MEET THE TEAM

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Irene Barragan, President

Year: 4th 
Major: Business Economics and Public Health Policy
Involvements: Undergraduate Finance Association, Public Health Association, A Home Forever Rescue (Non-profit Dog Rescue)
Why WIL:  I joined WIL because this is an association that empowers women which is important to me. WIL provides endless opportunities to improve your leadership and business skills. Also, creating a network is something that is essential and WIL can definitely help me create that.
Plans After UCI: I plan to work in the finance/business development sector. I want to get work experience before I pursue by dual MBA/MPH degree. I also hope to open up my own non-profit rescue for dogs.
Advice to WIL Members: Always try to get out of your comfort zone and try new things. Having a sense of community is important so don't be afraid to try new things.
Hobbies: Watching Netflix/Hulu, reading books, being a foodie, shopping, and volunteering at non-profit dog rescues. I also enjoy camping and fishing.
Fun Fact: I LOVE READING. My favorite series so far are: Divergent, Vampire Academy, and Bloodlines (spin-off of VA). Also, I have a dog named Zody and I love him very much.
Personality Type: ESTJ- A

Carmen Guo, Executive Vice President

Year: ​4th
Major: Business Economics, Business Administration
Involvements: Accounting Association
Why WIL: I joined WIL because I wanted to develop my leadership and networking skills. In addition, I wanted to surround myself with motivated individuals that share similar interests and goals as me.
Plans After UCI: After graduation I hope to get my CPA and work in tax or audit for a public accounting firm.
Advice to WIL Members: Be involved in as many organizations as you can to learn about what you may be interested in. Failing is a part of the learning process, so don't be afraid of trying new things and challenging yourself.
Hobbies: Playing basketball, cooking, and watching tv
Fun Fact: ​I sprained my right ankle three times.
Personality Type: ​ISTJ

Demi Ong, Vice President of Internal Affairs

Year: 4th
Major: Business Administration
Involvements: Student Alumni Association
Why WIL: I joined WIL because I wanted to improve my leadership skills and be a part of an organization that is about empowering others to be more confident and to believe in themselves.
Plans After UCI: I hope to work in a field that I am most passionate about and hopefully be able to start my own business in the future.
Advice to WIL Members: Be willing to step out of your comfort zone once in a while. There are so many different opportunities at UCI, so it is also never too late to get involved on campus.
Fun Fact: I used to have a big fear of dogs, but now they are one of my favorite animals.
Personality Type: INFJ-T

Mary Hu, Vice President of Mentorship

Year: 2nd
Major: Business Administration 
Involvements: Associated Students of UCI (ASUCI), Merage Undergraduate Student Association (MUSA), Management Information Student Society, Campuswide Honors Student Counsil
Why WIL: I joined WIL to be a part of an inclusive and diverse community whose mission is to empower other students to become leaders and to reach their highest potential. Along with building friendships and networks, I also joined WIL to strengthen my professional and leadership skills.
Plans After UCI: I plan to explore and work in the retail industry and enjoy my life traveling and making new friends.
Advice to WIL Members: Adapt to learn and learn to adapt. Take the initiative to explore all the opportunities UCI presents to you while staying true to yourself and your core values.
Hobbies: Spending time with my family, gardening, biking, knitting, and learning new languages
Fun Fact: I love logic puzzles and adventure movies (i.e. the Indiana Jones series and Marvel movies)
Personality Type: ISFJ-A

Tiffany Tran, Vice President of Communications

Year: ​3rd
Major: Business Administration
Minor: Criminology, Law & Society
Involvements: Accounting Association
Why WIL: I wanted to come out of my introverted shell and meet other like-minded people who shared an interest in leadership! I also sought to develop my soft skills and learn more about what challenges women face in the working world today.
Plans After UCI: I plan to work at a public accounting firm in either OC or LA-- all while studying for my CPA examination!
Advice to WIL Members: Pineapple belongs on pizza. In a more serious tone: Don't fret about mistakes in life- rather take it as a learning opportunity to do a better time the next time around.
Hobbies: I enjoy writing short stories (fantasy and sci-fi), playing video games (LoZ, Overwatch, Skyrim, Fallout, Fire Emblem), hiking, and nail art! I am a big fan of anime and manga as well, with my current favorite being Black Butler.
Fun Fact: I can share two; I'm double jointed and I write fanfic!
Personality Type: INFP-T

