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Post by vidyapatel on Apr 23, 2021 19:43:07 GMT
Vidya Patel's Interview Journals Alpha Xi Pledge Class
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Post by vidyapatel on Apr 23, 2021 19:48:28 GMT
4/23 Interview with Loren: My interview with Loren was so enjoyable. We started off talking about our weeks, our first year at UCLA, and our plans for living in Westwood next year. Loren's advice she would give to herself during the pledge process is to: always send confirmation emails, be attentive to details, and see the actives as a resource not as a source of intimidation. Loren was also the Fundraising chair and she gave me great advice on how to navigate the role, tips for meeting the goals, and hurdles she ran into as caution for me. She mentioned the graphics are key and her key tip was to start as early as possible- especially for submission. I knew that Loren enjoyed reading and found out one of her favorite books is Persepolis- which is also a favorite book of mine! We appreciated the way the author used illustrations to make the information more approachable for the reader. She recommended some amazing books and we were able to finish off our interview talking about her favorite hiking trails and activities in San Diego. Overall, it was a joy to have the chance to talk to Loren and I am glad I had the chance to learn from her.
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Post by vidyapatel on Apr 23, 2021 22:18:09 GMT
4/23 Interview with David: My interview with David was a great time! We started by talking about how the school year has been going so far. He received his second shot today which is great and has not been feeling too under the weather which I hope remains the case. David provided great advice for the pledging process-- to not get overly stressed out and enjoy the time spent with pledge brothers. We had a great conversation about our favorite shows-- which happen to be on the Food Network channel. He enjoys Master Chef along with cooking competitions in general which is a huge interest we have in common. My favorite part of our meeting was our conversation about cupcakes and dessert. When I shared that I work at a cupcake shop, David was ecstatic and we shared all of our favorite flavors. He recommended that I have a cooking zoom with Anita and I will have to schedule that ASAP. The meeting was overall great and I am so glad I had the chance to meet with David.
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Post by vidyapatel on Apr 23, 2021 23:00:26 GMT
4/23 Interview with Hannah: My interview with Hannah was really great! We talked about her pledge process and how that was a bit different than mine given the difference in numbers. She shared funny stories and gave wonderful advice. For a while, we talked about things we are looking forward to most or rather what we missed most this past year. We both shared the sentiment of how Kappa Alpha Pi and the people within it really provide a sense of community which was greatly appreciated given Covid. I also learned about Hannah's big and adopted which made me excited for the rest of the quarter. Hannah told me what it was like working at Target and I told her how that is one of my favorite places to go and just walk around. We talked a bit about my job at Sublime and our shared love for Cheesecake Factor tiramisu. Overall I had a wonderful time getting to know Hannah better and I hope to talk with her again soon.
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Post by vidyapatel on Apr 24, 2021 1:30:47 GMT
4/23 Interview with Akunnia:
My interview with Akunnia was a great end to the week! We started off by talking about the pledge process. She shared very strong advice and listened to how it has been for me so far. We talked about our big/littles and that was very sweet. We both really love The WKND so we were able to talk about his music and half-time show performance. It was great to talk about music in general with Akunnia- she always knows how to describe things perfectly. We both randomly found out that we love Costco and hope one day in the future we could go there. Akunnia is currently doing a research project in lieu of classes and I am so inspired by the work she is doing and cannot wait to hopefully read once she is complete. She has a very fun weekend ahead of her involving many fun events with her pledge brothers. The meeting with Akunnia truly flew by and she is so easy and fun to talk to. Throughout rush week it was always a joy talking to her and today felt the same way.
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Post by vidyapatel on Apr 26, 2021 20:44:34 GMT
4/26 Interview with Mihir:
My interview with Mihir was a great time. Our conversation started off with sharing the experience of being in a different time zone throughout the pledge process. We both had a shared sentiment that while many of the meetings were at unideal times we did not want to miss out on any of the fun. Mihir shared 2 of the craziest times he had to stay up and it was funny to hear how that might be in the coming weeks. Mihir's advice for himself, if he could go back to week 1, would be to relax, take it easy, and not get overwhelmed because everything is going to be alright with good work ethic and hard work. I really appreciate that advice as I do get overwhelmed quite easily. Since I had most recently been on a plane and he is going to be on one soon we talked about the experience of traveling amidst Covid. More on his trip- which is so exciting- he is going to Portland and is going with Chanel to travel AND to visit Ria which I thought was so incredibly sweet! Mihir is a public affairs minor and we were able to talk about the classes that he is taking right now. He also recommended some Political Science courses for me to take and I am looking forward to adding them to my plan. He recommended PS 10 and 60- both of which sound right up my alley. Because he just moved to WW recently, he shared with me some of his favorite new places to eat and mentioned the $10 pazuki deal on Tuesdays at BJ's and I am really looking forward to that next year! Overall my time with Mihir flew by and he was a great person to interview.
