General Elections Candidates
2023-2024
Candidate List
President (1)
Executive Vice President (1)
Vice President of External Relations (2)
Vice President of Internal Relations (2)
Vice President of Communications (2)
Vice President of Finance (1)
Vice President of Academic Affairs (2)
Vice President of Technology (2)
Vice President of Community Development (2)
Vice President of Diversity (3)
Vice President of Graduate/Alumni Relations (2)
President (1)
Vivian Tran
Hello Merage Students!
My name is Vivian Tran, and I am a third-year business administration major; running forMUSA President. Currently, I am involved in MUSA, LPN, and aKDPhi.
Being in MUSA these past three years has been a rewarding experience. I have enjoyed servingMerage by hosting events that bring our community together and connecting with alums. I amrunning for President because MUSA has given me a community and the opportunity to learn
and connect with other business students, and I want to give back that experience to Merage.Furthermore, I would like to use my experiences as a representative, VP of Community Development, and VP of Graduate and Alumni Relations to lead the next board and empower each VP in their roles.
After serving on board and being involved in Merage-affiliated organizations, I understand what it takes to fulfill this position. Being on board, I've hosted numerous panels, organization fairs, and events. Additionally, I have helped establish connections to industry professionals in various clubs and brought opportunities to our students.
I look forward to hopefully serving you all once again in this new year and am
excited to see what we can accomplish together!
Thank you for your time, and I hope you will consider me for President.
Executive Vice President (1)
Dominic Pagano
Hi everyone!
I’m Dominic Pagano and I am a second-year business administration major and I am running for MUSA Executive Vice President for the 2023-2024 school year! I have worked for myself with a car detailing business, as a project manager intern for Pan-Pacific Mechanical, and this upcoming summer at PwC as a Start Intern.
I have been with MUSA for two years, serving as a freshman representative and as an associate this year. This year as an associate my most significant project was the UCI Business Conference which was the biggest it has ever been and brought in over 300+ attendees. I was also able to serve as a direct mentor to four freshman reps and a mentor to many others involved in the program. I love engaging with the Merage community and doing my part to give out opportunities when they come about.
As EVP, some of my goals would be to mentor and challenge the next generation of associates to grow the UCI Business Conference and have a personalized passion project. I want to get more first/second years onto company’s radars with their summits, conferences, and exploratory programs and more third/fourth years into internships and full times with more accessible interview prep, industry overviews, and alumni connections. Lastly, I would work on a Spring 2024 career fair to help students prepare for industries with early recruiting cycles where their process is closed by the time we start school in the fall.
-Thank you,
Dominic Pagano
VP of External Relations (2)
Johnny Nguyen
Hello Merage undergrads!
My name is Johnny, and I am running for VP of External Relations in the 23-24 MUSA elections. I chose to run because I believe having more people like me on executive boards is needed. Someone who knows what it's like to have a hard time adjusting to new environments, and has felt like they have spent half of their college life sitting on the sidelines. In this position, I want to truly represent all Merage undergrads and continue making MUSA the premier organization for all business students. I want to conduct all of my activities in this role with accessibility and school-wide populism top of mind. I believe I am suited for the role of External Relations VP given my extensive experience with marketing outreach. I have always been a natural marketer, eager to connect with others in any way I can, about whatever I have interest in. I am currently a Digital Marketing Student Assistant under OIT, where I compose and execute brand-relevant social media posts, as well as authoring brand news stories in order to connect with readers and raise awareness of OIT initiatives. I am also an Office Outreach Intern under the ASUCI Office of the Internal VP, where I conduct outreach and marketing efforts to make students aware of IVP events and commissions. I also have experience reaching out to resource centers on campus, enriching my professionalism and communication skills. I hope you consider me and bring a fresh face to MUSA!
- Johnny Nguyen
Candidate for VP of External Relations 2023-24
Jannett Ciranda
Hello my name is Jannett Ciranda and I have decided to run for MUSA board for the position of VP of External relations.
After being part of MUSA reps I feel in love with the community and am so excited to be able to give back. In high school I held many positions similar to this position, one being social media manager for my Color Guard team. Currently I am doing an internship with the UCI Athletics team learning how to use the adobe suite to enhance my editing skills. It has been such a fun experience that I want to be able to do it again here at Merage. When elected I will repost events occurring at Merage and make them a highlight for the week so students can be more involved and be able to go back whenever they forget when it’s happening. I will make the Instagram account more active by starting Musa Sunday Spotlights where we will welcome one student from every year to Merage on our Instagram stories and also welcome all the MUSA reps so that whenever people have questions about our program and what we do, they know who to ask! I hope y’all can vote for me this upcoming election and make me your VP of external relations. Thank you everyone for your time. And don't forget to vote for Jannett Ciranda for VP of external relations.
