I am deeply saddened at the loss of our university founder Daisaku Ikeda, a visionary leader whose impact on Soka University of America and the world is immeasurable. In his memory, we reflect on his profound belief that education is the most powerful tool for positive change. Mr. Ikeda’s enduring legacy lives on in the dedication of our students, faculty, and staff to realize his vision of nurturing global citizens committed to living contributive lives. As we mourn the passing of Mr. Ikeda, we find solace in the knowledge that his gift to the world, Soka University of America, stands as a testament to his commitment to building a more peaceful and harmonious world.
I want to share some of the highlights from the start of another exciting academic year here at SUA. To celebrate the start of the semester, we hosted the Welcome Back Community Event for our students, faculty, and staff. It was a lively event with food trucks on the center of campus, where everyone could celebrate community and enjoy dialogue and each other’s company. Building and strengthening our community is so important at SUA, and this event allowed us to kick off the year in that spirit.
I’m also thrilled to share that we opened new facilities to expand the academic opportunities available to students. The new Global Language and Culture Center (GLCC) opened this semester as a hub of campus life. The GLCC will foster an inclusive community for students to come together, broaden perspectives, and develop cross-cultural skills. With extensive language resources and programming, it will empower students to celebrate differences, find common ground, and collaborate across cultures.
Additionally, we opened the Ambassador Andrew J. Young Dialogue Lab for Peace, Meaning, and Reconciliation. The Dialogue Lab is a place for experiential learning, allowing students to engage in meaningful dialogue around complex global issues. Located in Pauling 406, the space is designed for the practice and research of dialogue with the intention to advance individual and collective peace, reconciliation, and humanity with opportunities for future collaboration with Former U.N. Ambassador Andrew Young.
I’m delighted to share that our annual Peace Gala was a wonderful celebration and tremendous success this year. We were honored to have over 60 dedicated sponsors and 334 guests join us for an evening of community and fundraising in support of our students. Together, we raised over $1.6 million for the student scholarship fund, a testament to the generosity and shared commitment of our donors to the mission of SUA.
Another great highlight from the fall is our men’s soccer team making the conference tournament, a feat achieved for only the second time in SUA’s history. I was inspired to see the tremendous turnout from our community to support our team. Although they did not advance in the tournament, making the postseason for the first time since 2016 was an exciting achievement that inspired our entire campus.
Thank you for your generous contributions to SUA that have played a pivotal role in Daisaku Ikeda’s vision, allowing us to work tirelessly towards creating a brighter and more hopeful future for humanity through education.
Sincerely,
Ed Feasel, Ph.D. President
Honoring SUA Founder Daisaku Ikeda:
SUA founder Daisaku Ikeda conveyed his hopes and expectations for SUA in an original song he wrote in 2011 titled “The Light of Hope” to celebrate the 10th anniversary of SUA’s founding in Aliso Viejo.
As the SUA community gathered in the Performing Arts Center on Nov. 27 to honor the extraordinary life and contributions of the university founder, a student chorus sang a powerful rendition of the song that visibly moved members of the audience, with the following verse assuming newfound meaning in light of Mr. Ikeda’s passing: “My young friends, I entrust my dreams to you. I am counting on you to spread the Light of Hope.” Ikeda passed away from natural causes at his residence in Shinjuku, Tokyo, on Nov. 15 at the age of 95.
An Extraordinary Life Dedicated to Actualizing the Vows of One’s Youth
The speakers and musical tributes brimmed with the resolve to carry on the founding spirit Daisaku Ikeda bequeathed to the students, staff, and faculty of SUA. In his opening remarks, Soka Student Union President Aashish Sunar expressed deep appreciation to Ikeda for founding SUA and providing opportunities for students from around the world to receive a Soka education.
“Without his tremendous vision and sincere efforts to establish SUA,” Sunar said, “we would not be here.”
Sunar shared a personal story about writing to Ikeda after being elected to serve as the Executive Council president to express his appreciation and determination to work hard to serve his fellow students. He also reported about his mother’s victorious battle against a serious illness. Ikeda replied to Sunar in writing, encouraging him to give his utmost as the EC president. He also addressed Sunar’s mother directly, writing, “I pray that you take good care of your health.”
