Quick interviews with each student lead about their role and favorite UCLA spot.
Authors: Abby I. and Chelsey L.
Hi, I’m Abby. I’m one of the Training Architects: equal parts strategic planner and energy cultivator. We answered five lightning-round questions so you know who to blame when the playlist slaps or the schedule snaps. Get to know the student staff perspective behind the magic!
Pictured from left to right, top to bottom
| Name & Pronouns | Unit | Hometown | What’s good in LA? | Fav Campus Spot | Random Thought? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kayla Salazar (she/her) **** | University Apartments North | Hollister, CA | I love going to Sawtelle! It’s so close by. | Sculpture Garden | “This year’s training is going to be so fun! <3” |
| Katie Grace Marley (she/her) | First Year Experience | Vista, California | I love the good weather in LA, it feels like it's always sunny. | YRL | “So excited for training !” |
| Abby Iya (she/her) **** | Hill | Eagle Rock, California | Griffith Observatory picnic spots, Goodwill Bins, and the great food/matcha spots | Grassy Hill on Tongva Steps | “I’m graduating and still haven’t explored the Botanical Gardens” |
| Chelsey Lu (she/her) | Finance | Castro Valley, California | my Dykstra East room 728 | DDORL | “You’ll never have exercise sweat if you swim.” |
Pictured from left to right, top to bottom
| Name & Pronouns | Unit | Hometown | What’s good in LA? | Fav Campus Spot | Random Thought? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nano Jasis (she/they) **** | Program & Event Management | Los Angeles, CA | Night markets and street life! Hit up Sumos Tacos Food Truck in Whittier iykyk | Statue Garden on a sunny day! | “Superman needs to revive superhero movies” |
| Paola Mantanico (she/her) | Program & Event Management | Boyle Heights, Los Angeles | Vista Hermosa Park is my absolute favorite spot here in LA! It is the best view of downtown and is great for a summer day picnic! | Sunset Rec | “Why does Wooden and Bfit have limited hours during the summer?” |
| Alizee Wouters (she/her) | Learning Centers & Makerspace | San Diego, CA | LACMA Jazz Nights | Rosenfeld Library | “I love a sweet treat!” |
| Riley Yupitun (he/him) | Organizational Development | Vancouver, Canada | The weather | Bradley 205 | “When you're waiting for the waiter at a restaurant, are you not also the waiter?” |
Pictured from left to right, top to bottom
| Name & Pronouns | Unit | Hometown | What’s good in LA? | Fav Campus Spot | Random Thought? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sonya Brooks (she/her) | University Apartments South | Oakland, CA | |||
| ”Where the youngsters get hyphie” | FOOD!!! | Besides the Botanical Gardens, the rooftop at the Fowler Museum is a vibe! | Why do we say "after dark" when it's actually after light? | ||
| Think about it - darkness isn't something that arrives, it's just the absence of light leaving. We're literally waiting for nothing to happen and then celebrating its arrival. | |||||
| Emily Otoshi (she/her) **** | Central Services | Honolulu, HI and San Diego, CA | Boba spots + cafes! | Dynasty room in Wooden (where UCLA Kyodo Taiko practices!!) | “Goldfish don’t have a 3 second memory, they can remember things for months! 🎏” |
| Temi Bakare (he/him) **** | Academics | Lagos, Nigeria | Century City Mall | My dorm 🙂 | “Lock in, but live a little. You only get one college experience” |
| Gisselle Llamas (she/her) | Leadership & Involvement | Simi Valley, CA | Kia Forum | Kaplan Hall English Reading Room | “Lions don’t roar, they meow.” 🐱 |
We gave each TA a polaroid camera to capture the fun during training. Lens flares, candid moments, and spontaneous selfies all included. Keep a look out for a collage of these pictures in our final blog post!