Officers Spring 2012

Stephen Fong, Co-President

YEAR: 2nd, Undergraduate
MAJOR: Intended Business
SERVICE PASSIONS: Both large-scale projects that help thousands internationally and hands-on service that improve our Berkeley community
HOBBIES: Trying new restaurants, watching Netflix, keeping up to date with current events, and traveling
CONTACT: [email protected]
ABOUT ME: Hello! I’m enthralled to be one of Cal Rotaract’s Co-Presidents for the upcoming year. Service has been a large part of what I do for many years now. In high school, I led the National Honor Society and was a part of a program called Lifting Spirits with Music where I participated in piano recitals for the elderly. In 2008, I joined Interact as a Relay for Life captain and gained exposure to the variety of international service projects Rotary is known for. As a freshman, I led Rotaract’s Polio Plus event as an international committee member and eventually joined the board as treasurer. Outside of service, I love hunting for interesting hole-in-the wall restaurants, sipping on weird chia/kombucha/jelly drinks, and meeting new people!

Angelica Teng, Co-President

YEAR: 3rd, Undergraduate
MAJOR: MCB Immunology
SERVICE PASSIONS: Women’s Health and Education interventions
HOBBIES: Coffee-shop hopping. I’m always on the lookout for a good book and a good peppermint latte.
CONTACT: [email protected]
ABOUT ME: I had been involved with Interact since high school and volunteered more on a local and national level through the club through can/book drives, blood drives, and volunteering hours at the local food pantry. I then found my passion in fighting for women’s health and education initiatives through a peer-founded non-profit Girls Helping Girls. Naturally, the first year I joined Rotaract I also signed up for the International Committee so I could continue that involvement. I loved how easy it was to get involved on campus and how enthusiastic other fellow Rotaractors were about both service and fellowship!

Amy Edmonds, Vice President

YEAR: 2nd, Undergraduate
MAJOR: Intended Public Health, Conservation and Resource Studies
SERVICE PASSIONS: International health and nutrition, community based projects, environmental and DIY projects
HOBBIES: Service (of course!), exploring, cooking, baking, eating, watching documentaries, service, singing and playing guitar (badly)
CONTACT: [email protected]
ABOUT ME: Hey everyone! I joined Cal Rotaract my first semester of freshman year and I am proud to be serving you this year as Vice President. I have witnessed the difference we can make in our community, and in the world, when we work together! I continue to be so inspired by my fellow Rotaracters and Rotarians, and I have learned that volunteering is a great way to meet awesome new friends! More about me? Well, I love keeping busy, exploring new places and foods, and just hanging out. If we haven’t met already, I love meeting new people and I really want to meet all of my fellow Rotaracters–don’t hesitate to introduce yourself! Oh, and also know that I have a major sweet tooth (although I can also be a bit of a health nut) and am extremely drawn to really bright colors. So if you see someone wearing a bright yellow something and eating a cookie as big as her face…that’s probably me!

Robynne Lindsey, Secretary

YEAR: 2nd, Undergraduate
MAJOR: Political Science and Anthropology
SERVICE PASSIONS: Hands on projects, cancer awareness, international concerns, community growth
HOBBIES: Outdoor activities, exploring, relaxing, cooking, and eating lots of food!
CONTACT: [email protected]
ABOUT ME: Hello there! I am Robynne and I am excited to begin being your Cal Rotaract Secretary! This will be my second semester in Rotaract and I absolutely love my Rotaract family. I am so excited to see what is in store for this semester. I love Rotaract for its dedication to service which is what keeps me coming back for more! I am a fun loving girl who truly enjoys meeting new people and making new friends. So, if you see me around introduce yourself, I would LOVE to meet you!

Michael Homer, Treasurer

YEAR: 2nd, Undergraduate
MAJOR: Economics
SERVICE PASSIONS: Hands on work, community clean-up, international service
HOBBIES: Books, Netflix, Guitar, working out, drinking coffee
CONTACT: [email protected] or [email protected]
ABOUT ME: Hello! My name is Michael and I am 2012’s new Treasurer! This is my first time being an officer in a service organization, although I have been active in service since high school. I feel lucky to be a part of this Officer crew as Rotaract is full of amazing people with a genuine enthusiasm for helping others. I will do my best to help make this club even better. I used to work in a movie theater so I love watching movies and I make the best popcorn. Last semester I started learning Chinese and I hope to travel there someday. I’m always looking for a chance to practice! I look forward to meeting you all in the coming year!