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Post by vidyapatel on Apr 26, 2021 23:54:25 GMT
4/26 Interview with Aneri:
My interview with Aneri was INCREDIBLE. Aneri is from New Jersey and she lives near a town that my family enjoys going to for Indian food, groceries, clothes, and cultural events. We had a great time talking about our Moms and how much they love going to that town and shopping around. The best part of the interview was when we found out that we both participated in the same Sunday School cultural organization. I could not stop laughing at all the shared sentiments and experiences we had during our time in the organization. While we both love our culture, some parts of the Sunday School were especially interesting. Aneri had been attending since she was 5 and I started when I was 8. Our Mom's both teach a language course- which is another crazy coincidence. Aneri is Anita's adopted big and she shared with me funny stories about Anita. Aneri is also Gujurati which is so special because I have not met a fellow Gujurati friend in over 5 years. I really cannot believe how fast the time flew by, but I really hope I get the chance to talk to Aneri soon again!
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Post by vidyapatel on Apr 27, 2021 22:08:37 GMT
4/27 Interview with Connie:
My interview with Connie was a wonderful time. We talked about her recent move to the University Apartments and she nearly convinced me to look into potentially moving for the last few weeks. I had no idea it was so easy as far as logistics to get a place and other than not having dining she has really been enjoying her time there. Connie shared with me that one of her favorite parts of being an editor during high school was the interviews she was able to conduct. More specifically, she had the chance to interview some of the musical directors about the productions they have put together which I thought was really special and fascinating. We both have a shared level of indecisiveness when it comes to our major (or major/minors we want to add on) because we both want to have a technical skill that we can apply once we graduate, but are grounded in wanting to make a difference in the field of work we go into. I had a great time talking through the potential minors I want to pursue but also hearing what Connie's plans and interests were. She mentioned talking through it is always helpful and I agree. We talked a bit about her time in Hawaii and more specifically the parts of Hawaii that perhaps tourists would never have the opportunity to explore. Overall, I am grateful that I met Connie and I have no idea how the time flew by.
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Post by vidyapatel on Apr 29, 2021 22:22:33 GMT
4/29 Interview with Ria:
My interview with Ria was absolutely wonderful. I am still amazed at the plethora of things Ria and I have in common as well as the many ways Ria inspires me. We started off talking about the LA Heat... which we are both not the biggest fan of. Ria is from Portland and I am from Philly so we both enjoy the cooler weather and our winter closets. We then started talking about our shared appreciation for how amazing the Public Affairs major is and the many ways we have already grown this year. We talked about how many different skills the major prepares us with and I really admired the way Ria spoke about some of the skills she has been gaining. My favorite part about my conversation with Ria was talking about Ethics Bowl. We both agreed that there is no adequate way to explain Ethics Bowl in a way that captures all its glory. Ria's team won the national championship in 2019 and my team had the chance to watch her compete- she was excellent but will never admit it. Similar to Ria, I wanted to start a chapter of ethics bowl at UCLA so hopefully we can work on that next year. I have no idea how the time flew by in my interview with Ria but I am so grateful that my pledge process is giving me the opportunity to learn from her. The interview was amazing.
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Post by vidyapatel on May 2, 2021 0:56:33 GMT
05/01 Interview with Aman:
My interview with Aman was a great time. We started off talking about our high schools because one of my best friends went to his high school and graduated the same year. We both went to competitive high schools so it was interesting to talk about how that shared experience was. Aman told me about his current job at an entertainment law firm and it is amazing! He talked about how each day is different and it was really fun to hear about what the different tasks are. While he does not see himself pursuing entertainment law, he does see himself doing similar work within Sports contracts. We also talked about our past jobs- Aman worked at Habit this past summer. Overall, I had a great time and Aman was a great person to interview.
