Alex Nguyen
Co-President
Heyo! I’m Alex Nguyen (he/him), currently a fourth-year Human Biology major at UCI. I grew up in Dallas and other parts of Texas before moving to San Diego, California at the end of middle school. I’ve fallen in love with the California lifestyle….y’all got some great weather and plenty of outdoor activities, but whenever there’s a break, you can find me back in Texas spending time with extended family. My hobbies include playing video games (Overwatch, Deadlock, CS2, Super Smash Bros Ultimate), learning new pieces on the guitar (jazz, J-pop, and indie), and also physical activities (weight lifting and pickleball). As a “live to eat” rather than an “eat to live” kind of person I appreciate all kinds of foods. My favorite food is for sure a medium rare ribeye steak…. or sometimes I’m feeling some fresh sashimi… no, it has to be a spicy red curry…. scratch that maybe a crispy bánh xèo. Honestly, I can't choose a single favorite, it just depends on how I’m feeling. If you’ve got a new food spot recommendation, hit me up!
When I was a first-year student navigating a new environment, I actively sought a community and explored various clubs, but none resonated with me like MEMO did. Initially, it was the presentation about our annual mission trip to Vietnam that caught my attention, but upon attending the first general meeting, I also learned about the numerous volunteering opportunities and programs that supported our local community. From harvesting and distributing fresh produce, to educating children and seniors about nutrition and health, or participating in our multifaceted health fairs, MEMO has something for everyone. Not only are there all these volunteering opportunities to interact with others, but there are amazing social events that helped me leave my dorm room. When people ask me what was my most memorable (no pun this time haha) experience in my first year, one thing I mention is a beach bonfire social hosted by MEMO!! It was an amazing night with fun activities and food. Through MEMO you will learn applicable skills, have the opportunity to make a difference in our local community, and make everlasting relationships. Hope to see you at our meetings soon!
Natalie Huynh
Co-President
Hello everyone! My name is Natalie Huynh (she/her) and I am a fourth year biological science major! I grew up in Corona, California, but I would spend every weekend in the OC area growing up so I know my way around. I’m a big fan girl, so you can always talk to me when it comes to k-pop, k-rnb, k-dramas, anime, and webtoons/manhwa. I love going out and I am always down for cafe hopping, taking photobooth pics, going to the museum, going to concerts, and trying new food places! Every once in a while I love playing video games such as minecraft, fortnite, and roblox but I’m not that good so don’t expect much from me if we ever play together. I am also a big collector (more like hoarder) whenever I get obsessed with something, so my current hoarding obsessions are purses, Miffy, Sanrio characters (especially My Melody and Mocha), Jellycat bunnies, lip glosses, BT21, and kpop photocards. As you can tell, I have a big spending problem so you know who to take when you want to go on a shopping spree. I’m always down to try something fun and new and I love exploring new places, so feel free to reach out if you want to go on a random adventure or want a concert buddy!
I joined MEMO my first year and I could confidently say that it was the best decision I’ve made. I remember feeling very welcomed and included during the first meeting I went to and it helped that everyone was so nice and easy to talk to. Being a shy person, it is always hard for me when it comes to meeting new people, but at MEMO, there was always someone coming up to new people and making everyone feel included. As I continued to show up to more general meetings, service events, fundraisers, and socials, I felt more passion and was more inspired by the MEMO mission statement that they continue to uphold. Being Vietnamese, I resonated a lot with the mission statement of helping the underserved communities in Southern California and abroad in Vietnam as well since I’ve grown up all my life in Socal and most of my family still live in Vietnam so being able to help the two communities that have shaped me growing up have been very fulfilling and I want to continue to this strong passion I have for this club. MEMO has been such a meaningful part of my UC Irvine experience and I truly wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.