Natalie Cowan, Marketing Design Director

YEAR: 1st, Undergraduate
MAJOR: Intended Media Studies
SERVICE PASSIONS: International aid projects and working with kiddies!
HOBBIES: Collecting nail polish, painting my nails religiously, eating, cooking and baking, being artsy, tea parties, fantasizing about my dream house, singing and dancing badly on purpose, and laughing (smiling’s my favorite)!
CONTACT: [email protected]
ABOUT ME: Hello friends! I’m Natalie, that one girl who is super enthusiastic about everything Rotaract does; who wants to spread the holiday cheer, even when it’s not the holidays; who tries to get people involved by shoving posters in their faces… Yup. Thaaaat’s me! I joined Rotaract as an extension of my work with Interact, hoping to find the familiar warmth of everyone’s passion and commitment to international and community service, as well as an amazing group of people to spend my upcoming years at Cal with. I love expressing myself through different mediums may it be art, service projects, or just sharing the super dramatic story about my latest tumble in the middle of Sproul. I am excited to share many experiences with all of you wonderful people, so don’t hesitate to come say hi – I love making new friends!!

Katherine Zhang, Marketing Outreach Director

YEAR: 2nd, Undergraduate
MAJOR: Political Science
SERVICE PASSIONS: International relations, fixing infrastructure/cleaning up, fundraising for policy issues, etc.
HOBBIES: Basketball, shopping, eating, cooking, facebooking, hiking, exploring new places
CONTACT: [email protected]
ABOUT ME: Hi Everyone. My name’s Katherine Zhang and I’ll be your Marketing Outreach Coordinator for this year! I’m a huge people person and love love love meeting new people. I love hearing all different perspectives and joining Rotaract has allowed me to meet so many diverse, wonderful people. I joined Rotaract to play a part in giving back as much as I can and I hope I can do so not only for the Berkeley community, but the international as well. I enjoy spending my free time hanging out with my friends, shopping, or reading a really interesting political science book (yes, one of those). I probably will be eating the majority of the time that you meet me because I am a huge foodie. Feel free to come talk to me about whatever, whenever!

Audrey Guo, Membership Coordinator

YEAR: 3rd, Undergraduate
MAJOR: Economics and Math
SERVICE PASSIONS: Working with Children, the Community, and the Environment
HOBBIES: Badminton, Art, Piano, Reading, Cooking
CONTACT: [email protected]
ABOUT ME: Hey! I’m Audrey, and I’m so excited to be an officer for Rotaract this year! I’ve met so many great people through Rotaract, and I can’t wait to get to know you better! I’m really into anything art-related, and I love drawing & reading, although I wish I had more time to spend on them. Recently I’ve gotten into cooking/baking as well, especially experimenting with new recipes. In fact, I love food in general, especially trying out new restaurants + cafes! I love meeting/getting to know new friends, so feel free to find me on Facebook or shoot me an email!

John Bui, Co-Fellowship Director

YEAR: 1st, Undergraduate
MAJOR: MCB: Neurobiology
SERVICE PASSIONS: Education, Children, International Projects! (like EndPolioNow and ShelterBox)
HOBBIES: Playing piano, swimming, hanging out with friends, playing Yugioh (yup.), hiking, napping, and going on Facebook/Tumblr/YouTube!
CONTACT: [email protected] or [email protected]
ABOUT ME: What’s up? I’m John Bui and this is my first year of Cal Rotaract representing the Co-Fellowship position with my co-chair, Anna! I was a part of Interact representing Area 6 of District 5170 ever since high school and loved it, so joining Rotaract was a no-brainer for me. I’m an optimistic and friendly person, so any time you need that frown turned upside-down, you know who to talk to 🙂 I love trying new things and meeting people with the most random interests, so feel free to say hi any time. I love planning events, especially socials, so look forward to those plus the banquet at the end of this year!

Anna Zhao, Co-Fellowship Director

YEAR: 1st, Undergraduate
MAJOR: Intended Business/Rhetoric
SERVICE PASSIONS: Giving back to my community, working with children and youth, spreading awareness for global issues … anything that makes a difference!
HOBBIES: Good food, good conversation, and good company; community service and philanthropy (of course!), attempting efforts of creativity, and occasionally sleeping!
CONTACT: [email protected]
ABOUT ME: Hi everyone! I might be new to the Rotary/Rotaract family, but I’ve fallen in love fast – and I’m so happy to be one of your co-directors of fellowship (along with the immensely energetic John Bui) this year! Originally from Vancouver, Canada, I’m always up for exploring our community, so if you’re adventurous too come find me and we’ll roam the Bay Area together! I love meeting new people, getting to know people, and just talking to people, so if you see me around campus come and say hi! I’m also always available to (try to) address all your concerns, fellowship/Rotaract-related or not (I can’t promise to solve your problems, but I promise to give it my best attempt!), so never hesitate to find me through email or Facebook! I hope everyone enjoys their semester in Rotaract as much as I know I will 🙂