Moved by Ikeda’s response, Sunar said he was determined to give his utmost in all aspects of his life, leadership, and education. “I believe living up to the high hopes and dreams he had for each one of us is one of the best ways to express our gratitude to him,” concluded Sunar.
Many students who attended the memorial felt similarly.
Michika Nishikawa ’25 likened Ikeda’s role in her life to a pole star that has always been steadfast, indicating a direction forward whenever she has lost her way. Ikeda’s courage and perseverance to champion and uplift ordinary citizens has inspired her to become someone “who champions the dignity of each individual and never stops working for the happiness of humankind.”
Executive Vice President for University Community Katherine King, who has been a member of the Soka University community since 1991, recalled Ikeda’s warm care for students and focus on the happiness and empowerment of everyday people.
After observing a variety of Ikeda’s encounters while visiting the Calabasas campus of SUA, King witnessed his ability to
cherish the person in front of him, showing each person the same respect, warmth, and kindness whether they were a dignitary, a student, or an employee. “I want to live my life in that way,” said King. “He has shown us through his life that one person can make a tremendous difference in the world.”
King and other speakers praised Ikeda’s ability to build bridges between people and cultures, and so it was fitting that the evening’s musical tributes drew from Eastern and Western traditions. Professor of Composition and Theory Michael Golden, one of SUA’s founding faculty, performed two songs on the piano: “Kojyo-no Tsuki,” composed by Rentaro Taki; and “Johnny-O,” composed by Earl Robinson.
Speaking about “Kojyo-no Tsuki,” Professor Golden said, “I feel the meaning of this song is that we should never lose sight of Mr. Ikeda’s vision that we—students, faculty, and staff—become a foundation and a source of hope and light for the world no matter how dark or chaotic it becomes and strive to implement it every day.”
In his closing remarks, SUA President Edward Feasel shared a story about the first time he met Ikeda 40 years ago after traveling to Hokkaido, Japan, with a friend to attend the World Peace Youth Culture Festival. Also in attendance were
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representatives from the United Nations, who had come to Japan to present Ikeda with the United Nations Peace Medal.
During the event, Feasel noticed Ikeda was sitting at a table eating with some of his guests, including the U.N. representatives. Eager to meet Ikeda in person, Feasel and his friend approached the table and were taken aback when he looked toward them and began waving. They stopped and looked over their shoulders, wondering if he was waving at someone else. When he pointed at them, smiled, and waved again, Feasel understood they were the focus of Ikeda’s attention.
“I realized how much Ikeda loves young people and how he treasures every person that is in front of him,” Feasel said, “because even though he was surrounded by dignitaries, he did not hesitate to encourage two high school students eager to meet him.”
Two decades later, Feasel had another memorable moment with Ikeda when they were walking outside with a small group of people as the sun was setting. “Our life should be like this sun setting,” Ikeda told the group, “illuminating the horizon at the moment of our passing.”
Feasel said he was certain Ikeda had led such a life, as millions of people around the world are determined to carry on his work and spirit.
Walking the Path of Mentor and Disciple on the World Stage
While presenting Ikeda with an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters during the University of Minnesota’s 2022 commencement ceremony—one of 408 honorary degrees and academic awards Ikeda received—Humphrey School Dean Nisha Botchwey noted it would be “difficult to adequately describe a person of such extraordinary caliber and immense accomplishments.”
Ikeda spearheaded the development of the Soka Gakkai as a community-based Buddhist organization of over 12 million members worldwide and founded numerous institutions, including the Institute of Oriental Philosophy, the Min-On Concert Association, the Tokyo Fuji Art Museum, the Soka Education System (kindergarten through university level, including SUA), the Toda Institute for Global Peace and Policy Research, the Soka Institute for Environmental Studies and Research of the Amazon in Brazil, and the Ikeda Center for Peace, Learning, and Dialogue in Cambridge, Mass.
