DIRECTOR OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS
Molecular Environmental Biology and Molecular & Cell Biology

Hey friends! My name is Briana and I am a senior who’s incredibly grateful to be serving as the Internal Director for this term! I joined VHIO as a sophomore because VHIO’s mission statement of overcoming language barriers in healthcare and serving underserved communities really resonated with my beliefs and values. The idea of being able to bridge different communities together truly fascinates me and I wish to stand by this goal in all my future endeavors. Feel free to reach out to me about anything! I’d be happy to chat!

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONAL AFFAIRS
Bioengineering and Business Administration

Hello there! My name is Shirley, and I am so excited to be serving as VHIO's Director of Operations! I am a 3rd year from the Bay Area and joined VHIO my first semester. Being able to serve the Low-English proficiency community with such a passionate group of people has created some of the most valuable experiences, and I know that we will continue to take action to break down healthcare disparities in the next year. In my free time, I enjoy playing the ukulele, hiking by the coast, and trying new recipes. Feel free to reach out to me anytime!

DIRECTOR OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
Public Health

Hi everyone! My name is Sage and I am a 3rd year Public Health major. I am humbled to be serving as the External Director for the 2021-22 term. I joined VHIO in my freshman year and I am grateful for the amazing people I've had the opportunity of working with through my 2 years in this wonderful organization. I am excited to continue working with this incredibly passionate community and to continue serving the limited-English Proficiency populations in the Bay Area. In my spare time, you can probably find me. Looking forward to another great year with everyone!

CHINESE DEPARTMENT COORDINATOR
Molecular & Cell Biology

Hi! I’m Esther, and I’m a junior majoring in Molecular & Cell Biology. Some of my favorite experiences in college are VHIO events, so I’m really excited to serve as one of the Chinese Department Coordinators and introduce our members to a variety of interpreting opportunities! It always feels so rewarding getting to know each patient and being able to interpret for them. In my free time, I like to watch cooking videos, drink green tea, and explore food places in the Bay Area <3

CHINESE DEPARTMENT COORDINATOR
Nutritional Science - Dietetics

Hey everyone! My name is Wilson and I'm a third-year studying nutritional science - dietetics. I am so excited to be your Chinese department coordinator this year! I joined VHIO in my freshman year and it has been such a fun and rewarding journey to be able to learn and help with lessening the language barrier that exists between providers and patients. In my spare time, I love to cook, bake, and do anything food-related. Feel free to message me whenever y'all wanna grab boba and I can't wait to meet everyone!!

SPANISH DEPARTMENT COORDINATOR
Public Health

Holaa! My name is Natalie. I’m a third-year Public Health major with a minor in Early Development and Learning Science. I'm originally from Mexico but immigrated to the US a few years ago. As someone who received a lot of interpretation help when coming to this country without knowing any English, VHIO’s mission resonated with me from the beginning. VHIO has not only allowed me to give back to my community but has also allowed me to be an advocate and use my bilingual skills to help the LEP population overcome language barriers in the healthcare system. In my spare time, I enjoy dancing, working out, watching movies, and trying new food places. If you ever need a workout buddy or have any food place recommendations, let me know! 🙂

SPANISH DEPARTMENT COORDINATOR
Cognitive Science

Hey! I'm Leslie, a 4th-year Cognitive Science major! I enjoy meeting new people and working with others to make healthcare resources accessible to everyone. As a person who has been directly affected by the lack of Spanish communication in healthcare, I hope to improve this system and serve to support other people in the LEP population. When I'm free, I like to do crafts, bake, do outdoor activities and go shopping!

VIETNAMESE DEPARTMENT COORDINATOR
Molecular & Cell Biology

Hi everyone! My name is Kathy and I’m a 4th year majoring in Molecular and Cell Biology with a minor in Global Public Health. Over the past two years, I gained valuable experiences while serving the community and listening to their stories, which further increased my passion to pursue efforts in overcoming barriers to healthcare services. I am excited to be serving as one of the Vietnamese Department Coordinators for the 2021-2022 academic year and to be working alongside others who share the same passion for advocacy and serving the community!

VIETNAMESE DEPARTMENT COORDINATOR
Biochemistry and Economics

Hello friends, my name is Nina! I’m a this year double majoring in Biochemistry and Economics. I joined VHIO during my second year because I wanted to further improve on my Vietnamese, while also fighting against the language barrier placed on POC communities in the healthcare field. Being able to help others in experiences I know my own family has encountered is why I love VHIO so much. Outside of VHIO, I also like to run and watch Disney movies. I also have a collection of Disney Tsum tsums with over 200!

