I’m excited to share my wonderful experience attending the Lauds & Laurels event, hosted by the UCI Alumni Association at the Hyatt Regency Irvine. It was a memorable evening filled with insightful conversations and inspiring stories from some truly remarkable individuals.
I had an amazing time with everyone at my table, including Kyle Sanders, Arjun Dabir, Tony Crisp 🚀, Roy Y. Chan, Ph.D. and Ruby Mejia-Perez, as well as my friends Vedant Khatri and Varshini Vijay. Their company made the night even more special!
The highlight of the evening was meeting Nobel Laureate Sir David Macmillan, this year's Extraordinarius Award recipient. His storytelling, humor, and reflections on winning the 2021 Nobel Prize in Chemistry were nothing short of inspiring.
Connecting with Manu Gulati, the Distinguished Alumnus Award recipient from the School of Engineering, was another impactful moment. Manu, an IIT Delhi graduate, shared profound advice on how life is a marathon, not a sprint. His perspective on finding my own path and not rushing the journey deeply resonated with me.
I was also fortunate to meet UCI leaders such as Chancellor Howard Gillman, Vice Chancellor Willie Banks, Dean of Undergraduate Education Michael Dennin, Dean of ICS Marios Papaefthymiou, and Goran Matijasevic, Executive Director of the Chief Executive Roundtable.
A heartfelt thank you to Daniel Allen from UCIAA for guiding us through the event and introducing me to David Fanous and Helen Yang Christian from Southern California Edison (SCE). It was wonderful chatting with them and learning from their experiences.
I’d also like to extend my gratitude to Ryan Foland ⛵️🏝️😎 from the UCI ANTrepreneur Center, and Carol & Eugene Choi for sponsoring our table and making this incredible opportunity possible.
While being one of the youngest attendees was a bit intimidating, the experience was both exhilarating and motivational. Witnessing the achievements of so many inspiring people has given me the confidence to chase my own goals and believe that I, too, can make a difference! #UCIAlumni #LaudsAndLaurels #Inspiration #Networking #Motivation #UCI