Stacie Vance, Family Coordinator

YEAR: 2nd, Undergraduate
MAJOR: Conservation and Resource Studies
SERVICE PASSIONS: Local service, Environmental clean-ups and awareness, Rebuilding projects, anything hands-on
HOBBIES: Baking, running, movie watching (especially super sappy chick flicks and scary movies), watching football, and playing board and card games
CONTACT: [email protected]
ABOUT ME: Hello Rotaractors! I am so excited to be your Family Coordinator this year. I have had some really great experiences getting to know other club members through the small family group activities and outings, and I really hope you all take the opportunity to bond with us while we explore Berkeley. I love riddles and bad jokes (a little bit too much), so if you have any please do share them with me- I promise I will laugh. I like to explore and have absolutely no problem making a fool of myself, so if you ever need an adventure buddy, I’m your girl!

Erin Gunter, Service Director

YEAR: 2nd, Undergraduate
Major: Anthro and Poli Sci with a minor in PACS
SERVICE PASSIONS: I absolutely love all of the hands on projects! You will always find me at Rebuilding Together, making WAPIs, or sewing blankets!
HOBBIES: Dancing, baking, tennis, archery, volleyball, travel, laughing
CONTACT: [email protected]
ABOUT ME: Hi I’m Erin and I am your Service Director this semester! Rotaract is amazing, because we combine community service and hanging out with awesome new people! I am excited to go on some great family socials, like rock climbing this semester! My favorite type of community service are hands on projects! I really love them, because you can actually see that you are making a difference! You can bet I will organize at least a couple hands on projects this semester! Apart from volunteering, I love to dance, have fun, try new things, and laugh a lot. I also am an avid baker, and I love giving away baked goods. I am known to make a mean snickerdoodle!

Amber Gonzales, Co-Rotary Liaison

YEAR: 2nd, Undergraduate
MAJOR: Political Economy
SERVICE PASSIONS: My service passions lie in education, international projects and serving underprivileged communities.
HOBBIES:  As you get to know me better you will learn that I am always singing and/or dancing :). I love to talk, so by the end of the year you will probably know my life story. I enjoy hiking and really any type of outdoor adventure. I also love spending time with my little brother and family in general.
CONTACT: [email protected]
ABOUT ME: Hiya! I am Amber, a sophomore here at Cal and one of your Rotary Liaisons for 2012. My mission will be to plan awesome socials and projects which will allow all of you to get closer to Rotarians and Interacters. I like pina coladas and getting caught in the rain 😉 Fun Fact: I not only have American citizenship, BUT I am also a Peruvian citizen! When I am not spending time with Rotaractors you can find me at my second home: the Center for Student Leadership located in 102 Sproul, so if you are in the neighborhood, stop by.  I am excited to get to know all of you so come up or message me on FB and say hi whenever! <3 Go BEARS!!!

Jahlela Hasle, Co-Rotary Liaison

YEAR: 2nd, Undergraduate
MAJOR: Cognitive Science, emphasis in Neuroscience
SERVICE PASSIONS: Construction, literacy improvement
HOBBIES:  Photography, Laughing, University Chorus, Scuba Diving, Languages (English, Spanish, Latin, Norwegian), Flying small airplanes
CONTACT: [email protected]
ABOUT ME: Salutations! I am a second-year studying Cognitive Science, with a few Business classes on the side. I love the color green and being creative in the kitchen. In 2012, I look forward to serving Cal Rotaract as a co-Rotary Liaisonette with Amber Gonzales. We will be bringing Rotary, Rotaract, and Interact together on service and personal development projects. If you have ideas, let us know!

Brian Ly, Historian

YEAR: 1st, Undergraduate
MAJOR: Intended Business Administration/Economics and Japanese Minor
SERVICE PASSIONS: Disaster relief, environmental projects, children!
HOBBIES: Literature, photography, anime, food, driving (or Mario Kart while my car is incarcerated back home…)
CONTACT: [email protected]
ABOUT ME: Hey everyone! My name is Brian and I’m your Historian for this semester! I’ve been involved in Interact all of high school, so this marks my fifth year with Rotary, though it’s my first year with Rotaract. While my origins lie in local service working as a commissioner in my high school Interact Club, I’ve developed an interest in supporting international projects as a Rotaractor. When I’m not playing paparazzi or serving the community, I’ll usually be out and about discovering new eateries around the city or chilling in my room. I may seem awkward at first, but don’t hesitate to talk to me, since I’m always willing to meet new people.

