The following interviews were conducted by the Wolfpacket in a Q&A fashion for Seniors attending UCLA.

Q&A with Stephen Nazareth

Why did you decide to attend UCLA?

I applied to around 10 colleges during admissions seasons. I picked based on top engineering schools in the nation and also added a few onto my list that were known to be good for the specific major that I wanted to learn. UCLA was the best for multiple reasons: it had an excellent engineering program, it wasn’t too far from Claremont, and it was the cheapest to attend as well (due to in-state tuition). Because of these factors, deciding to attend UCLA was an easy choice.

Why did UCLA stand out to you?

UCLA had one of the best programs for my major, aerospace engineering, while still being cheaper than many other options. Also, UCLA proudly advertised having the best college food in the country, which automatically drew me in. If I was going to be living in the same place for 4 years, they better have good food! The gorgeous campus and nearby city of LA also served to reassure me I’d always have something to do.

What is your major and why?

My major is aerospace engineering. It’s been a childhood dream to become an astronaut and go to space. While I’m still far away from accomplishing that, I felt like aerospace engineering was a great major to work towards that while also personally being interested.

What are your plans during and after college?

During college I want to do well in my classes (obviously) and get involved with a few clubs. After college, I hope to get a job at NASA. I don’t have concrete plans and I am excited to see what the future will bring.

What is your favorite memory of your time at CHS?

I don’t think I have a specific favorite memory. I do have enjoyable memories of the time spent with my friends at lunch. I’d have a lot of fun talking or playing games on my phone with them. Some of them weren’t in any of my classes so it would be the only time of the day I’d get to see them too.

Do you have any advice for students as you leave CHS?

Think about your schedule in advance. I was able to take some college classes in high school because I planned in advance. Don’t be afraid of taking a class over the summer either, it can really help you get ahead. College classes are not only more interesting but they’re also cheaper as a high schooler compared to taking them in college.

Who has been your biggest inspiration in life?

Don’t really have an answer for this question. There have been people who inspired me but I would say there’s been a person I actively looked up to or tried to emulate.

Q&A with Alex Walburg

Why did you decide to attend UCLA?

I decided to attend UCLA because it’s the highest-ranked public school I got into.

Why did UCLA stand out to you?

N/A

What is your major and why?

I plan to study computer science and engineering and hopefully get a job working on low-level hardware.

What are your plans during and after college?

N/A

What is your favorite memory of your time at CHS?

N/A

Do you have any advice for students as you leave CHS?

My advice for students is to treat every test like it’s the one that will fail you.

Who has been your biggest inspiration in life?

My biggest inspiration has been my mother and father who both endured way harder challenges than me to become engineers.

Any additional comments?

N/A

Q&A with Eden Yu

Why did you decide to attend UCLA?

UCLA is one of my top choices and it’s also one of the top public universities in the US.

Why did UCLA stand out to you?

I’ve actually never stepped foot on UCLA campus, but I thought it was cool how they had a major unique to my interests.

What is your major and why?

I’m majoring in linguistics and computer science (yes, it’s one major!) I actually had no clue what it entailed before I looked at the majors for UCLA, but I found that it was unique to only UCLA and it actually fit my interests pretty well. I’ve always been interested in computer science and learning languages, so seeing there was a major that combined both was awesome.

What are your plans during and after college?

At UCLA I want to join a running club, Christian fellowship, and possibly the Daily Bruin staff, continue my Youtube channel, and gain insight into computer science through internships. I still have absolutely no clue what I want to be when I grow up (I’m honestly just winging my entire life), but I can see myself pursuing something in the computer science field.

What is your favorite memory of your time at CHS?

Hands down some of my best memories were made in cross-country, whether they’re from meets, practices, or pasta dinners. I’d say that riding the bus back from a meet at 11 p.m. and watching traffic while listening to nostalgic Lauv songs definitely hit different. Also, I really enjoyed just hanging out with my friends at Woodbridge sophomore and senior year, the 24-hour relay sophomore year, climbing into a trash can after cross-country practice, and making vlogs.

Do you have any advice for students as you leave CHS?

Don’t be that one person who does everything for their college apps. Find a good balance!

Who has been your biggest inspiration in life?

I draw inspiration from too many sources to name, but the real homie has been God.

Any additional comments?

Subscribe to edamame?

Q&A with Brandon Vuong

Why did you decide to attend UCLA?

Choosing UCLA was kind of a no brainer for me. The school had been my goal for a while now, so when I opened the acceptance letter I knew right away that I would attend. It is also one of the only schools that I applied for and was accepted into that actually offered my desired major.

Why did UCLA stand out to you?

Everything about UCLA is really nice. The food is supposed to be really good and I especially love the location of the school. It’s not that far from home, but it will allow me to live in a very different environment than I do now. UCLA also happens to be a really darn good school, which I guess is a plus too.

What is your major and why?

I’ll be majoring in Materials Science and Engineering, aka MSE. I actually had no idea what this major was until I attended a nanoscience program at UCLA last summer where one of the mentors was a Ph.D. candidate in Materials Chemistry. During the program, I found that materials science functions as a gateway for advancement in almost all other fields of science and engineering. The idea of being a sort of catalyst for progress is something that really stuck with me, so I decided to pursue it as an MSE major.

What are your plans during and after college?

I want to use college as a sort of pseudo reset. During these next 4 years, I definitely plan on improving both my social life and study habits. I would like to put myself out as a more outgoing character while also, ideally, not falling behind in my peers academically. After college I’m thinking of attending graduate school to get a master’s in Materials Science and Engineering.

