Message From Your Chancellor's Associates Chair
With summer comes a changing of the guard here at Chancellor’s Associates, and I’m excited to welcome our newest council members: Albana Bakaj ’20, Tom Dillon, Gujri Singh ’20, and Caroleen Williams. They are a great group of dedicated ambassadors to promote our cause, and I’m looking forward to working with them to brainstorm new ways to grow our philanthropic community.
If you’re looking for activities this summer, be sure to engage our ever-growing campus community, including our over 215,000 Triton alumni around the globe, through our ongoing virtual events. RIMAC has recently reopened, so it is the perfect time to get back on campus and involved in Triton life.
With Triton pride,
Jerrilyn Malana ’86
Chair, Chancellor’s Associates
Service, Pride & Inclusion
Welcome Our New Chancellor's Associates Council Members
Our council members are active ambassadors for Chancellor’s Associates, expanding our network at home and abroad. Through thoughtful leadership, they establish a culture of collaborative philanthropy to address UC San Diego’s critical priorities and advance Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla’s vision for academic excellence.
This year, we have four new Chancellor’s Associates Council members. Learn more about them below:
Albana Bakaj ’20 is an immigration paralegal at Fragomen LLP and plans on attending law school in the future. She is a past recipient of the Paula and Brian Powers Chancellor’s Associates Scholarship and received a Bachelor of Arts in international studies and political science from UC San Diego. A first-generation college student who emigrated from Albania, Albana was a Chancellor's Associates Scholars Program (CASP) peer mentor and worked with the Chancellor’s Associates team as a development assistant during her time at UC San Diego.
Tom Dillon retired as group senior vice president from Science Applications International Corporation where he led 15 diverse business units that focused on the company's most advanced technologies. During the Carter and Reagan administrations, he was a presidential appointee responsible for a $4 billion per year Department of Energy (DoE) civilian nuclear research program. An active volunteer, Tom has been involved with several UC San Diego councils and boards including the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering Dean's Advisory Council, the Sulpizio Cardiovascular Center Board, and the UC San Diego Skaggs School of Pharmacy Dean’s Advisory Board.
Gujri Singh ’20 is a software engineer at Viasat Inc. She received a Bachelor of Science in mathematics and computer science from UC San Diego. An avid volunteer, Gujri has also been involved with The Preuss School UC San Diego and the International Rescue Committee. She is currently part of UC San Diego’s Graduates of the Last Decade (GOLD) Steering Committee, where she works to grow alumni engagement and philanthropic support
Caroleen Williams has held senior positions in the United States Senate and House of Representatives for over 20 years, including chief of staff for congressional committees. After moving to San Diego, Caroleen became the director of government and media relations for local high-tech entities, including the San Diego Supercomputer Center. Caroleen believes in public involvement in her own community, and has served terms on the San Diego Police Review Board, the San Diego Grand Jury, UC San Diego’s Stein Institute for Research on Aging, and is currently a member of the San Diego Mayor’s Board for International Affairs
Chancellor's Associates Scholar Thank You
Next month, our new Chancellor’s Associates Scholars will be arriving on campus. This is made possible because of their hard work and your generous support. Since Chancellor Khosla started the program in 2013, nearly 1,900 students have received Chancellor’s Associates scholarships.
And it is much more than a scholarship. The program includes a summer transition program, leadership and communication seminars, graduate school advising, peer and faculty mentoring, a housing guarantee, and other resources throughout each student’s time on campus.
We wanted to share a thank you letter from Isabella Newell ’23, a transfer student from Southwestern Community College, who is part of this year’s incoming cohort.
Dear Scholarship Donors,
I am honored to be a recipient of the Chancellor’s Associates Scholarship. I want to personally thank you for funding this incredible award. With your generous donation, I will continue my education at UC San Diego with less financial strain. I am overwhelmed with gratitude and excitement, but most of all relief because I can focus all of my energy on academics in the next two years.
I also want to take this time to let you know a bit more about myself. I was born in Tijuana, Mexico, and raised in Chula Vista by loving parents who own their own small business. I am the youngest of three siblings and also a proud first-generation college student. My love for learning paired with fierce discipline has helped me maintain a 3.8 grade point average during my time at Southwestern Community College. I am transferring to UC San Diego as a psychology major with a minor in cognitive science.
Aside from academic pursuits, I work full-time as a behavior interventionist at California Psychcare, providing therapy to children on the autism spectrum. While gaining experience in the research field, I developed a passion for studying the brain and working directly with clients to achieve their personal goals. After my scheduled graduation in June 2023, I plan to pursue a career as a professional psychologist and continue contributing to the mental health and well-being of individuals.
I look forward to connecting with you all in person later this year when the opportunity arises.
Until then, stay safe and healthy!
Best regards,
Isabella Newell
Events
We strongly encourage you to engage with the myriad of events sponsored by our campus partners throughout the year. Every month we will highlight scheduled events from across UC San Diego that all Chancellor’s Associates are invited to attend.
Triton Table Talk: How Volunteering Can Positively Impact Your Career
Tuesday, August 31
5 p.m. PDT
Continued learning and acquiring new skills can help you advance your career. But did you know that volunteering is a great way to showcase and develop competency in a particular field? Volunteering allows you to give back in a meaningful way through activities you enjoy while also helping you identify your strengths, build connections, and gain important experience. This Triton Table Talk will focus on how you can find volunteer opportunities for professional growth and expand your network. Register here.
Homecoming
October 18-24, 2021
It's time to get back together. Come out to play at Homecoming 2021, as UC San Diego alumni, students, staff, faculty, family, friends and the entire community gather in-person and virtually.
Join us on campus, or from wherever you are, as we send up a collective cheer for our Division I scholar-athletes at exciting live and broadcast games throughout the week.
Walk, run or roll in support of students at the 25th Anniversary Triton 5K. Start training and pulling your team together now!
Save the Date: 25th Anniversary Triton 5K
Sunday, October 24, 2021
Join us for our 25th Anniversary Triton 5K event! Participate from anywhere by running or walking as we present an in-person 5K on campus and a virtual race option. Over its 25-year history, the Triton 5K has raised more than $4 million for student scholarships and has benefited more than 1,000 motivated and ambitious students.
__________________________________
If you’d like to renew your Chancellor’s Associates gift online, click below.