Kendall Vuong
Co-Public Relations & Social Chair
Hi hi everyone! My name is Kendall (she/her), and I’m a 4th year biology and psychological sciences double major, on the pre-med track. I was born and raised in San Francisco, California. In my free time, I enjoy playing volleyball and have been since I was about 9 years old (I’m also currently the IM captain for our volleyball teams, so if you're interested, you should check us out :)). Other than that, I spend most of my free time hanging out with friends, trying new cafes, collecting trinkets (I LOVE smiskis), watching TV shows, and reading. I like any sort of romance or mystery genres for both TV shows and books, but I’ve currently been in a slump, so if you have any recs, I would love to hear them! I also really love to travel and have been to places such as New York, Mexico, Italy, France, and the UK. In the future, I hope to go to Asia as well as Australia, since I really enjoy the cultures and sights there.
I first encountered MEMO at the Anteater Involvement Fair during my first year. I remembered feeling so overwhelmed by all of the different pre-med clubs that were also tabling, but one of the club members came up to me and instantly made me feel welcome. From all of the clubs I visited that day, MEMO was the only club that made me feel like I could be a part of something bigger, and I could see myself sticking with this club. Not to mention that I also really resonated with their mission statement, as my parents were originally from Vietnam, and my mom immigrated to the OC area before moving up to NorCal. My thoughts were further confirmed when I attended my first general meeting, where I was welcomed by multiple board and general members who instantly made me feel included. Being so far from family and all of my other friends back home, I was worried that I wouldn’t make a lot of friends in college. However, joining MEMO definitely helped me get out of my shell more, and I’ve met so many amazing people who I’m still friends with today. Being a first-gen student and also not having anyone in my family who is in the medical field, I really didn’t know where to get started. Through MEMO, I have been able to gain invaluable experiences and connections. From the different programs that were offered, such as Big/little and APAMSA, I was able to get some much-needed mentorship from peers who were currently or had recently been through what I was also struggling with. They were able to validate my fears and worries about all the stress that comes with going the pre-med route, and gave me helpful advice, which I will be forever grateful for. Volunteering at different service events that were offered, such as Project SHUE and Harvest Distribution, allowed me to give back to the OC community that my mom grew up in and my grandparents still currently live in. Slowly but surely, MEMO became such a big part of my life that I started looking forward to every Thursday for our weekly meetings since that was when I would be able to see everyone in the club. I would’ve never anticipated MEMO to mean so much to me, but I’m so glad that it does.
Francis Nguyen
Co-Public Relations & Social Chair
Hello everyone! My name is Francis Nguyen (he/him). I am a fourth-year Human Biology student, with a minor in Public Health on the pre-med track! A little bit about me: I grew up in San Jose, California and I’ve lived there all my life before moving down here to Irvine for college. I have 5 people in my family: my parents, older sister Claire, and my younger brother Antoine (yes, I am the middle child…). Some interesting things about me are that I like to play and watch basketball, play instruments like piano and guitar, and play pickleball! I'm always down to pickle and hoop, so hit me up if you’re down to play! Some of my favorite foods are pizza and burgers, as well as Vietnamese cuisine like banh xeo and banh khot!