What is your favorite memory of your time at CHS?

There was this one school day near the beginning of my Senior year when Norms offered a promotional breakfast set that was super cheap. Of course, that meant that I had to go early with the boys for some budget bites. However, when we arrived, there was a huge line spiraling around the entirety of Norms. This just about marked our initial mission a failure. As the clock ticked, we realized the apparent shortage of time and ingested food and had to come up with an alternative plan. So we hurriedly and hungrily ran to nearby restaurants to find other things to eat. Vince ate his Sub of the Day™. Bruce had some pastry at 85°C Bakery. Juan and I ran to the nearest Middle-Eastern bakery for flatbread with Soujouk and Zaatar & Cheese respectively. With little time left to spare, we raced towards CHS in Vince’s car with windows rolled down and an oddly catchy anime song blasting at near max volume. Looking back, the whole ordeal was really quite ridiculous, but the stupidity of it just made it even more fun.

Do you have any advice for students as you leave CHS?

You learn much more in class awake than you do asleep.

Who has been your biggest inspiration in life?

Hands down, my biggest inspiration is my mother. She always pushes me to do better in both my academic and personal life. Though it doesn’t always work, she always tries her best to pick me up whenever I’m down. I don’t express it enough, but I’m forever grateful for all that she has done for me. I constantly try my best to become someone that both she and I can be proud of.

Any additional comments?

Hi, Mom! I made it into the newspaper!

Q&A with Joshua Chen

Why did you decide to attend UCLA?

I decided to attend UCLA this fall because it has a good mix of academics, social life, and has a
really strong on-campus fellowship (I’m Christian so that mattered a lot to me).

Why did UCLA stand out to you?

My parents both went to UCLA, so I was naturally
interested in it after watching Bruin basketball and football with the family. Also, the dorm food is the best in the country…

What is your major and why?

I plan on majoring in Finance and Psychobiology in college.
Finance, because I want to go into the business field, and Psychobiology because I find people fascinating to observe.

What are your plans during and after college?

Hopefully if the COVID-19 situation is resolved or controlled by the time I start college, I plan on joining Grace on Campus (Christian fellowship at UCLA), enjoy the amazing food around the area and at college, and hopefully intern during the summer.

What is your favorite memory of your time at CHS?

My best memory at CHS was making a lifelong friend. I was and still am a really awkward and hard to get along with person, but this friend accepted me for all my shortcomings and I felt blessed by her friendship.

Do you have any advice for students as you leave CHS?

Enjoy your high school experience, but still take care of your responsibilities. Don’t focus solely on academics or social life. Learn how to balance your life and you’ll be set.

Who has been your biggest inspiration in life?

My dad has definitely inspired me the most because he always pushed me to try my best and be the best I could be.

Q&A with Luz Kobayashi

Why did you decide to attend UCLA?

I decided to attend UCLA because it is the top school in the nation for my major.

Why did UCLA stand out to you?

UCLA stood out to me because I really liked the programs that they offered and I wanted to work with the faculty in my major’s department.

What is your major and why?

My major is Fine Arts. I choose this major because I have always gravitated towards visual expression and wanted to go to school to further develop my work.

What are your plans during and after college?

During college I plan to focus on my studies and spend my time in school to develop my work and voice as an artist. After school I plan on becoming a practicing artist.

What is your favorite memory of your time at CHS?

I have many favorite memories with my friends from my time in high school, but a stand out from this year was Senior Homecoming.

Do you have any advice for students as you leave CHS?

The only advice I have for students, especially during this pandemic, is to first stay at home, and secondly, remember it will get better.

Who has been your biggest inspiration in life?

My biggest inspiration in life has been Isabella Rossellini because she always seems to do whatever she wants and I really admire that about her.

Q&A with Eli Kupetz

Why did you decide to attend UCLA?

I decided to attend UCLA for a number of reasons. I chose UCLA mostly because of its cost compared to my other top schools, but also because it has great departments for what I want to study there.

Why did UCLA stand out to you?

UCLA was one of the few schools I got to take a tour of and what stood out to me was just how much stuff there was to do. It’s a huge school in terms of population, but it’s also the smallest UC in terms of area which means that the campus always feels alive and there’s always something to get involved with.

What is your major and why?

I’m technically undeclared, but as of now I’m looking at majoring in political science with a minor in film. I’ve always been really interested and involved in politics, but never really considered studying it as a major until I took AP Government last semester and I loved it.

What are your plans during and after college?

I’m not entirely sure what my plans are for after college, but I have 4 years to figure it out.

What is your favorite memory of your time at CHS?

My favorite memory from my time at CHS was being the director for Every 15 Minutes! We’d been preparing for months and stayed up all night to finish the video, but it was incredibly satisfying to see it all pay off and I’m really happy with the final product.

Do you have any advice for students as you leave CHS?

Find things that you love and get involved in them! School is more than just classes, so take advantage of the opportunities you have now, whether it be joining theater, band, choir, dance, yearbook, or any other group on campus. It’s more than just something to add to your college application. I have made so many friends through speech and debate and video production that I cannot possibly imagine what my life would be like without them.

Who has been your biggest inspiration in life?

Kanye West.

The interviews were conducted by (in order of appearance) Eden Yu, Katie Jung, Sequoia Clark, Stephen Nazareth, Jill Kao, Neeloo Asad Soleimani, and Katie Jung.