The UMEC Student Leadership Club (SLC) is an undergraduate club founded in Spring 2018 that consists of student leaders who volunteer with the UMEC. The SLC is an undergraduate-led division of UMEC, providing dedicated and passionate individuals the opportunities to lead specialized committees, address issues, develop projects, and expand UMEC's mission of providing free vision care to underserved communities around Los Angeles. Furthermore, the SLC also aims to shape members into future leaders in healthcare and/or nonprofit organizations.
In Fall 2018, UMEC SLC was awarded the prestigious 2018 Mongelli Award for Excellence in Civic Engagement, which recognizes innovative, inspiring, and impactful projects organized by student organizations. In just this past year alone, UMEC SLC has raised nearly $20,000 through various grants and community fundraisers to help support and improve patient care. This accomplishment honors undergraduate leaders dedicated to service and values the hard work and passion of students who are upholding the True Bruin Value of Service. To read more about UMEC SLC's Mongelli Award, click here for the full article.
Francis is a 4th year Biochemistry major with Biomedical Research minor at UCLA. He began volunteering during January of 2019 and joined UMEC SLC shortly afterwards. Francis is grateful to UMEC because it has increased his awareness to the inaccessibility of health care and particularly, eye care. It has motivated him to pursue medicine to empower underserved communities. Apart from UMEC, Francis enjoys staying active by playing volleyball, skateboarding, and fencing. After graduation, he plans to attend medical school and is interested in becoming an ophthalmologist.
Samira Torna is a 4th year Human Biology and Society B.S. student. She loves exploring new food places in Los Angeles and has always had an affinity for boba. She joined UMEC as a freshman, inspired by their mission to provide free eye exams to underserved communities. She has developed her passion for community health through volunteering at UMEC. Samira now works as the president for TEACH UCLA and as a research intern at Cedar-Sinai Medical Center.
Jade Corpus-Sapida is a fourth-year student from San Diego, CA pursuing a B.S. in Biology at UCLA. She loves to play volleyball, explore nature, take care of her plants, and has a passion for baking! She began volunteering at UMEC as a Sophomore due to her interest in vision care and desire to help others in the community. The knowledge gained from volunteering with UMEC propelled her to pursue a career in optometry and would like to continue to give back. Today, Jade volunteers with UMEC and partakes in research with the Zapata lab.
Rachel Yoo is a 3rd year biology major at UCLA from Orange, California. She began volunteering at UMEC during her 2nd year allowing her to further grow her interest in optometry and gain insight into the importance of accessible vision care. As she continues to be a part of the UMEC community, she hopes to support and advance the necessity of patient care to the underprivileged communities. Besides UMEC, Rachel also works with the Department of Statistics, conducts research at the Drug Discovery Lab at UCLA, and is a member of the Bruin Animal Rescue Coalition.
Hyein Cha is a 4th year Psychobiology Major at UCLA. She began volunteering at UMEC during her 2nd year because UMEC has provided opportunities to further grow her passion of helping others and learn more about the field of healthcare and ophthalmology. She loves to play badminton, golf, cook, and watch youtube in her free time. The experience and knowledge she gained from volunteering with UMEC pushed her to pursue a career in opthalmology. Besides UMEC, she also is a member of Asian Pacific Health Corps (APHC) and partakes in research with the Ghiani Lab.
Faith Kim is a 4th year Psychobiology major, and she has been a UMEC volunteer since Sophomore year of high school. From the age of 12, she has always wanted to be an ophthalmologist to bring better eyecare (and healthcare in general) in Belize and Kenya, two countries close to her heart. She joined UMEC because it gave her the opportunity to get involved in the local community while fostering her growing interest in ophthalmology and the eyes. She hopes to learn more about ophthalmology and the number of ways that she can better serve the community through this field while also growing as a leader.