Ikeda authored numerous works, ranging from book-length explorations of Buddhist philosophy and humanism to biographical essays and children’s literature. He was named poet
laureate by the World Academy of Arts and Culture (1981) and World People’s Poet by the World Poetry Society Intercontinental (2007), which conferred its World Poet Laureate Award upon Ikeda in 1995.
Ikeda engaged in dialogue with more than a thousand leading figures in politics, education, academia, science, peace activism, business, and the arts, including British historian Arnold J. Toynbee, the distinguished Chinese novelist Jin Yong, U.S.based futurist and economist Hazel Henderson, Nobel Peace Prize-winning scientists and peace activists Linus Pauling and Joseph Rotblat, and American jazz legends Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter.
How, then, did Ikeda describe the source of his wide-ranging accomplishments? Reflecting on the origins of his long held commitment to peace, Ikeda said in a dialogue with former copresident of the Club of Rome Ernst Ulrich von Weizsäcker, “It is no exaggeration to say that my youth during the war and my encounter with Mr. Toda when I was seeking the path to peace were the two decisive factors shaping my life.”
Born on January 2, 1928, in Tokyo, Japan, Daisaku Ikeda was the fifth son in a large family of seaweed farmers. He was very sick in his youth, struggling so severely with chronic tuberculosis that many people around him did not expect he would live to the age of 30.
Beyond his own battle with illness, Ikeda was also shaped by the historical forces of escalating nationalistic militarism in Japan during his boyhood and adolescence. He came of age in an education system militantly focused on producing obedient citizens devoted to the state’s interests. Japan entered World War II when he was 13 years old, and all of his older brothers were conscripted and sent to fight in the Japanese military. The Ikeda family would wait two agonizing years before learning his eldest brother, Kiichi Ikeda, had died on the battlefield in Burma. “I can still see the image of my mother,” Ikeda recalled, “her back turned to me and her shoulders trembling as she wept, clutching the telegram in her hand.”
Witnessing his mother’s anguish after learning of Kiichi’s death remained central to his lifelong commitment to ending the tragedy of war and abolishing nuclear weapons.
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At the age of 19, Ikeda met Josei Toda (1900-1958), who became his lifelong mentor. Toda was a polymath humanistic educator who began practicing Nichiren Buddhism together with his mentor Tsunesaburo Makiguchi, a renowned Japanese educator and geographer. Toda and Makiguchi together formulated the pedagogy of value creation—now known as Soka education—to promote education that focuses on fostering students’ capacity to become happy, lifelong learners.
Remaining true to their ideals to the end, both were arrested as “thought criminals” by the Japanese military authorities for their opposition to the war and defense of religious freedom. Makiguchi died in prison in 1944, yet his dream for peace and educational reform was carried on by Toda.
Inspired by Toda’s humane and compassionate character, extraordinary insight into human nature and social phenomena, and profound determination to bring about a positive transformation of society, Ikeda spent 11 years in his youth working alongside Toda in the aftermath of World War II. “Ninety-eight percent of what I am today,” Ikeda remarked, “I learned from my mentor.”
During the chaos of postwar Japan, Toda’s business reached a critical crossroads. Ikeda was only 22 when Toda first entrusted him with the vision of establishing Soka University. “It was in the midst of these truly dire circumstances that I firmly pledged to build a center of higher education that would enable the principles of value-creating education to contribute to the peace and happiness of humankind,” Ikeda writes. “Soka University of America represents the culmination of the effort to make valuecreating education a reality.”
In a message to the SUA community following the news of Ikeda’s passing, Pres. Feasel reconfirmed that SUA was Ikeda’s gift to the world to build a more hopeful future for humanity.
“SUA students were his greatest treasure and he had deep conviction that they would be champions of peace in their communities, moving the arch of history from one of war to peaceful coexistence,” said Feasel. “Let us reaffirm our determination to live up to this founding spirit of Mr. Ikeda.”
“SUA students were his greatest treasure and he had deep conviction that they would be champions of peace in their communities, moving the arch of history from one of war to peaceful coexistence. Let us reaffirm our determination to live up to this founding spirit of Mr. Ikeda.”