KOREAN DEPARTMENT COORDINATOR
Molecular and Cell Biology

Hi I'm Stacy! I'm a senior majoring in MCB. I joined VHIO last year and am going to be one of Korean Department Coords this year! I love singing, traveling, playing instruments, and trying new brunch place! VHIO is such a cool org filled with cool, compassionate people. I’m so excited to make lots of fun and meaningful memories in VHIO in my last year at Cal:)

KOREAN DEPARTMENT COORDINATOR
Molecular & Cell Biology

Hi everyone! My name is Ally Lee and I am very excited to be one of the Korean Department Coordinators this year. I am a third year majoring in Molecular & Cell Biology. I joined VHIO my sophomore year and I am grateful to have met such a great community of volunteers that share the same passion to help low-English proficiency populations in the Bay Area. In my spare time, I love to explore new boba places in the hope of finding a boba order that can beat my current favorite: lemon premium green tea with pearls from TP Tea.

OUTREACH COORDINATOR
Molecular and Cell Biology

Hi everyone! I'm Evelyn, and I am a 3rd year majoring in MCB. I joined VHIO in my 1st year as a freshman, and now I'm the Outreach Coordinator for the club. I love trying new foods to eat in the city, care for my lovely house plants, and explore outdoor activities. I'm thrilled to be part of VHIO, dismantling language barriers in healthcare as a team!

TAGALOG DEPARTMENT COORDINATOR
Public Health and Molecular Environmental Biology

Hello everyone, I'm Rica! I'm a third year majoring in Public Health and intending to pursue a simultaneous degree in MEB. I am this year's Tagalog Department Coordinator and Language Coach. I am an international student from the Philippines, intending to pursue an academic career in the intersections of health and the environment. I love to cook and bake, draw/paint, and do any nature-related activity! My objective is to help future interns not only become well-versed in the Tagalog language and in the practice of volunteering for the health allied professions, but also to facilitate relationships, find and lend support, and foster a sense of belonging in the VHIO community!

JAPANESE DEPARTMENT COORDINATOR
Molecular & Cell Biology

Hello! My name is Ashleigh. I’m a second year hoping to major in Molecular & Cell Biology. I joined VHIO last year during the fall of my freshman year, and I am delighted to be working as the Japanese department coordinator and language coach for this year. I love listening to J-rock/pop, going hiking, and eating great food with my friends and family. I look forward to meeting more members who are passionate about language and serving the community!

JAPANESE DEPARTMENT COORDINATOR
Molecular Environmental Biology & Global Public Health

こんにちは! Hey y'all! My name is Lucas Yoshida and I am a senior majoring in Molecular Environmental Biology and have a minor in Global Public Health. I am a Japanese Department Coordinator this year, but joined VHIO my freshman year actually thanks to my Japanese language professor at the time who recommended me to apply as I was pre-med/pre-health. I am really glad to have applied and be part of a wonderful organization who puts lots of effort into making sure disadvantaged communities are able to get their health related needs taken care of without any issues due to language barriers. I enjoy soccer, going on hikes, and shopping for clothes and shoes during my free time. Looking forward to seeing other folks who enjoy VHIO as much as I do!

EDUCATION COORDINATOR
Molecular & Cell Biology

Hello! My name is Aileen. I am a junior majoring in MCB. The past two years in VHIO was extremely enriching. I was able to meet and befriend with numerous amazing people through the training program and volunteering events. Growing up as a so-called third-culture kid, I understand the struggle of changing environments and adapting to new cultures and languages. VHIO offered me the opportunity to use my TCK linguistic abilities to interpret for the LEP community and advocate for their right to receive high-quality healthcare services. I feel extremely grateful to continue as one of the Education Coordinators in the upcoming school year. Looking forward to having another great year with y'all.

EDUCATION COORDINATOR
Molecular & Cell Biology

Hey everyone! I am Angie and I am a fourth year majoring in MCB. I am happy to be one of the education coordinators and I cannot wait to meet everyone this upcoming school year! I joined VHIO during my sophomore year and I cannot emphasize enough how important VHIO is to my college life. I have met so many lovely people, who all together work as a big supportive team to serve the LEP community. I love swimming, hiking, binge watching anime, listening to music and hanging out with my parrot. Feel free to reach out if you want to talk about anything!

LANGUAGE COORDINATOR
Molecular Environmental Biology

Hello! My name is Chisato, and I’m a third-year student studying MEB (animal health). I’m really excited to be the language coordinator for this year! Given the opportunity to help out the LEP community, teach new members as one of the language coaches, and befriend fellow volunteers during the past two years, joining VHIO has been one of the most fulfilling experiences I’ve had at Cal!
During my spare time, I enjoy spending time with my dog, playing tennis, and brainstorming translations to songs 😀
I look forward to what this year might bring!