I actually joined MEMO because of my sister Claire! She told me to come out to a general meeting one time, and she said I might like what MEMO has to offer and its mission. As a first-year, I was definitely scared to join a new club. New atmosphere in college, new people, and new experiences. But I decided to come out one day, and I never looked back. For me, what made me stay in MEMO was definitely its mission and the people in MEMO. Its mission was the biggest aspect, as I have been looking for shadowing and volunteering opportunities to bolster my application for medical school, so MEMO provided that and beyond. But besides that, MEMO’s mission of serving the underserved communities locally here in Southern California, as well as abroad in Vietnam, is definitely why I’ve stayed and continue to stay. Also, the people in MEMO are another big reason why I’ve continued to stay in MEMO and support its mission. All of my closest friends are in MEMO, and I look forward to our MEMO events every week! For example, I joined the Big and Little program my second year, and that’s where my Big Joseph picked me up! I love this program so much because of the mentorship it offers and the friends/lasting memories it brings. This past year, I picked up my two littles, Hayden and Chance, and that was one of my favorite memories in MEMO. I love mentoring them, buying them food here and there, and just hanging out with them. It’s been a great experience, and the bond that we have is what I hope members will have with their respective big and little through our Big and Little program. Lastly, I believe the mission trip was also an appealing factor in why I’ve continued to stay in MEMO. I went on the 17G mission trip this past summer, and this experience was so eye-opening and amazing. Being able to set up a clinic in the middle of rural Vietnam in Dong Thap was amazing, and we were able to serve so many patients who needed help. But besides the clinic, seeing the open-heart surgeries at UMC in Ho Chi Minh City for shadowing days was such an eye-opening experience, and it was really cool to see that the funding that we’ve donated throughout the year has been put to a good cause in Vietnam! But to be honest, I could write forever explaining why I love MEMO, but all in all, MEMO has a special place in my heart, and I hope it will for you :)
Kaitlyn Escabarte
Co-Fundraising Chair
Hello!! My name is Kaitlyn Escabarte (she/her) and I am a 2nd year Biological Sciences Major on the pre-med track. I am from Redlands, California (near Riverside for reference), and have lived in SoCal most of my life! I actually lived in the Philippines for my middle school years but came back to the USA because of Covid. If you were to ask someone what I do most of the time, they will probably say “Roblox”... which is not wrong because I am a HUGE Ipad kid… but I love a lot of other things as well (btw my favorite game is Bloxburg)! I love to go on side quests with my youth group, exploring nature, opening pokemon packs (I have terrible luck unfortunately), and going on sweet treat runs with my cousins. I also love love love listening to music, my range goes all the way from country, to folk, to kpop, to musicals, and so much more. I'm also always down for a hike, so if you got some nice spots, let me know! My cousin and I have a goal to visit all the national parks so hopefully we are able to accomplish that.
During my first year, I knew I wanted to get involved in clubs to grow professionally and make new friends! In high school I joined one club where we rarely had meetings, but in college I wanted to grow out of my comfort zone (I am a very shy person at first, but get to know me and you will see that I'm a yapper). Throughout week one I joined multiple different club meetings but none of them made me feel more welcomed than MEMO. It was the first club where people approached me and talked to me, which helped calm my nerves. MEMO is a place where they want everyone to feel included and there are a lot of opportunities to get to know people through FAM, socials, and so much more! Besides the amazing people, I was also drawn to MEMO’s mission. I have always grown up doing mission trips with my family in the Philippines so I loved to see that I could also serve the community through the multiple service events MEMO hosts and their annual mission trip. During week one they showed a video recapping their most recent mission trip and it was so incredible to see children get life-saving heart surgeries, school supplies, and people in need of medical services getting it all for free (I’ll admit, I cried during the video). MEMO has truly improved the lives of so many people, including me. Without MEMO, my college experience would not be as fulfilling and wonderful as it is now. I am so blessed to be a part of this organization and I can’t wait to see everyone at our meetings–making new MEMOries together!
Hayden Vong
Co-Fundraising Chair
Hi, I'm Hayden Vong (he/him) and I'm a 3rd year Human Biology major on a premed track. I'm from Seal Beach, California and I went to Los Alamitos High school. I played tennis there for all 4 years, but I've been playing a lot more pickleball recently. If you play at Pickle Xscape, you will probably see me since I play there often when I have a chance. I also recently got into collecting Pokemon cards again so if you are a collector too, don't be shy to come up and talk to me about it. Aside from these hobbies, I am a huge Taco Bell fan.
I joined M.E.M.O. during the fall of my sophomore year, seeking a professional organization that truly aligned with my academic and career goals. A friend from my research lab introduced me to M.E.M.O., highlighting the incredible range of volunteering opportunities—everything from clinical programs to non-clinical initiatives like Project S.T.A.R., where we help children improve their reading skills. What sets M.E.M.O. apart from other organizations, it is our goal to break down barriers that create structural disparities in underserved communities locally and abroad, through our annual mission trip to Vietnam, where we provide essential resources, supplies, and life-changing medical services.
