VOL.1 ISSUE 2
CONTENT
CONTENT
PRESIDENT'S LETTER BLM WINTER RETREAT FOUNDERS DAY WCBC THETA CROSSING ACHIEVEMENTS DEPARTMENT ACCEPTANCES CLASS OF 2020 GRADUATES
President'S Note As I end my term as President of the Alpha Kappa chapter, I look back and reflect on the chapters journey throughout the year. And as I reflect upon our journey there is one lingering thought in the back of my mind. Was I successful in carrying on the vision that the founding signatory, Jenny Nayoung Chung, created during the inception of the chapter? I.e., did I foster an environment where students from diverse backgrounds and diverse pre-health tracks can thrive? An environment where we are safe from criticism of the pre-health atmosphere, where we build each other up in a competitive world that tears us down. In the words of Jenny, “Achieving this vision requires a strong support system for each individual and brothers and sisters who are genuinely happy for each and everyone’s success”. I believe the Alpha Kappa chapter is the epitome of this vision. The sense of brotherhood we all hold is the catalyst that drives every aspect of our chapter. Even with a global pandemic we have not failed to maintain contact with our fellow brother and sisters. I’m not afraid to say that the pandemic did spoil a lot of plans for spring quarter, both social and professional. But, even in the toughest times we always manage to thrive and impact our community. The Covid-19 task force did just that spreading safety tips and insightful knowledge to the community via our various platforms. Even now, with another global pandemic surging, the fight against racism, we do not fail to push through and thrive. To the new leadership team working so diligently in these unprecedented times, just know that we all believe in you and thank you for being brave enough to take on possibly the most challenging role in your undergraduate careers. I am overjoyed with your brilliant and tenacious minds that have landed on our leadership. I only hope that you continue to advance Jenny’s vision, as I and the former president did, and bring the chapter steps closer to our vision. Lastly, I know I made mistakes during my presidency, and think of me what you will, just know that I am fulfilled knowing that I continued Jenny’s legacy of fostering exceptional men and women. With that, thank you for an amazing year. I look forward to beginning a relationship with everyone who I did not get a chance to connect with this year. With love and LDFS, Abdul Baig
k lives tter black lives matter
For 8 minutes, 46 seconds the world watched as Derek Chauvin, a white policeman stood on George Floyd’s neck, an American citizen, until his body laid limp on the floor of a parking lot in daylight. In the past month, we’ve seen our country and the rest of the world erupt in outrage over the racial injustice embedded in our institutions since the inception of this country. Being that we’re a pre-health fraternity, inaction felt like an offense to the professions we sought after and hypocritical to our supposed commitment to bettering lives. Passivity perpetuates the inhumane acts inflicted upon people of certain races and identities. It should be indicted of the same evil as the actual crime of terrorizing individuals and communities. How we act and organize now would be a testament to the true nature of our values. Since the end of May, we’ve made efforts to raise money for organizations supporting the objectives behind the Black Lives Matter movement. Through match donations and the sales of stickers, we aim to fundraise a total of $10,000, which will be doubled with the contribution of another organization. However, our responsibility to the movement doesn’t end when we finally reach $10,000. It continues as we reflect on our operations as an organization and our activities in the community, and as we asses the ways we’re implementing an anti-racist framework in our lives and our actions. Furthermore, we set our sights on the future and how we as a fraternity can better educate our members. We have already began planning workshops for the upcoming school year that will address topics including, but not limited to, racism in healthcare, how to recognize and eliminate the impact of internal biases, the importance of antiracism in healthcare, and other topics. Racism and injustice is not a one time issue and is instead an ever present threat and that is why we must continue to have ever present forms of action against it. Delta Epsilon Mu prides itself on the ability to provide our actives with the tools to be the best health care professionals they possibly can be and the ability to seek and destroy racial injustices in the field is an ability that is second to none. Nothing short of anti-racism from healthcare professionals should be tolerated.
black lives matter
CW: Police violence, brutality, murder
winter winter retreat retreat
Camp Korey
founder's day founder's day
As the only chapter in the PNW, we are proud to announce that we had the honor of hosting our national fraternity's "West Coast Best Coast" this year, allowing chapters across the country to connect, network, and bond with one another. Members had the opportunity to develop professionalism, make amazing new memories and learn about the lives of other pre-health students.
