as administrators will continue beyond UCI. I am currently in the medical school application process. I will be conducting neuroscience research abroad in Basel, Switzerland for 7 months starting in December 2018.

 

 

 

Pauline Nguyen

 Pauline graduated from UCI with a B.A. in comparative literature in 2018. She currently attends the University of Chicago Law School. Pauline served as the Vice President of AAN from 2017 to 2018. Being in AAN was one of her most fulfilling involvements while at UCI. She loved being able to engage with her community as an ambassador and strives to continue to do so in her future endeavors. While at UCI, Pauline was also involved with community outreach efforts through the UCI School of Law and researched inspirational Asian American Pacific Islander women in the law and politics for her honors thesis.

 

 

Armond Murray

Throughout my career in academia and industry I have made it a priority to be an active research leader, role model, and teacher. The desire to create and sustain diverse learning environments has taken me as far away as Sendai, Japan for an internship and is largely responsible for why I choose to pursue my doctorate.

Since becoming an Anteater, I have become involved with Associated Graduate Students (AGS) Internal Committee and the Diverse Educational Community and Doctoral Experience (DECADE) here on campus to help increase the retention and success of incoming underrepresented minorities and underprivileged students and to improve the graduate school experience for my peers. I aspire to become a community leader and my long-term goal is to enrich bioscience education for those in my community.

When I am not geeking out in lab or championing for improved student welfare, I split my free time between appreciating the fine arts and musical performances, reading, and traveling. I also spend a lot of time collecting the dankest memes and reading manga/manwha. If you own a dachshund, we are likely best friends.

 

 

Stephanie Tu

I entered the University of California, Irvine (UCI) in 2012 as a Biological Sciences major in the Campuswide Honors Program (CHP). I graduated in 2016 as a Human Biology major.

I am grateful to the CHP because it has been one of the most predominant forces responsible for shaping me into the individual that I am today. The counselors are incredibly approachable, available, and supportive, always making an effort to connect with students and to aid students to achieve their dreams—even after we have graduated! Moreover, the CHP fosters a tight-knit community of scholars where my fellow peers challenge and inspire me every day even today to expand my thinking on subjects as diverse as poverty and video games as well as to accomplish feats that I thought were beyond my abilities. My honors coursework has also influenced me by deepening my passion for interdisciplinary thinking, and I have especially enjoyed discovering the intriguing connections between the sciences and disciplines like the humanities, including the philosophical implications of quantum mechanics. Furthermore, the CHP has provided many opportunities for me to build relationships with knowledgeable and helpful faculty. As a result, one of my goals here at UCI was to enhance the educational experiences of other students the way my mentors, from counselors to professors, have enriched mine. I was able to achieve this through the Visiting International Student Mentor Program, the Biological Sciences Success Program, and the Peer Academic Advising Program, the latter which has been impactful on my growth. As a Peer Academic Advisor, I learned how to conduct myself professionally in a fast-paced environment, listening to others to determine what they were trying to communicate to me and phrasing my responses in a manner that they could understand, synthesizing information from numerous sources, and handling difficult situations such as comforting distressed students or informing students that the major they wanted to pursue was no longer a possibility. This is directly applicable to what physicians do, which is my intended career path.

Since graduating, I have been working as a Medical Assistant at a private practice as well as a Patient Educator at the UCI Outreach Clinic.  I am also writing for an online publication, Mochi Magazine!

 

 

Nicolo Patungan

Hello! My name is Nicolo John Patungan, a Business Administration major with an emphasis in Marketing and a minor in Film and Media Studies. Also, I was a Resident Advisor at Mesa Court, Peer Academic Advisor for the Paul Merage School of Business, a Discussion Leader for University Studies, and a Mentor for the Undergraduate-Undeclared Mentorship Program.

Some of the things I love are baking, video games, reading, writing, going on random adventures (ESPECIALLY for boba), singing, learning to play instruments (I currently know 7), carpool karaoke, playing volleyball, and watching movies and TV. After UCI, I hope to work in the marketing side of the film industry, for companies such as Paramount Studios and Warner Bros. Eventually, I aim to create my own film production company and hopefully win an Oscar in the future!

Being a part of the Anteater Ambassadors Network has been a blast! Having the opportunity to volunteer at a variety of events has been amazing, as I have been able learn so much more about UCI and give back to the place I call home. Meeting different people through these events, whether they be faculty, alumni, or families, has been wonderful because it is evident that they have a love and passion for UCI and its students. Most importantly, it has been a privilege to work with other extraordinary UCI students who love to give back to the community and to get to know each one of them.

 

 

 

Shelby Petty

Shelby graduated summa cum laude from UCI with a B.A. in Business Economics in 2019. She currently works in the investment management industry as a Product Analyst at PIMCO. Shelby served as Co-President of AAN from 2018 to 2019. She thoroughly enjoyed her time as an ambassador and feels that it helped her develop into a confident leader. Additionally, Shelby encourages all current and prospective ambassadors to take advantage of the amazing opportunities AAN provides and make the most of their UCI experience. While at UCI, Shelby was a NCAA Division 1 student-athlete on the Women’s Soccer team, and she was a Campuswide Honors Program student as well.

 

 

 

 

Ambica Makhija

My name is Ambica Makhija and I was a transfer student from Irvine Valley College. I just finished my senior year at University of California, Irvine (UCI) and my major is Psychology and Social Behavior. I have a passion for learning about others and how the world works, which is why I choose psychology as my major of interest. I also have an interest in outdoor adventures, helping the community, and event planning. I am currently working part-time for the City of Irvine and I love my job working with elementary school children, high school students, and the patrons in my community. My careers goals are still in the process of being chosen, but for now I plan to become a marriage and family therapist or premarital counselor; perhaps even look into becoming a professor or researcher.

At UC Irvine, I took advantage of some of the amazing opportunities and joined the Anteater Ambassador Network where I am now a board member as the Event Chair. This organization focuses on volunteer services for UCI and helps its members gain experience in professional development. This is one of the groups I felt most linked to not only because of the amazing members, but the actual mission to provide service to the school of UC Irvine. Being an Anteater Ambassader means that I am now able to expand the opportunities we have for our members as well as the school and be a part of such a fantastic group of individuals who strive to help everyone.

I am also involved in the UCI Zamana bollywood dance team as one of the team managers. As a manager, I had the responsibility to help with costumes, hair & makeup, supply any competition materials, and operate props on stage. I felt very welcomed by this team and I am grateful to have been able to travel with them to New York and Berkeley competitions where the team won 1st place in New York, then 2nd place at Berkeley. Being a part of UCI has given me an appreciation for all the opportunities we are given in life and has taught me that if it’s meant to be it will be.

 

 

Andrea Varon