Vivian Sweha, VIce President of Community development

Year: ​3rd
Major: Psychology and Social Behavior
Minor: Management
Involvements: ASUCI, Gamma Phi Beta, Undecided/Undeclared Mentor Program
Why WIL: I joined WIL to broaden my professional network and to meet a bunch of awesome, like-minded people!
Plans After UCI: Graduate School
Advice to WIL Members: Constantly improve yourself through the failures you may face. Don't let the failures deter you, but instead, further your passion!
Hobbies: Camping, hiking, watching movies, and traveling
Fun Fact: In my lifetime I want to travel to each continent at least once.
Personality Type: ENFJ

ALICE Wang, Co Vice President of External Affairs

Year: 2nd
Major: Business Administration
Involvements: Accounting Association (Leadership Development Program), student assistant for the Office of Executive Education (Branch of The Paul Merage School of Business)
Why WIL: At first I liked the idea of WIL and its message of empowering people from diverse backgrounds to pursue their respective career goals. However, what really makes me love WIL are the people, how friendly and unique all the board and club members are, and the opportunities I've had to network with professionals, talk to guest speakers, and connect with like-minded individuals.
Plans After UCI: I plan on taking my CPA license exam and pursuing a career in public accounting. I'm not entirely sure what branch of accounting I want to go into because I haven't taken enough courses to discover my particular interests. I also hope to write a short novel or short tidbits on the side. 
Advice to WIL Members: Make an effort to get involved. Your experience in WIL will be what you make of it! This means interacting with your fellow WIL members, engaging with the guest speakers, actively participating in the activities, and of course connecting with your board members! We are here to serve you, and I'm sure I speak for the other board members when I say that all of us want to bond with our members on either a personal or professional level. Taking the first step in initiating a new relationship is hard, but it will be so worth it in the end, so give it a go!
Hobbies: I like creative writing, and one of my goals is to publish something-- a novel, short story, poem before I graduate. Other than that, I love reading (my favorite book is "The Metamorphosis by Frank Kafka). And, of course, watching Youtube videos, going out with friends, exploring new places, and going on long walks at night.
Fun Fact: I love taking long walk by myself really late at night, anywhere from 10PM - 3AM; of course those times varying depending on the area I'm in (because I'm not trying to get myself killed haha). I'm in Aldrich Park pretty often, so, if you see me at night don't be scared and maybe say hi?
Personality Type: ISFJ

Marisa King, Co Vice President of External Affairs

Year: 3rd
Major: Business Adminstration
Minor: Psychology and Social Behavior, Global Sustainability
Involvements: I work at the Disability Services Center on campus where I serve student with disabilities to ensure that all students are given an equal chance at their education. I am also a part of the Administrative Internship Program where I intern in UCI's department of Strategic Communications and Public Affairs for the Director of Local Government Affairs. This internship program also requires a 4 unit class every quarter to supplement to internship
Why WIL: WIL welcomed aspiring female leaders from all majors and provided me with a network of involved students and working professionals. Each week I was intrigued by the guest speakers that told a piece of their story to us students who were eager to listen. I was able to make new friends and hear from headstrong women who wanted to share their career journeys and give us advice. 
Plans After UCI: I am hoping to discover a career within the field of Sustainability from a business perspective. I am very passionate about climate change, and how renewable sources of energy can be implemented across all companies or communities all around the globe. Businesses are largely moving away from fossil fuels, but there is not enough prevalence or urgency when it comes to the matter of why companies should covert to cleaner energy. I would like to join the movement to preserve our Earth and ensure a healthy planet for future generations.
Advice to WIL Members: I would highly recommend being involved on campus in several different organizations, because not only do you form connections with great students from a variety of backgrounds, you also learn to balance a very full schedule that teaches you great time management skills. Learning to seize different opportunities can be intimidating, but it never hurts to apply for or try something new, because it may turn out to be better than you originally expected.
Hobbies: I love attending concerts or music festivals with friends. Often times I like to go shopping with my family on weekends, or take my dog on hikes. I'm also into road cycling with my dad, and I especially love when the course is along the beach.
Fun Fact: I love all sorts of movies except for horror films, but I especially love watching old movies or TV shows from the 1950s-1990s.
Personality Type: ISFJ-T