PRESIDENT FEASEL
THE SUA COMMUNITY REFLECTS ON DAISAKU IKEDA’S IMPACT HERE:
Less than a week after war erupted in the Middle East and in the midst of ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the Soka University of America community gathered to support the university’s vital mission of educating future peacemakers.
Taking the stage at “Celebrating a Vision of Peace,” SUA President Edward M. Feasel noted that the 19th annual gala was being held beneath a “dark cloud.”
“Let us utilize our gathering tonight to reaffirm our commitment to fostering peace in the world,” he said. “Toward this end, we all believe in the power of education, to transform lives and indeed, society.”
The 384 people attending the Oct. 14 event on campus and online responded by raising over $1.6 million—an amount that surpassed last year’s record-breaking total—to help ensure admitted students can receive an SUA education regardless of financial or economic circumstances.
Calling the university a “beacon of hope,” Pres. Feasel emphasized the importance of SUA’s mission of educating global citizens instilled with the values of wisdom, courage, and compassion to address the world’s injustices.
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SUA’s generous donors play a crucial role in making the university accessible to more students who aspire to make positive change.
“Your contributions make dreams come true and you enable students to embark on a journey of discovery, self-realization, and transformation,” Pres. Feasel said.
That sentiment was echoed by SUA Board Chair Steve Dunham, who reminded the guests that SUA could not fulfill its goals without them. “In a very real sense, you all are an absolutely essential part of the mission of the institution,” Dunham said.
Following an enthusiastic auction led by DawnMarie Kotsonis, alumni speaker Giselle Velasquez ’15 recounted her journey from the child of immigrant parents who lacked the resources to send her to college to the owner of a thriving healthcare practice in Woodland Hills, Calif.
“I remember telling my mom that I wanted to become a doctor one day, one that would be nurturing and understanding of the real experiences that people were going through,” she said.
When she first heard of SUA, she dismissed it as an option because at the time, before the introduction of the Life Sciences concentration in 2020, it didn’t offer a clear pathway to a career in medicine. A passionate alumnus she met changed her mind. “I discovered how SUA could provide me with the humanistic foundation that would serve me in any field or endeavor,” she said.
After SUA, she enrolled in an accelerated doctorate program in acupuncture and Chinese medicine, graduating at the top of her class. Last year, Velasquez opened her own acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine practice focusing on fertility and reproductive health.
“Today, I stand before you not just as a graduate but as a testament to the power of perseverance and self-belief that is instilled in each of us who attends Soka and experiences the kind of education that cultivates wisdom, courage, and compassion to serve,” she said. That education, as she concluded, is only possible through the generosity of SUA’s donors.
The 19th annual event raised over $1.6 million—a SUA record—to
ensure that future peacemakers may benefit from a SUA education regardless of their financial or economic status.
Giselle Velasquez’s 2023 Peace Gala Experience
Ladies and gentlemen, fellow alumni, and honored guests, thank you for joining us tonight at the Soka Peace Gala. It is a privilege and immense joy to stand before you and share my journey, my experience, and my gratitude for the incredible institution that is Soka University of America.
My name is Giselle Velasquez, and I am from the Class of 2015.
Every story starts with a foundation, and mine was etched in the differing dreams my parents held for me.
I was born to immigrant parents, who moved to the U.S. from Mexico after much effort and sacrifice. Working hard was valued above all else. Higher education was not necessarily an ideal, and mostly seen as reserved for those who made more money than my family. Scholarships awarded to attend college seemed like winning the lottery, only happening to a select few.
Upon completion of high school, my very practical father encouraged my siblings and I to attend trade school so that
we could quickly get into the workforce. He could not afford to put us through college and feared us taking large student loans out to do so.
My mother noticed my interest in school while growing up and encouraged me to attend college, despite the financial obstacles that would arise. She had been the first in our family to attend college. We were kids when my mom was in college, so my parents experienced firsthand how challenging it could be. My father left for work before we woke up and returned home after we had gone to bed. My mom often fed us fast food and sought support from others to help raise us so she could focus on studying after a full day’s work.
Growing up, our modest home was a melting pot of ambitions and anxieties.
