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  • Lucy Guernsey Service Award Honors Student Volunteers

    The Lucy Guernsey Service Award is given in honor of Lucy Guernsey, the Caltech Y Executive Director from 1989-1991 in recognition of her leadership, dedication to students, and diligence to furthering the Y’s commitment to volunteerism. The selection criteria for the award includes exceptional service to the Caltech Y and the community, involvement with on- and off-campus service projects, as well as leadership in community and volunteer service efforts. This year, the Caltech Y selected three graduate students as the Lucy Guernsey Service Award recipients: Amy McCarthy, Michael Anaya, and Zoila Jurado Quiroga. All three of them are Rise Program tutors, have served on the Rise Advisory Committee, and care deeply about serving their community. Amy McCarthy has been a Rise Program tutor for six years, the longest of any tutor in the history of the program! One of the things I like best about Amy is how she helps her students prepare for tests. If they are going to take an AP test, she buys a prep book (at her own expense), takes it apart, and makes smaller folders that focus on the different sections of the test. This helps make studying for a daunting test less intimidating and more manageable for her students. Amy, Mike, and Zoila are so much more than just tutors; they’re also leaders and mentors. Michael Anaya has been a tutor for five years, has led tutor workshops and, is an exceptional tutor. I try not to ask Mike to substitute too much, because every time I place him with a new student, that student will ask for Mike to be his regular tutor, but there is only one Mike to go around! Mike is extremely patient and very friendly and his students feel comfortable immediately. He also makes our advisory committee meetings much more fun! Zoila Juardo Quiroga has been a Rise Program tutor for three years and has been instrumental in starting the Rise Program at Muir High School. This year, we took the Rise Program to Muir’s campus. Zoila helped with the orientations for the Spanish-speaking parents and when we became a little short staffed at the Caltech Y, Zoila stepped up and accepted responsibility for the Muir Program. She coordinates with the tutors and the students to ensure the program runs smoothly. Amy, Mike, and Zoila are so much more than just tutors; they’re also leaders and mentors. Their inputs at advisory committee meetings and contributions to the Rise Program have been outstanding, and we are honored to present them with the Lucy Guernsey Service Award. You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give. - Kahlil Gibran

  • Congratulations to Caltech Y Graduates!

    Congratulations to the class of 2018, and thank you for all the hard work, dedication, and energy you have continuously given to the Y during your time at Caltech. You have made a world of difference for the Caltech community and community at large, and we hope you keep doing it in the future. On behalf of the Caltech Y board, staff, and your fellow students, we are so proud of your accomplishments and the journeys on which you are about to embark. It is our pleasure to announce the graduates of 2018 that served on the Caltech Y Executive Committee: Aishwarya Nene, Phillip Liu, Jenny Hsin, Gloria Ha, Nicholas Trank, Janice Jeon, Chloe Hsu, Katherine Guo and Nicholas Hutchins. We also congratulate the following Y student leaders who were involved with the Y in various capacities by serving on committees, leading programs, working at the Y Front Desk, or tutoring area middle and high schools students: Tess Saxton-Fox, Michelle Sherrott, Howard Hui, Chien Chang Chen, Sherwood Richers, Jeffrey Edlund, Irene Wang, Meera Ramakrishnan, Magnus Haw, Joseph Schneider, Ida Huang, Amy McCarthy, Namita Ravi, Roohi Dalal, Gonzalez Miguel, Amanda Gao, Anish Thilagar, Sandra Ning, Anusha Sinha and Abirami Kurinchi-Vendhan. Thank you for your time and commitment to the Y!

  • Tom M. Apostol Fund for Science and Math Outreach is Established

    The mathematician Tom M. Apostol passed away on May 8, 2016. During his career, he was recognized for the clarity of his exposition of mathematical and scientific concepts in numerous textbooks, articles, and video presentations. His two-volume text on Calculus is accessible as well as rigorous. These volumes have been used at Caltech and other universities around the world for over 50 years. He was passionate about mathematics education and also cared deeply about Caltech students and was often seen at the Caltech Y. This “Caltech Y Tom M. Apostol Fund for Science and Math Outreach” is established to honor the professor's memory and to provide support for Caltech students reaching out to the local community through math and science tutoring, mentoring, demonstrations, and providing encouragement to students in the local community outside of Caltech. Through this outreach, the Caltech students will also benefit by gaining skill and confidence in communicating math and science concepts, gaining an understanding of barriers to learning, and experiencing the joy of giving to others. He was passionate about mathematics education and also cared deeply about Caltech students and was often seen at the Caltech Y. This fund will be administered by the Caltech Y. This fund is open to additional contributions. It is expected to be invested in a manner that is reasonably likely to conserve its capital and grow it with inflation while employing earnings for program support. This support may include, but is not limited to providing compensation for student time, providing Caltech Y staff support, providing materials, purchasing and upgrading equipment, providing transportation of Caltech or client students or teachers, or providing recognition to client students. For more information and to contribute to the fund, please contact Agnes Tong | agnest@caltech.edu | 626 395 6163 - Athena Castro, Executive Director

