Tell us about some of the extracurricular or community service activities in which you participate.
As a student at Vanderbilt, I am deeply involved in extracurricular and community service activities that are both fulfilling and impactful. I am a product manager at Product Space, where I completed a rigorous fellowship in product development. My role involved orchestrating cross-functional collaboration, significantly improving product quality, and reducing development cycle time. Additionally, I volunteer with the Coalition of American University Student Experiences (CAUSE) Philippines as a mentor and current Co-Lead in the partnerships department. CAUSE Philippines is a network of Filipino scholars studying worldwide acting as a support system and platform for collaboration in initiatives towards Philippine development. One of our central missions is to help expand access to world-class college education to high-potential yet under-resourced students in the Philippines. Here, I provide one-on-one mentoring to low-income but promising and high-impact Filipino high school students about educational opportunities abroad, guiding them in branding themselves for colleges and applying for financial aid and scholarships. This effort has resulted in over 50+ students receiving $15 million in scholarships from universities worldwide. Finally, I’m a current Cohort Director in the Vanderbilt Innovation and Entrepreneurship Society where I will teach aspiring start-up founders how to get their ideas up and running in our flagship cohort program. By taking a grassroots approach to student entrepreneurship, we get to build a more robust tech and entrepreneurship ecosystem not only in Vanderbilt but also in the greater Nashville area.
With any opportunity I get, it’s always important for me to find a way to pay it forward. Whether it’s a Filipino high school student asking for help with their college admissions essay or a budding student entrepreneur finding the right resources, giving them support and connecting them to the right resources is important in paving not only an impactful community but also a collaborative one.
Which faculty or staff member has made a significant impact on you? How have they influenced your development?
Dr. Jacob Sauer has made a significant impact on my academic journey and personal development during my time at Vanderbilt University. His expertise and passion for anthropology, particularly in his Introduction to Anthropology course, have influenced my approach to learning. Dr. Sauer’s ability to present complex anthropological theories engagingly and understandably has deepened my interest in human societies and cultures. His mentorship extends beyond the classroom, encouraging critical thinking and fostering a deeper appreciation for diverse perspectives. Dr. Sauer’s guidance has not only enhanced my academic skills but has also been instrumental in shaping my worldview, making me more empathetic and open-minded towards the complexities of human behavior and social dynamics.
A cornerstone of the Vanderbilt community is overcoming challenges through collaborative discovery. Describe a time when you solved a problem or learned something new through collaboration.
An experience of overcoming challenges through collaborative discovery was during my internship at Linggo, where I served as a product manager and user researcher. Working remotely, I was part of a team that conducted extensive user research and AEIOU ethnographic research over ten weeks, involving interactions with over ten users. We employed diverse research methods, such as surveys, interviews, and usability testing, to gather and analyze data. This collaborative effort was pivotal in understanding user needs, leading to actionable insights that significantly increased user sign-ups for one of the startup’s apps. This experience at Linggo not only highlighted the power of teamwork in problem solving but also reinforced the value of diverse perspectives in driving innovation and achieving tangible results.