Throughout this challenging time, I developed an emotional relationship with food. I remember eating for comfort as young as 7. I was diagnosed with obesity at age 9. I dreaded every single visit to the doctor for the next several years, which
all concluded in the same way: doctors scaring me and my mom by telling us all the negative things that could happen if I did not lose weight. They pleaded that the solution was easy: all I needed to do was eat less and exercise more.
This only contributed to habitual binge eating and believing that there was something inherently wrong with me, since I could not just lose the weight as straightforwardly as doctors suggested.
Ironically, the medical professionals who were supposed to guide me seemed more lost than I was.
I remember telling my mom that I wanted to become a doctor, one that would be nurturing and understanding of the real experiences that people were going through. I felt my doctors never considered why I was obese. Psychoemotional health was never considered or talked about. Dealing with this internal turmoil for many years fueled my passion for health and healing.
And then, the universe conspired in my favor.
I first heard about SUA the summer before my junior year of high school. I dismissed it outright because at that time there wasn’t a pathway for my interest in medicine. Luckily, shortly thereafter I met a super rad Soka alumna. She was raised in Japan, phenotypically Indian, spent time living in South America, and spoke at least four languages. At 17 years old, I had never met anyone even remotely similar in breadth of life experience, and the fact that she was also young and had already experienced so much inspired a level of hope and possibility in me like never before.
She passionately spoke about her experiences at Soka. I was intrigued. After attending the Soka education conference, I discovered how SUA could provide a humanistic foundation that would serve me in any field or endeavor. The day my acceptance letter arrived, it was not just a personal achievement but a launchpad to an education that included the study abroad program that led me to my current career path.
My study abroad experience at SUA was transformative. I chose to learn Mandarin Chinese, mostly because it was the language I knew the least about. In my junior year, I chose a unique study abroad program in Harbin, China, which invited me to take a one-on-one course in any topic within Chinese culture. I had heard about acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine
(TCM) and was curious about eastern medicinal philosophy. I seized the opportunity to study with a passionate 72-old doctor of TCM. She taught me how TCM viewed health and healing from an integrative approach; how seemingly different symptoms were often related; and how everyone is viewed as unique and should be treated as such. There was no one-sizefits-all treatment course.
Whether offering acupuncture, herbal medicine, diet, and/or lifestyle therapy, the prescriptions often vary for each patient. This made so much sense to me, especially when I thought about my younger self who felt such failure and shame while struggling with an eating disorder without anyone helping to find the right kind of medical intervention.
By the end of that course, I had a deep inner calling to practice TCM. However, I still had a lot of fear and doubt about practicing Chinese medicine as a non-Chinese person. The perspective of global citizenship instilled in me at SUA lent an awareness of caution in appropriating the culture or its people. As a result, initially, I had a hard time believing that I could contribute to the profession in a valuable way, but with the confidence I gained as a Soka graduate, I decided to continue learning.
First, I pursued topics within a Western medicine framework. I started a master’s in public health nutrition and explored a nursing assistant program. But neither piqued my interest like TCM. Finally, five years after first learning about TCM, I took the leap and decided to enroll in a four-year accelerated doctorate program in acupuncture in Chinese medicine in Los Angeles. Since I had no background in the biological sciences, I was required to take 27-30 units of classes each term—saying the program tested my limits is an understatement.
However, my experience as an SUA student gave me the strength to persevere despite how grueling life often felt throughout the program. I was determined to become a doctor for world peace, and successfully completed that rigorous program at the top of my class in December 2021.
Before graduating from my doctorate program, I knew I wanted to start my own acupuncture clinic right away, with a focus on fertility and reproductive health. Though I had no experience running a business, what I did have was a tolerance and ability to interact with and care for people from all walks of life, which I learned during my time at SUA.
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When Lenny Met Jihii
CREATING VALUE AND DREAMING BIG
Jihii Jolly Bogdonoff '11 and Lenny Bogdonoff '13
Their love story began at the writing center. Jihii Jolly Bogdonoff ’11 and Lenny Bogdonoff ’13 were working on their capstone senior projects at the same time when Jihii became Lenny’s writing tutor.