VP of Internal Relations (2)
Yuki Tanizaki
Hi everyone! My name is Yuki Tanizaki and I’m an upcoming second-year Business Administration Major. I’m running for VP of Internal Relations (IR) and would greatly appreciate everyone’s support!
As a MUSA Representative for the 2022-2023 school year, I experienced firsthand the program that the VP of IR administers. I learned a lot about the MUSA community and their unconditional support for each other. As VP of IR, I will continue creating a welcoming environment for new students to advise and expose them to various opportunities that Merage and UCI offer. I also want to create a social environment where students can make long-lasting friends, connections, and networks by hosting social activities to bond with other members. My substantial involvement in the MUSA Representative program allowed me to recognize its strengths and weaknesses. I plan to further improve and develop a community where lifelong connections and communications are built throughout the Merage community.
To support the upcoming class of 2027, I will use the leadership skills gained through my various experiences. As VP of Communications for Ascend at UCI, I create promotional materials and reach out to students via social media to form networks with professionals. As part of MUSA, I’m organizing a night market event, Merage After Dark, with over 100+ attendees that promote other business organizations on campus, aiming to create a tight-knit community in Merage. With these experiences, I intend to mentor the upcoming students of Merage and provide a community full of love and support.
Curtis Yang
Hi everyone! My name is Curtis and I’m a rising third year studying business administration and informatics. From the day I joined MUSA as a reserved Freshman Representative to running for Vice President of Internal Affairs today, this community has been instrumental in my growth.
MUSA has meant everything to me. It gave me my first friend group, with many of my fellow Reps/board members becoming wonderful mentors and close friends. It gave me an opportunity to become involved in leadership with organizations like MAISS. It helped me attain my first internships. And most importantly, it gave me purpose at the school. I was fortunate enough to be an Associate this year, where I helped host the UCI Business Conference and mentor my own group of Reps as they acclimated to the school.
As the next VP of Internal Affairs, I’d utilize my involvements in Merage to foster an inclusive and open community. I’d also leverage my internship experiences to share the nuances of job recruitment. Finally, I’d reflect on my experiences as both a Rep and Associate to incorporate additional opportunities to the program.
Throughout my time at UCI, mentorship has been a recurring theme for me. My time with MUSA has definitely been a full circle moment, and as I take the next step as the Vice President of Internal Affairs, I'm excited to welcome the next generation of students and ensure that they feel inspired, motivated, and well-equipped to become our future leaders. Thank you!
VP of Communications (2)
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Adora Chen
Hello everyone! My name is Adora Chen, and I’m a second-year Business Administration major. This past year, I served as your Vice President of External Relations, and I’m thrilled to be running for your next Vice President of Communications this year!
As the VP of External Relations, I was in charge of our social media graphics. If you attended our Fall Spirit Week or applied to our Associates and Representatives programs, I helped promote those initiatives! I’ve been continually impressed by the hard work the MUSA board puts into every event, and I’m eager to keep giving back to the business community.
The VP of Communications role is integral to ensuring communication between board members as well as between MUSA and the general student body goes smoothly. Each week, I’ll record detailed notes from each board meeting and provide a weekly agenda for MUSA events and board responsibilities. Based on these agendas, I’ll also send Google Calendar invites to board members. For each MUSA event, I’ll create sign-in and feedback forms to evaluate the success of our events as well as construct email templates for MUSA board members to promote to their professors and classes. Additionally, I want to prioritize communication with affiliated organizations by adding them to the necessary group chats with the MUSA board and answering any questions they may have.
Please don’t hesitate to connect with me, and thank you for your time and consideration!
- Adora Chen
Reyna Borillo
Hello Merage Family! My name is Reyna Love Borillo and I will be running for VP of Communications. I am running for this position not only to maintain the flow of communication between Executive Board officers, but I want to serve as a communication link between the Merage Community and the MUSA board. If I am your VP of Communications, rest assured that when the Merage community speaks, you will be heard.
Through this position, I hope to give back to the Merage community by enhancing our sense of unity. I would like to create an initiative called, “Merage Made Whole” targeting transfer and commuter students since sometimes, it could be difficult to find a family in Merage when coming from a different school, or not being on campus as much. Additionally, I would like to implement a more direct and efficient form of communication between MUSA and Merage students (such as through spontaneous interviews in the Courtyard) so we can hear and act on what changes students want to see in the business school.
