“Being president is like working on giant puzzle. You have all these pieces that you need to put together and you have an idea of what the bigger picture is but there are so many pieces that you just don’t know where to start. For me, I wanted to bring something new to this club and I had all these ideas; I had the puzzle in front of me, but I didn’t know where to start. If it wasn’t for the encouragement of those before me and the help from my fellow board members, I would still be stuck trying to find the first two pieces of the puzzle. I look back at everything we have accomplished this year and cannot help but think that nothing would have been possible without the level of commitment from everyone in this club. So, to everyone who has contributed to the club in the past year, even in the smallest of ways, Thank You.”
What was the most rewarding experience you had throughout your entire GMT experience, from being a general member to now serving your last term as current president?
“Besides the trips, the most rewarding experience was during my first year on board as the fundraising co-chair. I loved the hands-on experience of planning and executing a fundraiser. The time I spent boothing on ring road I was able to get to know so many other people in the club and I was able to talk to people on ring road about GMT. I grew out of my comfort zone and made a lot of new friends.”
What is one legacy you want to leave behind and why?
“When I started as President, I knew I had very big shoes to fill. The last two generations were great sources of inspiration and I really wanted to continue the growth of the club. The legacy I wish to leave for the next generations is that this club is a community, a family that knows no bounds and will continue to become a place on campus where people can feel comfortable enough to be themselves.”
How has being the president of GMT changed your life?
“One way my life has changed from being President was learning about my own leadership style and gaining the confidence to be a leader. This club has given me a sense of certainty in myself. Growing up, I was always moving to different schools or towns and I never felt myself grounded. Coming to UCI, I wanted to find something I could dedicate myself to and when I joined this club I knew instantly that I had found it. This club and the family that came with it soon became something I could call my own and it is something I will always be grateful for.”