Little did they know they would wind up married, and working in fields that are pretty much an evolution of their capstone interests: Jihii, whose project focused on literary journalism, is now an independent journalist. Lenny’s capstone was on Reddit. Today he works at Open AI, building ChatGPT.
The couple had taken very different paths to SUA. Lenny had been expelled from his high school, but through a series of events, found his way to SUA. He had a rocky time academically, and was dismissed, but returned to campus the next year.
While a student and after graduating, Lenny held numerous part-time jobs and became interested in software development. Software and internet-based business had the potential to impact millions of people.
“Although I was never formally trained or went to school to study programming,” he said, “I was inspired by my fellow classmates at SUA who were constantly looking at the world to see what kind of value they could create in their fields of interest. Knowing that the field itself was not commonly pursued by alumni, I felt a sense of responsibility that my efforts would open up the way for others in the future as well.”
One of his first jobs, as a programmer for The New Yorker magazine, had a few other benefits. “I thought it would impress Jihii and it allowed me to move to the city where she lived,” he said.
Jihii had been drawn to SUA’s mission of educating global citizens. Having grown up South Asian in a predominantly white community without much diversity of thought or career paths, she “was eager to find a place in which I could be myself and explore ways to contribute to the world, rather than just view work as income,” she said.
Her experience working on SUA’s student newspaper The Pearl cemented her interest in journalism. “It was an education outside the classroom that taught me how to think for myself,” she said, “how to juggle a lot of deadlines, and how to tell stories in responsible and creative ways, through teamwork.”
After graduation, on her first day pursuing a master’s degree at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, someone asked if she was the person from that interesting “yoga school” in California. “In that moment I realized that whatever I chose to do with my career,” she said, “I would be representing SUA in spaces where the kind of critical thinking, dialogue, and contributive stance we learned here might be very new to people, and sharing these values would be as important as learning the trade.”
Those values, she said, have given her the courage not to follow a traditional path in her career but continue exploring what journalism can do. She’s reported a McCormick Foundationfunded series on the future of news literacy for the Columbia Journalism Review; taught high school journalism at the School of the NYT and community-centered journalism at Stony Brook University; produced a Gates Foundation-funded series on women’s economic advancement in the global south; and done independent work that pushed the boundaries of storytelling.
“If I could share one lesson that I’ve held onto, which will be familiar to some of you,” she said, “it would be that our dreams should be so big that they take more than a lifetime to accomplish, not just a few years.”
Her husband agreed. After the job that reunited him with Jihii in person, Lenny worked for the U.S. federal government during the Obama administration, then joined Google where he worked on making open source typography available in every language around the world. He eventually started a company that went through a startup program called YCombinator, which led him to his role at OpenAI.
“The lesson that I continue to hold on to from my time at SUA is that rather than the skills or experience that you do or don’t have,” he said, “it’s the spirit to create value where you are at each moment that opens doors.”
DIALOGUE BUDDIES
THANKSTAKING CELEBRATION
SOCCER PLAYOFFS
SOKA MUSIC NIGHT
SOKA EDUCATION FORUM
GARDENING CLASS
IDENTITY IN THE WORKSPACE CAREER NIGHT
Top: Representatives from across campus attend the opening ceremony for the Mariam Chowdhury Corner for Global Citizenship.
Below: Faculty and students attend one of the first events sponsored by the Ambassador Andrew J. Young Dialogue Lab for Peace, Meaning, and Reconciliation.
SUA recently launched three new significant spaces on campus. The Mariam Chowdhury Corner for Global Citizenship honors the legacy and contributions of Mrs. Chowdhury, the beloved life partner of Ambassador Anwarul K. Chowdhury. The Ambassador Andrew J. Young Dialogue Lab for Peace, Meaning, and Reconciliation is a space designed for the practice and research of dialogue, intending to advance individual and collective peace, reconciliation, and humanity. The Global Language and Culture Center will foster students’ openmindedness and sensitivity to the cultures they are studying and experiencing on campus while furthering their appreciation of the richness of languages, literatures, and associated arts.
Students study at the Global Language and Culture Center.