Additionally, my experiences and skill set complement this position; I am, in fact, a certified IPad Kid efficiently utilizing Google Calendar and Excel to organize my life! Consequently, as the secretary of the Association, I am confident that I can keep MUSA meetings running smoothly, ensuring that each bullet point on our meeting minutes gets a follow-up, every voice in the Merage community is being heard, and that everyone is having fun!
VP of Finance (1)
Kevin Yu
Fellow Merage students, my name is Kevin Yu, a first-year Business Administration major and I'm running to be your MUSA VP of Finance for the 2023-2024 academic year!
Last year, I worked as an investment banking intern at UpMarket last year and currently am a business development intern at Lyrid, an assistant to the CEO and CFO at Contenders Clothing, and a commercial real estate intern at Project Destined. I’ve not only had extensive experience in finance, but I’ve also built a strong professional network through these experiences.
On campus, I've also been involved in 180 Degrees Consulting, MUSA, as well as several other clubs. I’ve also worked three on-campus jobs, one of which has been here at Merage.
I’ve spoken to too many students here at UCI who want to pursue a career in finance but are discouraged by Merage’s label as a "non-target" school. As VP of Finance, my #1 priority is to change that perception and get more Merage students into bulge brackets, working with them closely for interview prep, finance technicals, and networking. I believe my extensive experience will allow me to thrive in the role of VP of Finance.
I hope you will consider voting for me as your next VP of Finance. My time short time here at Merage has been nothing short of spectacular. Together, we can continue to elevate Merage’s standing and recognition, both domestically and abroad.
VP of Academic Affairs (2)
Eddie Rios
My name is Eddie Rios, and I am running to be your Vice President of Academic Affairs. I began my involvement with MUSA last year as a MUSA representative. Throughout the last year, I have been involved with HRMA serving as Vice President of Operations and Lambda Phi Nu as our fall recruiter. This has allowed me to experience leadership in other organizations and foster these crucial skills. I want to return to MUSA now, as your Vice President of Academic Affairs, because I believe I have the skills, experience, and drive to do so and to do it well.
Many of you may know about the new MUSA mentorship initiative. I want to continue to improve the program to provide students the opportunity to grow and the resources to thrive. Additionally, I truly believe that recognition can go a long way. This is why the student-of-the week initiative is so important at our school. To continue to be a powerhouse for creating strong business leaders, we need to continue to encourage each other to strive for greatness.
To close, everyone who knows me knows how much I love MUSA. My passion for this organization drove me during my time as a MUSA representative, and I know this passion will continue into my time as Vice President of Academic Affairs, given the opportunity to do so. I hope you will consider voting for me, Eddie Rios, as your Vice President of Academic Affairs. Thank you.
Henry Pham
Hello, Merage undergraduate community!
My name is Henry Pham, and I'm running for the position of Vice President of Academic Affairs. As a student of The Paul Merage School of Business, I've had the opportunity to learn and grow in a community that's dedicated to academic excellence and professional development. It is my honor to run for this position, and I'm excited to have the opportunity to serve you all.
I believe that the Vice President of Academic Affairs role is critical to our community's success. I'm confident that I have the skills, experience, and dedication needed to serve in this capacity effectively. As a Pop-up Tour Ambassador for Samsung, I developed a strong ability to connect with people and generate excitement around new ideas. I utilized on-campus connections and social media channels to generate awareness, excitement, and anticipation around the pop-up, resulting in 1000+ people attending and a social media strategy that garnered over 1,500+ views on the first day of the event.
In my role as Financial Wellness Commissioner for the Associated Students of UC Irvine, I was able to increase visibility to systemic and structural barriers to financial literacy and wellness by presenting research on undergraduate student tuition and campus-wide fees to departments, organizations, and the undergraduate body. It was a pleasure to be able to work towards making a positive impact in the lives of my fellow undergraduates and the campus community as a whole.
As your Vice President of Academic Affairs, I will be committed to representing the interests of all Merage students. I will work to ensure that our academic programs are challenging, engaging, and relevant. I will collaborate with faculty, staff, and students to develop innovative initiatives that promote academic excellence and personal development. I will work tirelessly to build a community that fosters inclusivity, diversity, and mutual respect.
I am excited about the opportunity to contribute to the Merage undergraduate community and hope to earn your support. Thank you for considering my candidacy.