Jessica Chou, Webmaster

YEAR: 3rd, Undergraduate
MAJOR: Computer Science and Music minor
SERVICE PASSIONS: LN-4, WAPIs, international projects, working with children, health care, making a difference!
HOBBIES: Volleyball, tennis, watching baseball (SF Giants!), baking, food, reading, photography, piano, video games, falling asleep
CONTACT: [email protected]
ABOUT ME: Hi guys! I’m Jessica and I am your Webmaster this semester! I joined Rotaract during my first year at Cal because I wanted to continue doing community service after high school, and I’m definitely glad that I did! I’m from the Bay Area and come from a family of Golden Bears. I love taking pictures of everything, especially food (which is quite obvious if you’ve seen any of my Facebook albums) since I enjoy trying new restaurants and also bake a lot. I’m always down to go on a random adventure or come up with spontaneous plans to do something fun, so if you have any epic ideas, let me know! Can’t wait to get to know all of you!

Marina Liang, Local Service Co-Chair

YEAR: 2nd, Undergraduate
MAJOR: Pre-Business/Psychology
SERVICE PASSIONS: Helping the elderly, saving our planet (Go green!), increasing the self-esteem of children and young teens, and striving to save children from malnutrition and other ailments such as physical deformities or disease
HOBBIES: Dancing (don’t think I’m crazy if you see me doing random dance steps when I think no one is looking), singing (poorly), drawing, making jewelry, and yoga
CONTACT: [email protected]
ABOUT ME: Hi there! I love to laugh and I love meeting new people. I am nerdy and dorky and bubbly. An interesting fact about me is that I am a mix of French and five different Asian ethnicities. I am from Los Angeles (please don’t tell me I have an “LA girl” accent!) but I absolutely love the Bay Area! This is my fourth semester in Rotaract. I was in Interact through all of high school, and I am excited to be your Local Committee Co-chair this year! It’s going to be a blast. I am very easygoing and fun to talk to, and I am a great listener, so don’t be shy! If you have any questions, holler at me 😀

Chris Yee, Local Service Co-Chair

YEAR: 2nd, Undergraduate
MAJOR: Molecular and Cellular Biology (MCB)
SERVICE PASSIONS: My main passion is working with children but honestly, I love anything to do with service! I love helping others and I will help them any way I can.
HOBBIES: Basketball, video games, reading, and hanging out with friends! 🙂
CONTACT: [email protected]
ABOUT ME: Hey, what’s up? My name is Chris and I am currently co-chair for Local Committee! I joined Rotaract in the Spring of 2011 because I wanted to make a difference and I ended up making so many friends along the way! I am excited for this semester and I am sure it will be a great one with everyone’s help! I hope to make this semester the best one yet! Outside of Rotaract and school, I spend most of my time either playing or watching basketball! Go Sacramento Kings! But yes, I am most likely either at the RSF or hanging out with friends when I have free time. If you see me on campus, don’t be shy and feel free to say hi to me! I love to meet new people and I am very friendly.

Christine Foo, International Service Co-Chair

YEAR: 1st, Undergraduate
MAJOR: Economics
SERVICE PASSIONS: Granting wishes with Make-A-Wish Foundation, organizing family days for families to come together and bond and raise the self esteem of children from disadvantaged backgrounds
HOBBIES: Photography, videography, anything DIY, going to cafes and trying everything!, going to small/classic movie theaters, concerts!, hanging out with friends and family
CONTACT: [email protected]
ABOUT ME: Hey everyone! I’m Christine and I’m an international student from Singapore. I joined Rotaract last semester as I wanted to continue to be involved in service projects and I can say that there is not one moment of regret. Joining Rotaract is like joining a new family because everyone is so friendly and fun loving! We always have a ton of fun regardless of whether we are fundraising, cooking, baking or at retreats! I am thrilled to be involved in Rotaract at a deeper level this semester as international committee chair with Charlie and I can’t wait to meet you all! Join Rotaract and International Committee to meet like-minded individuals and I’m sure you won’t regret! A semester of rewarding experiences awaits you!

Charlie Reed, International Service Co-Chair

YEAR: 1st, Undergraduate
MAJOR: Society and Environment, Global Poverty and Practice Minor
SERVICE PASSIONS: Water-related projects, environmental stewardship, international causes
HOBBIES: Community service, yoga, hiking, cooking, playing with my dogs, going to concerts and spending time with my friends and family
CONTACT: [email protected]
ABOUT ME: Hey everyone! This is my second semester in Cal Rotaract and I was very involved in Interact all four years during high school. I am from Del Mar, California and am truly passionate about service and all that Rotary International does. I attended RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards) and two Rotary Youth Exchange Programs, one in Italy and one in France. Rotary is an incredible organization and has so much to offer for anyone who wants to get involved. I hope to remain a part of Rotary for the rest of my life and if you have any questions about it please ask! Rotaract is a great place to meet new people, do great things and have an awesome time. I love working out, spending time with friends and I also volunteer at the Berkeley Student Food Collective!