Why I Joined ASUCI

Many will agree with me when I say that if I could go back to freshman year of college, I would come out of my shell way earlier than I did so I could enjoy more of the abundant and prestigious opportunities that UCI has to offer. When I expressed to my Resident Advisor that I wanted to get more involved on campus, he referred me to someone he knew who was an ASUCI commissioner at the time, and said that this organization on campus would be a great way to get started.

For those not familiar with the structure or mission of ASUCI, it stands for “Associated Students of University of California, Irvine” - and it is basically the student-run government at UCI. Currently, there exists four offices that each are responsible for various types of work: Office of the President, Internal Affairs, External Affairs, and Student Services. 

After hearing what my RA’s friend had to say about their experiences with it, I was ecstatic to apply - especially to the office of Student Services, which was focused on planning local events such as concerts, spirit days, athletic rallies, and the talent show Soulstice. In my sophomore year, I got accepted as an intern for the Campus Outreach commission under the office of Student Services. 

With this position, I worked alongside a team of 12 interns and we put on various events throughout the year for the student body such as involvement fairs and spirit days. I have never felt more connected to my campus. I was speaking to faculty and members in all sorts of organizations on campus, coordinating with artists for performances, and planning rally events with the athletic departments and teams of UCI. Because I was supported by all the other interns working with me, I was able to gain more confidence in planning these events and witness personal growth in my leadership and communication skills. 

In my junior year, I applied to level up to a commissioner position within the same office at ASUCI. Now, I was the one responsible for assigning and delegating tasks to the interns, so with this great responsibility also came great personal growth, perseverance through challenges, and even more connection with my campus. This was all emphasized even further when I made it to Chief of Staff in my senior year. Even though this is a student government position, I met so many like-minded people and made amazing new friends. Through this involvement, I also got to network heavily throughout campus, as well as with outside vendors that we worked with, which I am very grateful for. 

So, if you’re reading this and thinking “wow, I really want to get more involved on campus and find an easy way to make lots of new friends” - then I highly suggest applying for ASUCI. There, you gain lots of self-growth, skills applicable in the real world, AND you meet and get to work with some of the most strong-willed and creative people that bring the fun into UCI’s events!

Hi everyone! My name is Sarah Alkhatib and I am an international student from Saudi Arabia. It is currently my 4th year studying Public Health Sciences at UCI. I have a passion for travel, basketball, and learning new languages!