For several weeks last summer, Zachary Holt ’25 and Yinka Aduloju ’24 woke up as early as 4 a.m. to start their days shadowing neurosurgery cases and conducting neurosurgery research at medical centers in Louisiana.
They were two of three Life Sciences students who used their summer break to develop hands-on skills, conduct research, and learn more about the realities of practicing medicine. Holt and Aduloju participated in neurosurgery preceptorships at Ochsner Medical Center and Tulane University School of Medicine. A third, Trystan Ward ’25, took part in a program for prospective medical students at the University of California, Irvine.
“Professional clinical experiences provide students an opportunity to understand the realities, responsibilities, and privileges of their future careers in medicine,” said Dr. Jacqueline Mills ’08, visiting assistant professor of general education, global health, and health professions advisor.
“Because of the generous donations of our donors, our students were able to experience life-changing opportunities that they may not have otherwise been able to have.”
Holt and Aduloju began their summer experience at Ochsner Medical Center, a hospital across the Mississippi from New Orleans in Jefferson Parish. Their preceptorship, facilitated by
Dr. Mills and organized by Dr. Vernard Fennell, a neurosurgeon at Ochsner, included attending the presentations about patients that neurosurgery residents make daily, shadowing them on their morning rounds, observing operations, and attending teaching conferences focused on the spine and brain. A few weeks later, they joined neuroscience researchers working in a lab headed by Dr. Aaron Dumont, Charles B. Wilson Professor and chair of neurosurgery at Tulane.
Under the guidance of Jamie Wikenheiser, professor of anatomy and neurobiology at the UCI School of Medicine, Ward spent three weeks at the Summer Gross Anatomy Academy. He attended lectures and learned about clinical procedures, surgical techniques, and basic medical imaging.
At the end of the program, Ward, who expects to go to medical school and become a medical examiner, said the experience was invaluable in providing a foundation for anatomy studies and developing a better understanding of medical school.
For Aduloju, who has wanted to be a doctor since she was a child, the experience in Louisiana confirmed that desire.
Giselle Velasquez, continued from page 17
While many of my colleagues struggled with patient care, I found this to be the most enjoyable aspect of my work. I approached every patient with the desire to listen and learn more about who they were and what they were going through—skills gained while learning to become a global citizen. My humanistic training allowed my business to grow organically each month. Last month, September 2023, marks one year since I began my fertility and reproductive health-focused acupuncture and TCM practice in Woodland Hills, California.
Today, I stand before you not just as a graduate, but as a testament to the power of the perseverance and self-belief that
Although she had worked in healthcare before as a care assistant, she said she was eager to gain firsthand experience of the responsibilities of physicians and the process that they go through in deciding the best treatment plan for patients.
“Whether during clinics, surgery, or consultation, each case was different,” she said. “It is not enough to provide treatment, but it is important I understand that patients are humans with loved ones and that my decisions and actions as a physician affect more than one individual.”
Dr. Mills said these types of hands-on experiences begin to instill in Life Sciences students a dedication to service and advocacy, providing meaning for enduring the many academic, professional, personal, and financial challenges t hey may encounter on the way to securing a job as a healthcare provider.
“We need more humanistic, global, compassionate physicians, dentists, and other healthcare providers serving our communities,” said Dr. Mills. “SUA’s liberal arts education, combined with this experience in clinical training, provides the foundation for developing such individuals.”
is instilled in each student who attends Soka and experiences the kind of education that cultivates the wisdom, courage, and compassion to serve others.
Without all of you, and the generous scholarships we receive as a result of your donations, my life would not have been nearly as capable to serve as a global citizen, ready to give back to the world.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart!
Soka Athletics Earns NAIA Silver – Champions of Character Five-Star Institution Honors
The Soka Lions have been selected as a Silver – Champions of Character Five-Star Award institution by the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, the NAIA Character Advisory Committee, and the NAIA National Office for their efforts in competition, in the classroom, and in the community.
During the 2022-2023 academic year, SUA Athletics’ staff and student-athletes embodied the NAIA’s core values of integrity, respect, responsibility, sportsmanship, and servant leadership by identifying ways to earn points on the NAIA Champions of Character Scorecard.