Camilla Vidal
Co-Sponsorship Chair
Hi!!! My name is Camilla Vidal (she/her), and I’m currently a fourth-year Biological Sciences major at UCI! I grew up in Corona, California, but you can definitely catch me making the drive to Santa Ana with my family whenever we’re craving Mexican food. Some of my all-time favorite spots are in OC, so of course I have to pull up with the whole family! Outside of school, some of my favorite things to do are dancing, singing, and, of course, listening to music. I grew up doing show choir and dancing, so music and performing have always held a really special place in my heart. I’ll listen to pretty much anything, but pop music will always be my favorite. I’ve been lucky enough to go to a few concerts, but nothing tops seeing my favorite artist, Ariana Grande, live!!! And when it comes to dancing, one of my absolute favorite styles to learn HAS to be K-pop. Whether I’m learning a new dance, singing along to my favorite songs, or finding a new food spot with my family, I’m always down to have a good time and make new memories!
When I first started exploring clubs at UCI, I remember feeling pretty anxious and intimidated trying to find a community where I truly fit in. I had explored a few different organizations, but something about M.E.M.O. immediately felt different. From my very first meeting, the members were so warm and genuinely interested in getting to know me that so many of the worries I had about putting myself out there disappeared. I felt like I could truly be myself, which is what initially kept me coming back. As I became more involved through weekly meetings, service events, and fundraisers, I realized that my connection to M.E.M.O. went far beyond the community I had found. Its mission of giving back to underserved communities became something I genuinely cared about, and the variety of service opportunities helped me grow both personally and professionally. As a pre-optometry student, these experiences have also helped me discover how much I value working directly with people and providing one-on-one patient care. One of my favorite M.E.M.O. memories was volunteering at our annual OC Health Fair, where I had the opportunity to work alongside the Optometry team. Seeing everyone come together and witnessing the impact we were able to have on the patients we served made the experience incredibly meaningful to me. M.E.M.O. has given me a community, countless opportunities to grow, and experiences that have shaped the person I am today. Now, I hope to take everything M.E.M.O. has given me and use it to create that same welcoming and meaningful experience for others!
Michael Le
Co-Sponsorship Chair
Hi everyone!! My name is Michael Le (he/him), and I am a 4th year Neurobiology Major and Philosophy Minor, and I’m on the pre-med track. I was born in Fountain Valley, and moved to Mission Viejo when I was really young. And even though I’ve commuted all four years at UCI, you’d most likely find me up in Irvine or North OC getting some good Asian food. For the past four years, I’ve been a private music teacher, and playing the violin and piano has been a huge part of my life; I grew up playing both in orchestra, mariachi, and jazz band throughout elementary and high school. When I’m not teaching or studying, I’ll probably be traveling, cafe hopping, watching movies, hanging out with friends, going to concerts, or playing basketball, pickleball, or volleyball for fun. Some of my favorite foods have to be a nice, juicy medium-rare steak, butter chicken, or pork tonkatsu. Please let me know if you have any restaurant recommendations, I’m always happy to check them out! Some of my favorite artists right now are definitely Laufey, Beabadoobee, Bruno Mars, Ariana Grande, and Grentperez! I’ve been lucky enough to go to a number of concerts, especially when I entered college, and I have to say very few can top Laufey’s LA concert in September 2025 for me, personally.
I first sought out a community during my second year at UCI, which led me to M.E.M.O. It quickly became my second home, and it helped me understand what kind of physician I want to be in the future. The incredible other MEMObers and the people we’ve had the opportunity to impact together have made a lasting impression on me. I’ve met some of my absolute best friends through this organization, I’ve grown so much professionally and personally, and I can confidently say that my college experience has become immensely more fulfilling and purposeful after realizing that this was an organization I wanted to give full efforts to. From supporting at-risk first and second graders at the Westminster Senior Center, to volunteering as a dental assistant at the OC Health Fair, I’ve learned so much about what it means to be a part of this community, and I can’t wait to guide others towards different opportunities to help find or grow that spark for helping others.