Samantha Cho, Co Vice President of Marketing

Year: 3rd
Major: Business Administration and Quantitative Economics
Involvements: Marketing Association, Campuswide Honors Program
Why WIL: I chose to become a part of WIL because I wanted to find a way to become more involved on campus while being able to grow professionally and personally.
Plans After UCI: After I graduate from UCI, I would like to take some time and travel before working in either marketing or finance. 
Advice to WIL Members: Everyone in life will face some sort of failure or hardship, but it is never an excuse to stop trying. Try your best in everything you do, so that you have no regrets. 
Hobbies: One of my favorite things to do in my free time is listen to music and go to concerts! So far my favorite concerts have been the Killers, John Mayer, Lifehouse, and LANY, and this summer I plan on seeing Charlie Puth and Monsta X.
Fun Fact: I have a twin brother who is one minute younger than me and two dogs named Peaches and Charlie. I will also be studying abroad this summer at the London School of Economics. 
Personality Type: ISFJ

Prim Sunsermsook, Co Vice President of Marketing

Year: 4th
Major: Business Administration
Minor: Information and Computer Science
Involvements: E-text editor for Disability Services Center and Writing Center's Student Curatorial Team
Why WIL: I was one of those people who did not believe in themselves that much and was always afraid to take a step out of my comfort zone, but with encouragement and support from people around me, I now believe that I can reach my full potential if I give it a try. Not only does WIL's mission to empower women to believe in themselves align with my own values, but it also gives me the opportunity to inspire others in the community.
Plans After UCI: As of now I am planning on working in anything data/business analytics related, then graduate school, then start my own business.
Advice to WIL Members: Get out there, live life, and don't forget to take care of yourself.
​Hobbies: Lifting, cooking, reading, going to concerts, camping and traveling whenever I can
Fun Fact: I can move my ears!
​Personality Type: INTJ-T

Priyanka Kaul, Vice President of Alumni Relations

Year: ​4th
Major: Business Administration
Minor: Psychology and Social Behavior
Involvements: Senior Consultant at Student Consulting for Non-Profits (SCNO)
Why WIL: I joined WIL because I wanted to be a part of a community that supports and encourages each other. Helping people is something that I love to do, and being given an opportunity where I can empower others and myself is something that I am excited about.
Plans After UCI: I'm interested in pursuing a career in the HR industry and making a positive impact in an organization and people's lives.
Advice to WIL Members: Be the best you can be and don't worry- everything will fall into place.
​Hobbies: Outside of school I enjoy attending poetry slams, reading, and photography.
Fun Fact: I LOVE mint chip ice cream and just food in general!
Personality Type: ESFJ

Frida Aguilar, Vice President of Finance

Year: ​3rd
Major: Applied Mathematics
Involvements: Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), Summer Research Internship
Why WIL: I joined WIL because I want to be a part of a tight-knit community of women that empowers and inspire each other. I want to share my experiences with others and inspire/help them become leaders.
Plans After UCI: I am still figuring it out but I would like to be working for SpaceX or move to New York or Canada and work as a financial analyst. 
Advice to WIL Members: Don't be afraid to reach out and ask for help, take advantage of all the opportunities you encounter even if it's not related to your major, step out of your comfort zone, and invest in a planner because it will make life much easier.
​Hobbies: I am an avid reader, swimmer and am currently teaching myself how to watercolor paint.
Fun Fact: I love to dye my hair fantasy colors!
Personality Type: ENFP-A