Hi! My name is Kayla and I am a fourth-year student at UCLA. I am originally from Orange County and have lots of fun info to share about UCLA! I am pre-PA and have tried out lots of different majors, minors, and career paths so feel free to ask me about anything. I am an animal lover, attend many on-campus events, and recently studied abroad in Scotland through UCEAP. Some of my extracurriculars include being on the executive board of UCLA's largest student-run theatre company, working in the Athletic Training Center for Club Sports, and being in a STEM-focused sorority!

Hometown

Laguna Beach, CA

Major(s)

Physiological Science

Minor(s)

Education, Film and Television, Global Health

Clubs, organizations & involvement

HOOLIGAN Theatre Company (Director of IT), Phi Sigma Rho, UCLA Recreation, Bruin Animal Rescue Coalition, UCLA Athletics

Describe your college experience

My experience in college has been overall pretty great. Learning to live with roommates was definitely interesting, but looking back I would say it's worth it. I've been able to pursue a career I really love, while keeping up extracurriculars I never thought I would be able to continue doing in college. Being a college student is definitely a lot of work but I've met some of my best friends at UCLA.

Tip for future students

I would advise incoming students to sign up for as many things as possible at the beginning of the year. You can always decrease your number of club commitments but sometimes clubs restrict when they accept new members, plus longevity in extracurriculars looks better for grad school applications and gives you more of a chance to get a leadership position in the clubs you stay in. On that note, I also think it is really important for students (especially anyone in the pre-health track) to make time for non-academic things. I would also say that you should only request a roommate if you know their living style in addition to their personality.

Favorite class

My favorite class so far has been Life Science 107 with Dr. Julie Ko. It has been one of the best upper division courses I have ever taken and is largely due to having Dr. Ko as a professor. The course content uses genetics concepts that I have been familiar with throughout high school and lower-division pre-requisites, but also builds on them in ways that I feel I will be able to use in my career. Dr. Ko is really kind and relatable as a professor and I really appreciate her style of teaching.

Career goals

After college, I hope to go to attend a physician assistant program and become a PA. I would love to branch out and go somewhere out of state, because I stayed pretty close to home in undergrad, but I also love living in California and could easily see myself staying in-state.

Ideal way to spend a free night

My ideal way to spend a free night is relaxing with my friends. I love settling in on the couch with my friends or roommates, putting on a comfort movie (I love rom coms and Harry Potter) and making microwave popcorn.

High school or secondary school

JSerra Catholic High School (San Juan Capistrano, CA)