Institutions are measured on a demonstrated commitment to the Champions of Character program and earn points in character training, conduct in competition, academic focus, and character recognition and promotion. The Champions of Character Scorecard measures each institution’s efforts and success in teaching, building, and reinforcing the NAIA’s core values. Points are given for community service, teachable moments, and a host of other positive standards.
The Champions of Character program continues to grow and impact people throughout the nation due to the passion and commitment of NAIA member institutions.
How to Give to Soka University of America
TRANSFORMING LIVES THROUGH THOUGHTFUL GIVING
Once upon a time on the picturesque campus of Soka University of America, nestled amidst rolling hills and lush greenery, a profound transformation was underway. The heartbeat of this transformation? Generosity, embodied by individuals like you who understand the essence of our mission.
Your past contributions have illuminated the path for our scholars, fostering a culture of wisdom, courage, and compassion. Today, we have the privilege of presenting you with a variety of ways to continue shaping this brighter future.
INVESTING IN IMPACT: STOCKS AND APPRECIATED ASSETS
Consider the story of a wise investor who recognized a unique opportunity to contribute. Instead of selling their long-term appreciated securities—stocks, bonds, and mutual funds— they chose to donate them directly to SUA. This decision is not just an act of profound kindness; it’s also a strategic financial move. By doing so, they potentially eliminated capital gains tax and received a charitable income tax deduction. A winwin, wouldn’t you agree? To make a stock gift, visit FreeWill. com/stocks/Soka/Welcome
CRAFTING A LEGACY: QUALIFIED CHARITABLE DISTRIBUTIONS (QCDS)
The protagonist of our tale gracefully ages into their 70s and unlocks a special chapter in their philanthropic journey. The individual retirement account (IRA) they’ve nurtured over the years becomes a vessel of generosity. Thanks to qualified charitable distributions (QCDs), they can donate up to
$100,000 annually directly from their IRA to SUA, without affecting their taxable income. It’s not just a gift; it’s a legacy that lives on in the hearts and minds of our students. Start your gift at FreeWill.com/QCD/Soka
THE POWER OF GIVING: DONOR ADVISED FUNDS (DAFS)
In this chapter, a new character emerges: the donor advised fund (DAF). With a DAF, you, our cherished donor, open an investment account for charitable giving. You contribute cash, securities, or other assets, and in return, you receive an immediate tax deduction. The beauty lies in the simplicity and flexibility it offers.
You watch your fund grow over time, strategically plan your taxes, and grant it to the causes close to your heart, including SUA.
We encourage you to keep this article close as a reference for your future philanthropic planning. For a more detailed exploration of these giving options, please visit our website at www.soka.edu/giving or consult with your trusted financial advisor. These giving methods offer you notable financial benefits and amplify the reach of your generosity.
Every contribution, regardless of its form, is a step toward making a profound difference in the lives of our students. Each gift carries the promise of a brighter future, inspiring them to work tirelessly for a better society. Your kindness and vision pave the way for peace and wisdom through education.
For more information, feel free to contact Executive Director of Philanthropy Linda Kennedy at lkennedy@soka.edu or 949-480-4072.
Publisher Soka University of America
President Edward Feasel, PhD
Executive Editor Linda Kennedy
Editors Dana Collins Nathan Gauer
Graphic Design Cathy Cervantes
Photography SUA Digital Media
Have You Moved Recently?
We would like to keep you informed of the wonderful news from Soka, so if you have a new address, please let us know by going to our website www.soka.edu/address-update or send an email to Coleen Scherf-Ghara at cscherfghara@soka.edu or contact her directly at (949) 480-4073. If you know someone who has mentioned they no longer hear from Soka, please make sure they contact us so we can update their information.
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Dialogue on the Culture of Peace
Soka students held the 10th Annual Dialogue on the Culture of Peace and Non-Violence on October 2. This year’s event focused on women in peacemaking. Guest speakers included Shreya Dixit ‘26; Prof. Chika Esiobu, visiting professor of African American Studies and Economic Development; and Keiko Sakamoto Bilgiç ‘10, who works as a corporate partnerships specialist for UNICEF in Cambodia.