WEST COAST BEST COAST
W C B C
Achievements
achievements
RECOGNIZING THE RECENT ACHIEVEMENTS OF OUR MEMBERS
ALUMNI VIVIAN LU (INFINITY): CHAPMAN DOCTOR OF PHARMACY JOSH KLETT (INFINITY): MASTERS OF PUBLIC HEALTH PROGRAM AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY VANESSA LAPITAN (INFINITY): MGH INSTITUTE OF HEALTH PROFESSIONAL'S ENTRY-MASTERS OF SCIENCE IN NURSING PROGRAM CECILIA BUI (BETA): UW DOCTOR OF PHYSICAL THERAPY LUCINDA LU (ALPHA): UW A.B.S.N IN NURSING JEFFERSON NGUYEN (ZETA): HUSKY 100 AWARD
ACTIVES CHRIS YEE: INFORMATICS MADELINE GIM: FOSTER ABDUL BAIG: PSYCHOLOGY HONORS PROGRAM AND PHILOSOPHY MAJOR MARGARITA STEPENYAN: PUBLIC HEALTH-GLOBAL HEALTH KIAN BEHROOZI: BIOLOGY (PHYSIOLOGY) ANGELA GOMEZ: PUBLIC HEALTH-GLOBAL HEALTH HIKARU ABE: PUBLIC HEALTH-GLOBAL HEALTH MARIEL TAI: FOSTER (SALES PROGRAM)
LDFS Awards LOYALTY: MONIKA SANTOS A BROTHER OR SISTER WHO IS HONEST AND TRUE TO FELLOW BROTHERS AND SISTERS, THE PREAMBLE, THE PURPOSE, THE CREED, THE MISSION STATEMENT, AND THE LETTERS OF THE FRATERNITY DEDICATION: ADAM NEWTON A BROTHER OR SISTER WHO EXPRESSES COMMITMENT, PRIDE, AND EFFORT INVESTED INTO THE FRATERNITY, THE FAMILY, AND THE NETWORK OF FRIENDS FRIENDSHIP: ALICE HUANG A BROTHER OR SISTER WHO MAINTAINS STRONG LASTING RELATIONSHIPS WITH THEIR FELLOW BROTHERS AND SISTERS SUPPORT: DAVID CHO A BROTHER OR SISTER WHO PROVIDES SUPPORT TO ANY BROTHER OR SISTER IN NEED, WHETHER EMOTIONALLY, PERSONALLY, IN A MENTORSHIP CAPACITY, OR SIMILAR FASHION PROFESSIONAL: JEFF NGUYEN A BROTHER OR SISTER WHO EXEMPLIFIES PROFESSIONALISM INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF THE ORGANIZATION. THEY PUT THEMSELVES OUT THERE TO MAKE PROFESSIONAL PROGRESS. LEGACY: BEATRIZ HARO A GRADUATING BROTHER OR SISTER WHO HAS LEFT AN IMPORTANT LEGACY FOR THE ORGANIZATION MEMBER OF THE YEAR: ADITI SANGHAVI A BROTHER OR SISTER WHO EXEMPLIFIES ALL FOUR PILLARS AND IS AN OVERALL EXEMPLARY DEM MEMBER
ENIOR SPOTLIGHT SENIOR SPOTLIGHT SENIOR SPOTLIGH RECOGNIZING OUR BELOVED GRADUATING SENIORS
ADITI SANGHAVI ALPHA CLASS | BIOLOGY (PHYSIOLOGY) "I took some time off towards the end of my sophomore year, away from Seattle, to study abroad (during Gamma Class initiation!). Up till that point, I had become close to my Founders and Alphas but hadn't gotten a chance to get to know the Betas or even meet the Gamma class! Coming back to school in fall, I was especially nervous about coming back to a different DEM, filled with strangers who I would not be able to relate with. During the few weeks before the start of school, I made an effort to drop by all the hangouts at gasworks and was surprised to see that although the people had changed, the feeling cultivated within the community had not. The Betas that I had only ever met once before greeted me with hugs and kisses and the Gammas, whom I had never even spoken to, started conversations as if we were old friends! No matter how many people graduated and how many newbies were initiated, I’m incredibly grateful to have always been able to call this chapter my family."