Sophie Nguyen
Co-Outreach Chair
Hello everyone! My name is Sophie Nguyen (she/her), and I am currently a 4th year, Human Biology major. I grew up in Anaheim Hills, so I am actually very local to UCI as an Orange County native. In my free time, I love to cook and bake, and one creation I just made recently is banana bread cookies! In addition to that, I am a big Disney fan (I think I went to Disneyland 7 times this year, and I don’t even have an annual pass…). My favorite princess is Rapunzel from Tangled, and I am actually so excited for the upcoming, live action movie coming out for Tangled. Disney songs are so magical and nostalgic, and I love singing along to all of them. Something on my bucket list is to visit all the Disney amusement parks across the world. One Disney park that I am particularly excited to visit is DisneySea in Japan! Other than that, something that I am super passionate about is Christmas. Every August, I start getting in the Christmas spirit, and I start listening to my Spotify playlist, named “My Favorite Time of the Year”. Christmas is such a cheerful and nostalgic time of the year that I can’t help but look forward to this season every year. Can you tell I love nostalgia!! If you are friends with me on TikTok, you WILL be seeing a Christmas repost from me at every scroll.
Well enough about me, let’s talk a little bit about why I joined M.E.M.O. and more importantly, why I stayed in this organization! I joined in my 1st year of college, attending the first general meeting that M.E.M.O. in 2023. As a pre-medical student, I was looking for opportunities to get involved in different pre-health related organizations, and M.E.M.O. was introduced to me through my sister. M.E.M.O. provides so many different opportunities for one to get involved in, both related and not related to medicine. Some of the different opportunities an individual can participate in are health fairs, community service events (specifically my favorite is Project S.T.A.R.), on-campus fundraisers, our annual mission trip, and more! M.E.M.O.’s mission is to help the underserved community both locally in Southern California and abroad in Vietnam. I think this mission speaks to me as one of my major passions is to help underprivileged individuals. Although everything I just mentioned are amazing things that M.E.M.O. stands for and offers, I think what made me stay was the community. This organization is filled with such amazing and kind individuals that strive to make everyone who joins feel welcomed. We have become such a close knit community, and I am so grateful that I get to call these individuals some of my closest friends. I am able to not only share similar goals and passions with these individuals, but I am able to talk to them just about my life in general. As a student in a new environment, I know how intimidating it can be to join large, unfamiliar organizations. When I joined, I was a shy, introverted freshman that was scared to talk to anyone. Everyone who I have interacted with throughout my journey in M.E.M.O. has made me feel more and more connected to this organization. I stay involved in this organization because I hope I will be able to make others feel comfortable as well! I hope you meet all of you soon and feel free to come talk to me anytime you would like!!
Anastasia Malaspina
Co-Outreach Chair
Hi there! My name is Anastasia (sher/her), and I am a 3rd year Public Health Sciences Major with a minor in Native American Studies, on the pre-med track. I grew up in Sonoma County, California (LET’S GO BAY AREA!), but love SoCal as well! Some things I love to do are playing sports (I played Basketball, Softball, & Golf in high school) but now I stick to playing Basketball during M.E.M.O.’s INTRAMURALS SEASON!! (Watch our games please). I also love going to the gym, eating lots of food + cooking, exploring new places, and cafe hopping while studying! Some of my favorite shows that I usually have on repeat are The Office, Modern Family, Grey’s Anatomy, Criminal Minds, and Gilmore Girls. One thing I want to do more is go to more concerts!! (Not going to the SZA & Kendrick Lamar concert might have been the biggest regret of my life). Anyways, my schedule gets full pretty quick since I am a full-time EMT, but I’m big on having quality time for my loved ones and friends, so I am always looking to try something new and create new shared memories when I can!
