PUCC Executive Board Application 2021 can be found HERE (due date Wednesday, February 10th, 11:59 PM) We look forward to reading your applications!
Directors (left to right): Madeline Song, Jack Allen, Kisara Moore, Rebecca Han, Nikhita Salgame, Ryan Sung, Chris Walton. Not pictured: Owen Matthews
KISARA MOORE
Kisara is a junior from Austin, Texas, majoring in Princeton’s School of Public and International Affairs with a certificate in East Asian Studies. Before Princeton, Kisara spent nine months on the Novogratz Bridge Year Program in western China, where she lived with local host families, worked at two non-profits, took Mandarin classes, and traveled. This experience solidified her interests in Chinese culture, and since then, she has completed 5th year Chinese through the Princeton-in-Beijing Program and been actively involved in PGYL, a cross-cultural education program that empowers Chinese youth to constructively engage today's societal challenges. On campus, she is also the founder of PICASSO, a service-oriented arts organization, and Editor in Chief of the Princeton Diplomat magazine. In her spare time, she loves learning new languages and making artwork.
OWEN MATTHEWS
Owen is a junior from Madison, New Jersey, who could not be more excited to serve as PUCC's co-president this year! She started studying Mandarin in sixth grade, and traveled to China for the first time in 2017, as a participant on Princeton's Bridge Year Program. During Bridge Year, Owen lived with a homestay family in Kunming, Yunnan Province, where she volunteered for an NGO that supports Kunming's rural-to-urban migrant population and learned hip-hop dance with the Dangsters. At Princeton, Owen is majoring in politics and pursuing certificates in East Asian Studies and Journalism. On campus, she is also involved with Fuzzy Dice Improv Comedy, Orange Key Tours, the Asylum Project, and a smattering of club sports.
MICHAL KOZLOWSKI
Co-Director of Programming
Michal is a sophomore from Tarrytown, New York, who intends to major in mechanical and aerospace engineering. He spent the last year in Kunming, China through Princeton’s Bridge Year Program and had the tremendous honor of experiencing Chinese culture firsthand. Michal is a Cadet in Princeton’s Army ROTC program and hopes to one day use his Mandarin speaking skills to lead a multinational flight to Mars! He looks forward to an amazing year in PUCC!
ELIZABETH TONG
Elizabeth is a sophomore from the Bronx, New York, who intends to major in civil and environmental engineering. As someone who is Chinese American, however, she is also interested in exploring the many facets of the relationship between the U.S. and China. Before coming to campus, Elizabeth spent a year in Kunming as part of Princeton’s Bridge Year Program, and through this experience, she was able to learn about and experience China from a new perspective. On campus, Elizabeth is also part of Science Olympiad and Engineers Without Borders.
Chris Johnston
Chris is a freshman from Atlanta, Georgia, who is currently undecided on a major. Like a number of the other PUCC members, he participated in Princeton’s Novogratz Bridge Year, having the opportunity to spend time in both China and Taiwan. During his year there, he worked jobs that involved anything from doing office work, to teaching English, to farming in rice paddies. He was also fortunate enough to study pípá (琵琶), a traditional Chinese string instrument (never really got far with it but it was still awesome). Continuing to pursue Mandarin language proficiency and study of Chinese culture/history are some of his main goals for his time at Princeton, and while his plans are not concrete, he hopes to find a way to apply these skills and experiences to future endeavors. Looking forward to the year ahead :)
John Zepke
John is a junior from Charleston, South Carolina. He is an East Asian Studies major pursuing a certificate in history/diplomacy. Prior to coming to Princeton, John had no experience studying Mandarin or contemporary East Asian history/politics. Now, he hopes to use his skills to become an international lawyer. At Princeton, John is a member of Breakout Princeton and Old NasSoul A Cappella, as well as an eating club officer. He is excited to see what PUCC can accomplish virtually this year!
KATE GROSS-WHITAKER
Co-Director of Programming
Kate is a sophomore from Oakland, California. She is interested in concentrating in the Woodrow Wilson School with a possible certificate in East Asian Studies. Kate has studied Chinese for a number of years and studied abroad in Beijing for four months in high school. She spent last year in Kunming, Yunnan with the Princeton Bridge Year Program, working with an NGO and living with a homestay family. At Princeton, Kate is a part of Trego Singers, J Street U, intermural soccer, and Mathey College Council. She is looking forward to her first PUCC conference!
Ruijie Fang
Ruijie is a sophomore from China majoring in the science of computers. For the first 3/4 of his life, he lived in a small seaside town in southern China, and he spent the latter 1/4 of his life in southeastern Pennsylvania. He has thoroughly enjoyed living in both countries, though he has amassed numerous complaints about them as well (which is why he joined PUCC, as an effort to promote discussions about societal issues he cares about). Within the realm of computer science, he is interested in topics such as programming languages, formal methods, and distributed systems. Outside the realm of computer science, he is interested in technology and society, civic engagement, jazz music, as well as the arts and culture of historical China. He also really, really, really enjoys cooking and eating Chinese eggplant, which, in his humble opinion, is the greatest vegetable on the planet, second to none.