BEATRIZ HARO ALPHA CLASS | BIOLOGY (PHYSIOLOGY) "One of my favorite DEMories is going on weekend trips to California with my DEMily, exploring the city, eating lots of good food, and getting to know them on a deeper level!" Favorite quote: "While it is always best to believe in oneself, a little help from others can be a great blessing" -Uncle Iroh
CINDY HSU ALPHA CLASS | BIOLOGY (PHYSIOLOGY) "If you were to ask me what my favorite memory of DEM is, I’d say that I don’t have one. Simply because there’s no one singular moment that I can pinpoint and say that THAT was my favorite part of DEM. Rather, it’s a culmination of the many small moments I’ve shared with active members throughout my three and a half years that I’ll cherish forever. Moments are temporary, but it’s the way they make you feel that have a lasting effect, moments so special that you store them as memories so that you can revisit the feelings over and over. My favorite memories of DEM have been ones of friendship and true connection because it’s the intention behind the actions of others, no matter how big or small, that have made me feel so loved. It’s when Jonathan drove me to get McDonalds because I was really going through it, and venmoing me to pay for my meal only after dropping me off back at home. It’s when David actually agreed to come over and bake a pie with me because no one else wanted to even though I was half kidding because we didn’t really know eachother then. Or when Divya made sure I went to BJ’s with everyone after GBOD for a free pizookie. It’s when Jessica Bae and I were Facebook messaging at 4am making plans to call eachother in two hours to make sure that we were awake for our finals after spending all night in MolEs together. It’s when Adam drove me all the way to Golden Gardens during the school week just so I could scavenge a bag of sand for a school project. It’s when Sophie would split an Ezells 1lb half n half chicken tenders combo with me to watch the bachelor. It’s when Genie dropped off a sandwich and coffee for me in Suz during finals week minutes before her own final. It’s when Evan and Adam just showed up outside of my apartment at 2am just to say hi. Or when Timmy, David, Katie and I attempted stargazing just because. And it’s when Lauren exploded matcha all over my microwave after claiming to know how to properly make a matcha latte. It’s all this and so much more. No crazy, life changing stories, just small moments that together have made a big impact on my time in college and will never fail to make me smile when I think back on them."
DAVID CHO GAMMA CLASS | PUBLIC HEALTH-GLOBAL HEALTH, ENTREPRENEURSHIP MINOR "One of my favorite moments has to be how close I got with my incoming class. We’ve been through so much, struggling together through the roughest of times but also celebrating each other in our victories. Despite all of us having found our place in the chapter, we always come back together and have the best time. I know they’re all people I can lean on for support. Gamma class best class!"
DAVIES CHAN GAMMA CLASS | MICROBIOLOGY, PHILOSOPHY MINOR "DEM became a sort of safehaven for me through my last years in undergrad. I specifically remember Winter Quarter 2019 where events such as Retreat, Founders Day, and West Coast Best Coast gave me the opportunity to make lifelong memories that helped deepen my sense of camaraderie with my fellow brothers and sisters, and for that I am eternally grateful."
ELLY MCMILLAN BETA CLASS | BIOCHEMISTRY, SPANISH MINOR "My favorite DEM memory is from retreat 2019. We did a silent affirmations activity that was really heartwarming and it made me feel so much closer to all my brothers and sisters :)"
EMILY TEA GAMMA CLASS | PUBLIC HEALTH-GLOBAL HEALTH
JEFFERSON NGUYEN ZETA CLASS | PUBLIC HEALTH-GLOBAL HEALTH "My favorite memory from DEM was when there was a major snowstorm February 2019 and all our classes were cancelled. I would have ordinarily slept in but instead went for breakfast with my fellow Zetas and enjoyed our time in the snow! It was a great break from school and made me feel grateful and loved for having such great friends inside and outside of academics."
JENNY KO BETA CLASS | BIOLOGY (PHYSIOLOGY) "My favorite DEM memory is when we got to really bond with actives and my fellow betas in our welcome party. Felt truly blessed to be able to join this big family!"
JESSICA BAE ALPHA CLASS | MEDICAL LABORATORY SCIENCE "My favorite memories are moments that allowed me to be most like myself and pushed me out of the comfort zone to do things most unlike myself- becoming a new member myself, welcoming other new members, going on impromptu adventures, late night deep talks and study sessions in MolES. I am thankful to graduate knowing that I have people I can trust and those who trust me likewise <3" Favorite quote:Â "Some of the most precious moments are the most ordinary."
JESSICA NGUYEN ETA CLASS | PUBLIC HEALTH-GLOBAL HEALTH "I'd have to say my favorite memory in DEM was our retreat. I loved getting to bond with all the members, and even having the chance to form new and closer friendships. Whether it was squeezing onto a beanbag with 4 other people or stacking onto each other for a photo, everything that happened was truly memorable and filled with laughter and love. For our Eta class it was our first retreat, but for my it also meant my last. Nevertheless, I couldn't have asked for a better shared moment with my DEMily. 'There are no shortcuts to becoming Hokage' from Naruto Uzumaki. Haha some might find it odd that I'm quoting from an anime, but admittedly it's truly something I've carried with me my entire life. Really it means that... in pursuing your dreams you will be faced with obstacles. But don't let them stop you. Keep striving for what you're most passionate about."