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Post by vidyapatel on May 4, 2021 0:01:47 GMT
05/03 Interview with Taylor:
My interview with Taylor was wonderful. We started off talking about different college campuses and how we both, at some point, want to go to college on the east coast. We talked about how the UCLA campus is right out of a movie and it made me feel the excitement of going on campus next year all over again. We also talked about our shared position as fundraising chair and she gave me great tips for how she managed her pledge class. Taylor also helped me get a better understanding of the Bus/Econ major and after talking with her I am highly considering the Entrepreneurship minor. Taylor had wonderful insight and advice on what exactly college is about and I really appreciated the chance to talk to her. My favorite part of our conversation was our discussion on domestic violence advocacy work. Taylor received training similar to that I will be receiving this summer. We both hope to see support groups or advocacy clubs on campus soon as we believe work in this field cannot be overlooked. Taylor has inspired me to look into more resources to better equip myself as an advocate.
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Post by vidyapatel on May 4, 2021 18:11:26 GMT
05/04 Interview with Jennifer:
My interview with Jennifer was great. We started off by talking about the pledge process a bit and how our years have been with Covid. Jennifer shared with me that she is (most likely) studying abroad next fall quarter in France! She is taking part in a course about food, history, and culture and is really looking forward to being immersed in the culture in France and sharpening her language skills. We had a wonderful conversation about culture and diversity at UCLA by discussing different clubs and more importantly the ways in which we hope to become more in touch with our culture. I shared my experiences in Philly and how I am really hoping to immerse myself into my culture when I get to UCLA. We also talked about the organizations we are involved in. Really wonderful advice that I took from my interview with Jennifer is the importance of being a worldly person and exploring. While having a clear-cut path is great, we both agreed that at the end of the day learning new things and exploring the world is very important. I just really enjoyed my time with Jennifer and am grateful for our talk.
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Post by vidyapatel on May 4, 2021 18:15:27 GMT
05/04 Interview with Chanel:
I loved my interview with Chanel. She is just a wonderful person to talk to and I really enjoyed getting to know her better. We started off talking about our shared love for UCLA and told our stories of how we got off the waitlist. We both agreed it was a highlight amidst the many dull moments that our senior year held. Chanel loves NYC so I told her about some of my favorite things/places in the city and I hope she has the chance to go again this summer. It was nice to discuss our shared love for the arts and Broadway shows in general. It was really wonderful to hear about her trip to Portland and the joyful experiences she had with the people she met there. I told her about Sublime and she loved the different flavors that we have there- she has a sweet tooth just like me. I do not know how the time flew by, but we are both excited to spend Mother's Day with our Mom's this weekend and I cannot wait to learn more from Chanel throughout my pledge process.
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Post by vidyapatel on May 4, 2021 23:45:42 GMT
05/04 Interview with Chloe:
My interview with Chloe was a great time! We started off talking about how we both know M Night and our shared experience living in Philly. Chloe feels the same way about Philly that I do- how it is a perfect balance of fun and calm which is what makes it such a great place to live. We also talked about some social justice issues that we are very passionate about and I am so inspired after hearing Chloe speak about issues of gentrification, homelessness, and criminal justice she is very intelligent. I loved talking to her about her current minor in community engagement and social change which could not suit her better. I hope to add that minor on at some point during my time at UCLA because the skills taught are those I value most. Chloe shared with me her ideas for her research project and it sparked a great conversation about our high school experiences and the many pressures that we faced. Finally, we talked about some advocacy groups on campus and Chloe recommended some orgs for me to get involved with next year. I really enjoy talking to Chloe and cannot wait to learn more about and from her soon.
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Post by vidyapatel on May 5, 2021 1:11:48 GMT
05/04 Interview with Sophie:
My interview with Sophie (and ZZ) was amazing! I had a wonderful time talking to Sophie about some of my interests and passions- all 3 of us have a shared interest in pursuing something related to the field of education which was great to talk about. Sophie shared some advice for our pledge process and I really appreciate it and took it to heart. We also talked about some areas of social justice we are very passionate. My favorite part of the conversation was when Zz shared a tutoring organization called Kids Corner with us and Sophie and I both wrote it down because we were so interested in getting involved in that work. The club tutors and works with a whole age range of students in LA federal housing to get equipped with the necessary education and skills for college. I hope we can get more involved. Towards the end, Sophie showed us some of her favorite knitted pieces and she is so beyond talented. She also taught herself how to knit which is absolutely incredible. Overall, I loved my time with Sophie and Zz and hope we have the chance to talk again soon. Sophie was so kind and an incredible mentor that we are lucky to have.
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