I joined M.E.M.O. in the Winter Quarter of my 1st year, and it changed my whole college experience. During the fall quarter, I had really struggled to meet new people/friends because fun fact, I never dormed and instead got an off-campus apartment with a roommate I met over Facebook. When I went to my first M.E.M.O. meeting, I remember I was blown away by what impact a student organization could have and knew immediately I wanted to be a part of the admirable action taking place. As soon as the meeting was over, I bought my t-shirt, M.E.M.O. membership, and volunteered for every event that fit into my schedule. As a first-gen student, I had no introduction to the healthcare system, let alone college, but M.E.M.O. broke down that barrier and inspired me to learn more. Slowly but surely, not only was I learning and growing more as a person, but I was also building the best social environment, surrounding myself with other students who had similar ambitions and goals as I had! To this day, my favorite part about being a part of M.E.M.O. is the volunteering/service events, especially Project SHUE. We have such a wide variety of events that we work hard to provide, so we hope you enjoy them as well! To anyone thinking about joining M.E.M.O., please give it a try and reach out, and I hope it has the same impact on you that it had on me! If you are a first-gen, working part/full time, looking for an introduction to healthcare, or wanting to make a new friend – I am always up for a chat <3 See you at our next general meeting!
Tiana Tran
Co-Outreach Chair
Hi everyone! My name is Tiana Tran (she/her), and I am a 4th-year public health sciences major, currently on the pre-med pathway! I’ve lived half my life in Southern California and the other half in Washington State. Most people think I’m a Washingtonian but I think I’m a SoCal girl at heart hehe. The beach, sunny weather, and good eats will alwaysss call out to me. One thing about me is I am a HUGE foodie! I love trying new dishes, cuisines, and enjoying these new experiences with family and friends. If you have any recommendations for eats, let me know and we can exchange favorites! I also really like cooking at home whenever I get the chance to, and have found that cooking with friends can be a chaotic yet comforting experience. Outside of food, I really like playing pickleball, going on scenic hikes, and going to pilates in the morning. Something about finding interests outside of school and extracurriculars has really helped me discover more about myself as well as prioritize my well-being. I am a very big movie fan, except I like watching movies and shows in the comfort of my home. You can maybe catch me in the theaters here and there if a movie is really hyped up though haha. I’ve been wanting to attend more concerts, but I have very bad luck with getting tickets… if anyone is a TicketMaster pro and always wins the ticket wars, let me know your hacksss! ;)
Joining M.E.M.O. in my second year of college completely changed the trajectory of my college experience. M.E.M.O. has given me some of my bestest friends as well as heart-warming experiences gained through volunteering at the service events. I was initially scared of joining the organization because of how large the club was. 2nd-year me was very introverted and shy, and I found it hard to put myself out there to meet new people. After joining the fam program and big little program, I was able to break out of my shell and feel more confident in who I am. To be honest, M.E.M.O. gave me a family and community that I am forever grateful for. It was through these programs that I felt more seen, and was more comfortable attending workshops and service events, whether on my own or with a friend. Seeing a familiar face and being greeted by warm smiles goes a long way, and I am so grateful I was able to experience this when I joined the club. From there on, I grew to love the club even more because of the missions and goals it stood for. With the endless opportunities of giving back to underserved communities both locally and abroad, as well as reaching diverse communities (from all walks of life), my heart grew warmer and my personal skills were able to improve as well. I have learned so much about different healthcare pathways, both from workshops and fellow MEMObers, and it completely opened my eyes to the pre-med scene. Being surrounded by driven, caring, and empathetic people has allowed me to see things in new perspectives. All of my core memories in college (and hopefully post-grad) are made up of experiences from M.E.M.O. The friends I can go to for advice and lean on, the communities our organization and its members are able to reach and connect with, and the amount of love and support we are able to spread makes me a proud MEMOber. I will always cherish this organization and its members, and will forever be grateful for those who welcomed me with open arms in the club.