Zoe San Martin
Zoe is a freshman from Miami, Florida majoring in Princeton’s School of Public and International Affairs and pursuing a certificate in East Asian Studies. Zoe studied Mandarin throughout high school and competed in Congressional Debate with a focus on international policy regarding China. In addition to studying Mandarin at Princeton, Zoe works with Bold Education (BoldABC), an online education technology company based in San Francisco & Shanghai, to offer online courses teaching English to non-native speakers. Outside of PUCC, Zoe is an events organizer for Envision and competes in both the Princeton Model United Nations and Mock Trial teams.
REBECCA HAN
Conference Director
Rebecca is a junior from Alabama who is hoping to concentrate in either Politics or History with a certificate in Journalism and possibly East Asian Studies. Last year, she was a member of the conference team, helping publicize PUCC events through posters and other advertisements. She hopes to attend law school after Princeton and is interested in studying comparative politics, and poverty and inequality, specifically within the United States. On campus, she's also a member of the Princeton Debate Panel, an Outdoor Action Leader, an EcoReps Greening Events Leader with the Office of Sustainability, a copy editor for the Princeton Progressive, a board member of the Princeton Chinese Theatre, and a James Madison Undergraduate Fellow.
JIA YU
Jia is a sophomore from Boston, Massachusetts. At age four, he and his family emigrated from Guangxi, a southern Chinese province of flourishing green and crystal streams. Through engagement with news media such as CCTV and classic Chinese literature, Jia maintained his mother tongue of Cantonese and acquired Mandarin. During the summer of 2017, he studied in Madrid, Spain, a country he reminiscents of and the future place where he wishes to live. Jia will concentrate in Economics and pursue duo-certificates in Spanish and Finance. Jia is involved with Business Today publication, Effective Altruism Investment, 180 Degree Consulting, and archery.
Justin Ong
Justin is a freshman from Singapore, who intends to major in Operations Research and Financial Engineering. Coming from a small country in Southeast Asia, he has witnessed first-hand how US-China tensions can deeply unsettle small countries caught between them. His interests in international relations and history began in high school, when he went on an exchange program in Beijing, China. Given his bilingual skills in both English and Chinese, he seeks to understand more about US' and China's positions and national interests, and how these factors influence their foreign policy. He is also passionate about how US-China relations affect businesses and economies.
RYAN SUNG
Director of Career and Alumni Relations
Ryan is a junior majoring in Princeton’s School of Public and International Affairs and pursuing a certificate in East Asian Studies. In middle school, he lived and attended public school in Taipei, Taiwan, where he became fluent in Mandarin and developed an interest in growing political tensions between Taiwan and the mainland. Before coming to Princeton, Ryan participated in Princeton’s Bridge Year China Program in Kunming, China, where he worked at a local child welfare NGO that aimed to provide educational, living, and counseling resources to migrant children. There, he acted as an interpreter between local and foreign organizations, an organizer of awareness events, and an English teacher to students in pop-up schools for migrant children. After college, Ryan hopes to pursue a career abroad in foreign service and work within American-Chinese diplomacy, promoting economic and cultural exchange between both countries that have such crucial roles in shaping today’s world. When not in class, Ryan is also active in conducting research on campus, dancing with Princeton’s Latin dance company Más Flow, and advising for Matriculate.
Luke Bunday
Luke is a sophomore from Minnesota concentrating in molecular biology and pursuing a certificate in East Asian Studies. His interest in China is rooted in a love of Taiwan, where his mom immigrated from, as well as his experiences on Princeton's Bridge Year China program. While in Kunming, Luke volunteered at an environmental NGO, learned Mandarin, worked at a barber shop, played soccer, and learned to use a pottery wheel. Outside of academics, Luke also volunteers with CONTACT of Mercer County and likes to read and draw.
SOPHIA ZHENG
Secretary
Sophia is a sophomore interested in majoring in the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs with certificates in Entrepreneurship and Finance. She hopes to promote thought-provoking discussions about US-China foreign relations and cultivating a sense of learning and cultural understanding within Princeton and beyond. Her sophomore year of high school, she founded Find the Keys Bedrock (FTKB), a student-led non-profit organization providing free music education to underprivileged children in my community. She also founded heARTS Club in collaboration with Trustbridge Health, a non-profit hospice program. She was a violinist and music ambassador with the National Youth Orchestra of the USA. Outside of PUCC, she is a member of Princeton Women in Entrepreneurship, Girl Up, and Princeton University Orchestra. She is an Asian Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote) Ambassador and a consultant of Princeton University Nonprofit Consulting.