VP of Technology (1)
Rithika Pothi
Hey Merage! My name is Rithika Pothi. Throughout college, I have been lucky enough to be involved with MUSA every step of the way, from being a Freshman Representative to serving as the current Vice President of Diversity and now to running to be your next Vice President of Technology. I have seen firsthand how serving as a board member for MUSA can make a widespread impact beyond prescribed duties, and I plan to continue doing so through this position. As Vice President of Technology, I will proudly communicate MUSA’s mission through our online resources. As technology continues to innovate, we hope to do the same. I will facilitate this by sharing our objectives and increasing efficiency for those interacting with the MUSA website and external online sources. More specifically, I plan to work alongside the Vice President of External Relations to align MUSA’s front-facing online presence with MUSA’s objectives and spotlight MUSA’s impact. I hope to use this position to continue creating and communicating value here at Merage. Feel free to reach out to me with any ideas or questions you may have at rpothi@uci.edu. Thank you so much for your support, and don’t forget to vote Rithika Pothi as your next Vice President of Technology!
VP of Community Development (2)
Ann La
Hello everyone, my name is Ann La and I am so excited to officially declare my candidacy for the VP of Community Development under MUSA! Although I was initially shy about running for this position, my past experience this year as a MUSA representative has taught me that growth only comes from undergoing new experiences in unfamiliar environments. After fundraising almost $300 within one month, planning a social event for the Merage community, and supporting various club initiatives this past quarter, I feel that I can personally help MUSA to grow and further unite the Merage community to its fullest potential.
If elected, I have 3 main goals I hope to execute:
1. Planning a dedicated day of service to uplift a local nonprofit or charity, similar to corporate philanthropy.
2. Creating a committee to help administer various external community development activities, while allowing students to voice their ideas and concerns through a school-wide forum.
3. Developing the Merage community internally by helping students connect with one another through more school-wide socials, formals, and events dedicated to helping enhance students personally and professionally. Listed below are some examples. - Celebrate Seniors Week
- Fall/Winter Spirit Week
- Movie Screening Events
- Merage Masquerade Ball
Overall, my diverse experiences and passion for getting myself and others more involved within Merage motivate me to want to create a welcoming and spirited environment for everyone. With this in mind, I would greatly appreciate your support in helping me achieve my vision for the school. Thank you!
Julia Lin
Hello Merage Student Body!
My name is Julia Lin and I'm running to be MUSA's next Vice President of Community Development. I'm a current second-year student at UCI majoring in Business Administration with minors in Anthropology and Digital Information Systems – although it’s been difficult being an out-of-state student being far away from home, I've loved my experience at UCI so far primarily because of the communities and friends I've found within Merage. I’ve been able to find my second family through Merage and I want to be able to help other undergraduates have that same positive experience during their time as a student. I have a lot of ideas on how to strengthen the Merage community to cater to the professional and social interests of students like implementing coffee chat and mentorship programs to easily meet and network with other students, hosting fun, engaging events like mixers and socials that students can attend to have fun and meet new friends, working with and connecting Merage organizations to host and collaborate on events, and much more. My goal as VP of Community Development is to make sure everybody feels supported, included, and proud to be a part of such a great community. I’m excited for the opportunity to further my involvement with and serve the Merage students, organizations, and overall community through this role
– thank you for your time and consideration of me as a candidate!
VP of Diversity (3)
Vy Duong
Knowing about diversity and truly integrating it into our system are two distinct things, and therefore, I’m here to assure you that the diversity of the Merage community is in good hands.
Greeting to everyone, I’m Vy, a first year Business Administration student and I’m running for the Vice President of Diversity for MUSA’s executive board next term.
Coming to the US as an International student filled me with challenges and anxieties in adhering to a new environment. However, after joining MUSA as a Freshman representative, the many beneficial resources and support provided to me made me feel incredibly valued and inspired to facilitate this positivity further.
Therefore, I am eager to utilize my strong adaptability skills to empower underrepresented students and offer support for your well-being. Thus, this urges me to apply for this position because I believe Merage’s diversity is our strength and my background could resonate with many individuals.As a potential candidate, I am determined to open many opportunities for the diverse student body of Merage by implementing Q&A panels, becoming a bridge of communication between students and MUSA, as well as empowering the strength of a diverse community we have. Every individual’s perspective in Merage can not be unleashed unless there is someone who has experienced and cares about this matter take the lead.