JONATHAN LUONG GAMMA CLASS | BIOCHEMISTRY, APPLIED MATH MINOR "My favorite DEM memory was after retreat junior year, we visited the high school that they filmed twilight at and got Jollibee together."
JULIANA NG ALPHA CLASS | BIOCHEMISTRY "My favorite memory was going to ROOTS every Friday with the members in my class. It was a fun time getting to know each other while doing something meaningful and helping out our local community. I miss those times!"
KATHLEEN NGUYEN ALPHA CLASS | PUBLIC HEALTH-GLOBAL HEALTH, NUTRITION MINOR "As my time with DEM comes to a close, I can't help but reflect and feel extremely grateful for all the memories shared with this community of bright, loving, passionate and driven people! From late night study sessions at Ode, boba runs, to Well's, DEM has truly felt like a home away from home where I could be my authentic self. It's hard to say which was my favorite memory, but one dear to my heart was picking up my precious little, KENT and all the spontaneous adventures that followed. <3 Thank you DEM for showing me what true love, dedication, friendship and support exhibits. This group will always have a special place in my heart."
KATIE LEE ALPHA CLASS | BIOCHEMISTRY
KENT KITO GAMMA CLASS | PUBLIC HEALTH-GLOBAL HEALTH "DEM has been an amazing support system and community during my time at UW. It has taught me new perspectives, foster new friendships, and forever lasting memories. I am going to miss DEM a lot and all the people who I have gotten used to seeing to all the time. Hopefully in the near future I will be able to give back to DEM as some cool alumni LOL. I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t pinpoint one exact memory that I love the most but I loved the numerous encounters I had with my fellow brothers and sisters whether it be in the hallway, drinking boba together, studying, sharing knowledge and resources, working together, and just sharing a smile. You all have showed me so much and I believe every person in DEM holds the ideals and values that will make this society change for the better. I know for sure because the amount of compassion and love people in DEM have is endless, and this will reflect into the jobs, relationships, communities that each member takes part in, now and in the future. Please donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t hesitate to reach out or talk to me until the day I die because you all are people I greatly admire, I and would love to see whatever amazing things you become to be. Love you all and thanks again for everything!"
LAUREN NA ALPHA CLASS | NURSING "Pursuing growth and personal development, I was drawn to Delta Epsilon Mu and its core values in academics, leadership and friendship. People in DEM have helped me reaffirm my passion, value hard work and strive to be a better student, friend and a mentor. As a recent graduate, I would like to reassure incoming prospective members of the same platform I benefited from and welcome them into the supportive family!!"
LUCINDA LU ALPHA CLASS | BIOLOGY (GENERAL) "My favorite memory in DEM would probably be always visiting Jenny at work in the HUB, talking forever and getting ice cream samples from the hub basement without actually buying anything haha. Her mentorship was and is so valuable to me and she played a big part in helping me mature into who I am today! I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have a favorite quote but I would tell underclassmen to really be down and willing to challenge who you think you are as a person vs. who you have the potential to be! Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t let old thoughts about yourself hold you back and let loose and take in all the experiences that college has to offer!"
MONIKA SANTOS GAMMA CLASS | NURSING "My favorite DEM memories were retreats and the PM process. I loved getting to know more members and I will never forget the spontaneous adventure we took as a chapter during retreat to a famous beach in Forks, WA, where Twilight was filmed."
SOPHIE NG ALPHA CLASS | BIOLOGY (MOLECULAR, CELLULAR, DEVELOPMENTAL), NUTRITION MINOR "My favorite dem memory is spontaneous study dates and food adventures with fellow dem members!"
TOBI CHEN BETA CLASS |NURSING, AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE MINOR "My favorite thing about DEM is all the people I met who I would’ve otherwise never crossed paths with. Although DEM has grown quite a bit over the last few years, everyone has always been so supportive of each other and I know we all have each other’s backs. I will always cherish the relationships I made and memories made through the PM process, meetings, formals, recruitments, and various events over the last three years. Shoutout to Ryan for being one of best things to come out of my DEM experience. Thanks for being the best and for being one of the reasons DEM feels like family. I wish everyone the best of luck and I’m so excited to see how DEM will grow in the coming years! Thank you DEMily for all the memories!"
THANK YOU! As we wrap up the last issue of the year, we would like to extend our appreciation to everyone who took a moment to look at our newsletter. The Delta Epsilon Mu Alpha Kappa Chapter have worked long and hard to provide the material for this issue. Though our plans of providing a newsletter once every quarter did not go as planned, we hope that this issue will make up for that missed newsletter of last quarter. We hope that everyone is staying safe and healthy. With LDFS, Historian Committee '19-'20
Created by Chris Yee, Kathleen Nguyen, Nikole Pham