WORKSHOPS COORDINATOR
Molecular & Cell Biology

Hi everyone! My name is Shannon and I'm currently a third year MCB student. I'm your resident boba addict and foodie who also loves kpop and kdramas (stan mamamoo hehe). I also occasionally dabble in crafts, cooking, and basketball. I love learning new languages and volunteering, which is why VHIO was the perfect fit for me. I am so happy to be one of VHIO's Workshop Coordinators this year and look forward to meeting you all (don’t be afraid to say hi if you ever see me :).

WORKSHOPS COORDINATOR
Molecular & Cell Biology

Hey y'all, I’m Amy! I’m a fourth year MCB student minoring in Spanish and I am so excited to be Workshops Co-Coordinator this year. It’s crucial that we ground our volunteer work within a broader health context, and I’m looking forward to learning alongside everyone at VHIO in a space where we can expand our perspectives on health and the community we serve! Workshops aside, you can probably find me watching Netflix, exploring the Bay’s good eats, or chilling on a campus lawn. Looking forward to chatting with y’all soon!

SOCIALS COORDINATOR
Chemical Biology

Hiiii! My name is Yoonjeong but you can just call me Yoon. I am a 3rd year studying Chemical Biology and I am so excited to be one of your socials coordinators for this year! Hopefully everyone will have a good time at socials as we transition back to in person (*fingerscrossed*) and feel free to hit me up anytime with new ideas or just to chat! Some facts about me....I'm from San Diego/LA/South Korea, I love meeting new people, playing music, cooking, and exploring. I joined VHIO during my 2nd year and it has been such a meaningful experience and I'm looking forward to being an officer for a club with a great mission!

SOCIALS COORDINATOR
Nutritional Science and Comparative Literature

Hi! I'm Michelle and I'm one of the Social Coords this year and I'm a 3rd-year Nutri-Sci & Comp Lit major from SoCal! I'm super excited to continue being a part of VHIO's leadership board. This is the first club I joined on campus and I'm still as passionate about its mission today (I'm 100% you will be as well)! I have 2 dogs and 1 cat + I love reading, painting, and eating. LMK if you have any of the same interests and come to our future socials PLEASE 😀

PROGRAMS ANALYST
Chemical Biology

Hello everyone! My name is Michelle, and I am a fourth year Chemical Biology major. Growing up in the Bay Area, I have seen a vast number of people struggling with English. I found that no other organization on campus resonated with me as VHIO because of its mission to support the LEP populations through interpretation. I realized that I can offer my bilingual skills to serve, not just my parents, but also the larger population. I am excited to become more involved in both the community and VHIO by being an officer for this school year!

FINANCE COORDINATOR
Data Science

안녕하세요 반갑습니다! My name is Darlnim and I’m a sophomore intending to major in Data Science. I joined VHIO when I was a freshman and have served as a programs analyst and a language coach for the Korean department before and am now serving as a finance coordinator. Joining VHIO and contributing to achieving the mission of helping and advocating for the LEP community has been my joy and honor and am very excited to see what our team can achieve next! I enjoy playing badminton, tennis, swimming and listening to music or singing in my free time. If you have any questions for me, please don’t hesitate to reach out!

PUBLICITY COORDINATOR
Cognitive Science and Data Science

Hi! I’m Ellen. I’m currently a 4th year majoring in Cognitive Science and Data Science. I joined VHIO during my sophomore year and I’m now the publicity coordinator. I’ve enjoyed my time in VHIO and have met some great people here. Joining VHIO is a great way to put your language skills to good. In my free time, I enjoy drawing and attempting to cook.

SENIOR ADVISOR
Public Health and Molecular & Cell Biology

Hi everyone! My name is Tiffany and I am a senior majoring in public health and molecular cell biology. I joined VHIO my freshman year, and it has been one of the most rewarding experiences at Cal. Witnessing the impact we made in the LEP community over the past three years, I am excited to continue to break the language barriers and work with people who share the same passion of serving the community!

SENIOR ADVISOR
Public Health and Molecular Environmental Biology

Xin chào các bạn; hello friends; my name is Thanh! I am elated and humbled to be still around to see VHIO continue to develop and serve others as a senior advisor in my fourth and final year at Cal. I am from a concentrated spot of Vietnamese-Americans in SoCal known as Little Saigon. All that I was and all that I am is shaped by my experiences as the daughter of immigrant parents and as the first in my family to soon graduate higher-education. I have learned that effective communication is the bridge between clarity and confusion. It is in language that we can help others and ourselves have our voices, opinions, and stories heard.

SENIOR ADVISOR
Molecular & Cell Biology and Chinese,
Class of 2018

VHIO Alumni

With special thanks to
Dr. Winston Tseng, FACULTY ADVISOR

Read about last year's officers here.