Therefore, I’m here to continue MUSA’s tradition of caring about the school's diversity, and enable every student to explore their power with the resources that MUSA has to offer
Leslie Ortiz
Hello Merage students my name is Leslie Ortiz and I am running for Vice President of Diversity, I have decided to run because as a first-generation Latina woman, I intend to represent those of us who feel overlooked in the business realm. My goal is to build a more unified MUSA community no matter who you are or where you came from by creating multicultural events with panelists from various backgrounds and cultures so students can see themselves being represented. We are all uniquely ourselves and I hope to bring that to MUSA. This is something I similarly did in high school when I was secretary of the Latin American Student Association where I was able to implement a space for Latino students by
organizing events and holding meetings where we discussed Latin culture. Having this space allowed students to feel seen at our school. As of now I am also involved in the MUSA mentorship program and would like to also continue it as it has helped me gain knowledge and resources I would otherwise not have known about. As a student, I take pride in being myself and I hope to make merage students feel the same way. Thank you and I hope you choose me to be your next Vice President of Diversity.
Vivian Phu
Hello everybody, my name is Vivian Phu and I am a first year Business Administration major. I’m a part of the MUSA representatives program where I’ve connected with first years, associates, and board members who have not only taught me a lot about Merage and my career, but have also taught me what it takes to be a leader. In a school with over 30,000 students, MUSA and its organizations have helped to make Merage a place where I feel a sense of community and pride to be a student at the business school. Along with MUSA, I’m also involved in MAISS, Accounting Association, and UBA which has given me a diverse set of experiences and exposures to the different facets of people and opportunities available at Merage. In any environment, I believe the people you surround yourself with truly make any experience memorable. Utilizing the skills I’ve fostered through my involvements, I hope to create a safe and comfortable environment for the students in MUSA. My goal as VP of Diversity is to create initiatives that bring awareness to the opportunity gap in order to provide resources and a support system for underrepresented students. With this position, I will make sure everyone's opinion is validated and taken into account to ensure the best experience while in Merage.
VP of Graduate/Alumni Relations (2)
Ngoc (Noel) Vu
Hi everyone! I’m Noel and I’m running for VP of Graduate/Alumni Relations for the 23-24 year! I’m a second-year Business Administration major passionate about contributing to student successes and strengthening the Merage community. If elected into this position, I will continue to provide the most accessible resources for undergraduate students to best accommodate their MBA-related networking needs, one of them being connecting current undergraduates to UCI alumni. My goal is to make sure students are equipped with sufficient knowledge about the MBA programs at UCI so they feel confident in making related decisions. Inviting alumni as speakers at multiple events will give students exposure to what work looks like in each of their fields, and hosting mixers after will allow for further engagement and connections. Through these conversations, students will gain insight into different aspects of the business industry and network with alumni at the same time, which are invaluable in the journey of career development. Organizing booths at career fairs and even at Merage will raise student awareness about the available MBA options. I’m currently an Office Outreach Intern for ASUCI Office of Internal Vice President. There, I aid in promoting IVP events through weekly booths and social media, with constant communication between the different commissions and organizations around campus hosting them. I believe my experience working in this position will translate well into the VP of Grad/Alumni Relations position I am running for. I hope to be serving as one of your MUSA Officers next year!
Hannah Woo
Hello everyone,
My name is Hannah Woo and I am running to be your 2023-2024 VP of Graduate and Alumni Relations! As a current MUSA Representative, I am grateful for the opportunities that have shaped me professionally. From organizing social events, shadowing Design@UCI, to participating in professional workshops, my time at MUSA allowed me to identify what I can do to improve the Merage community.
While my responsibility as VP of Graduate and Alumni Relations is to maintain strong MBA and alumni connections, I hope to utilize my position beyond the expected requirements. My goal is to ultimately bridge the gap between alumni, MBA students, and current undergraduates to take advantage of the collective knowledge in the Paul Merage community. With a vibrant and robust alumni network, students will find success in their future, while alumni can leave a meaningful legacy. I plan to implement:
1) A time-delineated mentorship program that pairs undergraduates with MBA students/alumni to ask for resume suggestions, career development, and interview advice.
2) An online resource, “Merage Cheat Sheet,” where alumni and graduating students can write feedback about business classes, extracurriculars, and internships they have taken/participated in to help students feel prepared and make informed decisions.
3) A quarterly Office Hour where students and alumni network with faculty to receive research opportunities, class advice, and recommendation letters over a cup of coffee.
If elected, I promise to help you be successful during your time here and post-graduation. Thank you!
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