Sheila Tran

Being an intern for VSA was definitely the most rewarding and important experience of my freshman year. I came into this school super awkward and lonely, and I didn’t feel like I belonged anywhere. I applied on a completely impulsive whim, but it turned into the most defining experience of my freshman year.
Joining staff made me feel like I was apart of something and gave me the courage to meet new people, some of whom are my closest friends today. I immediately gained 12 new friends on staff, who encouraged me to get out of my comfort zone and gave me a lot of comfort, support, and laughs throughout my freshman year.

Beyond the social aspect, I also got the opportunity to gain extremely valuable leadership experience. I gained confidence as a leader, got better at communicating and working within a team, and because of my great mentor on staff Melody Yang, I even got to run my own fundraisers and propose new ideas as just a first-year!! I learned and grew so much throughout my intern run, and I’m still using the skills and traits that I picked up in my everyday and professional life. You’ll get hands-on experience in event-planning, leadership, and even more than that, get the chance to leave a legacy on other students and UCSB as a whole. Being an intern means that you’ll get to contribute to one of the biggest Asian orgs on campus and be apart of something bigger than just yourself or your immediate circle. If you’re even the slightest bit interested in influencing change and growing as a person/leader OR just getting more involved, I can’t stress enough that you should apply now. If you have any questions about the intern position, don’t hesitate to message me and I’d be happy to elaborate more!