  • Rise Expands Services to John Muir High School

    We are pleased to announce that the Caltech Y has received a significant contribution from a long-time Friend to support the Rise Tutoring Program over the next 10 years. This generous gift allows for the expansion of Rise to serve more students. To accomplish this, we welcomed a familiar face to the Rise team. Camila Fernandez, who has been on staff at the Caltech Y for the past four years, will now be dedicated to Rise and other student programs. As a native Spanish speaker, Camila has been able to translate all materials and emails into Spanish. As a result, Rise has been able to enroll more students, and further extend the Rise Program. Muir is the furthest high school from Caltech and getting student's to Caltech's campus can be a struggle In addition, Rise has also expanded to John Muir High School. Over the past 12 years, the Rise Program has had very few students from Muir High School. Muir is the furthest high school from Caltech and getting students to Caltech’s campus can be a struggle. In order to make the program more accessible to all Pasadena high school students, we implemented a satellite version of the Rise Program on Muir’s campus. We started the program on January 18 and are excited to continue to grow the program. The decision to expand into John Muir High School came after a request from the former principal of Muir. At the time, the program did not have the capacity to expand, but we are thrilled to do so now. Dr. Lawton Gray, the current principal of Muir, is an enthusiastic partner and is looking forward to having Caltech Y students tutoring and mentoring Muir students. We are incredibly grateful to have received this substantial gift and are looking forward to the next 10 years of the Rise Program. - Liz Jackman, Assistant Director of Student Programs

  • The Caltech Y Welcomes New ExComm Cabinet

    We are excited to introduce the new ExComm cabinet to the Caltech Y community. ExComm President – Kavya Sreedhar (2019) Kavya is a junior in Avery House studying Electrical Engineering. She is from Lake Oswego, Oregon. Kavya got involved with the Y when, as a freshman, she went on the Washington, D.C. Science Policy trip. She says, “I found it absolutely incredible that through the Y, I was given the opportunity to interact with people like the directors of DARPA, NSF, and ARPA-E, and White House Office of Science and Technology Policy staff.” Some of her hobbies are playing piano and Tae Kwon Do. She says people would be surprised to learn that she sang in choir in middle school and was very involved in school musicals. Her favorite Caltech Y program is Kids Reading to Succeed because “I regularly get the opportunity to foster a love for reading along children at a young age.” As ExComm president, Kayva says, “I want to increase awareness of the Caltech Y among the Caltech community and focus on outreach. I’d like to ensure we’re getting the word out about the variety of programs the Y offers and that everyone in the Caltech community has the opportunity to get involved in participating and leading programs if they want to.” Vice President – Sunny Cui (2020) Sunny is a sophomore in Lloyd House studying Electrical Engineering. She is from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Sunny got involved with the Y, the same way as Kavya, when, in her freshman year, she went on the Washington, D.C. Science Policy trip. She says, “I learned so much and made a lot of new friends. The experience showed me the value of the Y’s programming and made me want to get involved!” Her favorite Caltech Y program is the Explore LA series. Sunny’s hobbies include hiking, drawing, playing piano, and baking. As ExComm Vice President she says, “I would like to put together more events that bring in members of the Caltech community who are not yet engaged with the Y. I would like to find out what their needs and interests are, and how the Y can help enrich their Caltech experience.” Secretary – Hazel Dilmore (2020) Hazel is a sophomore in Avery House, majoring in Biology. She is from Lake Mary, Florida. Hazel got involved with the Y when Agnes Tong, the Caltech Y’s Director of Marketing & Development, was her mentor during her freshman year. Some of Hazel’s hobbies are yoga, meditation, cooking/baking, and eating vegan food. She says people would be surprised to learn that if she wasn’t pursuing a career in science, she would probably be majoring in South Asian Studies and she has always wanted to learn how to speak Hindi. Her favorite Caltech Y program is the Rise Tutoring Program, because she says, “It is incredibly rewarding to get to know students outside of the Caltech community on a deeper level and to watch them grow academically after facing setbacks in school.” As ExComm Secretary she says, “I want to start a series similar to the Explore LA series where we rent out a fitness studio once a month to allow students to try various workout classes for a reduced price.” Treasurer – Sirisha Gudavalli (2021) Sirisha is a freshman and member of the Lloyd House. She is from Lafayette, Colorado. Sirisha was recently elected as a Y ExComm member and jumped right into taking a leadership position. She started her involvement with the Y by leading Explore LA events and volunteering at Decompression. As a treasurer, along with her fellow cabinet members, she would like to work on outreach within the Caltech community. We are excited to have the new cabinet on board and are looking forward to the year ahead. We would also like to thank our outgoing cabinet members, Aishwarya Nene, Jenny Hsin, and Phillip Liu. It was a pleasure to work with you. We so appreciate your time and efforts serving the Caltech Y! - Camila Fernandez, Student Program Coordinator

  • Y Hikers Find Beauty and Awe in Canyonlands

    In December, four intrepid Y explorers trekked deep into Canyonlands, Utah. After traversing 46 miles of backcountry dirt roads, we set off on foot for the Maze, one of the most remote places in the lower 48 states. A narrow trail cut down from the cliffs and we wandered through washes and barely-marked routes. An owl dropped off its prey in front of us. Two days later, we stood above the Maze, a breath-taking array of canyons that splintered off in all directions, with tall spires of rock rising in the distance. Some scrambling and lowering of packs later, we stood deep in the canyons. We explored, finding frozen streams and rock art created thousands of years ago. We stood above the Maze, a breath-taking array of canyons that splintered off in all directions, with tall spires of rock rising in the distance. The second leg of the journey took us to the Needles. We hiked in and set up a base camp in an open field with a panoramic view of the sandstone spires. We scrambled through immense boulder fields, edged along the 2-foot-wide passages of the joint trail, and surveyed the hundreds-feet-tall Druid Arch. Our days were filled with David's tales of Utah. Each frigid evening, we'd play poker for snacks and gaze up into the clear night sky. The Geminis sent shooting stars streaking across the sky. The incredible colors of the rock, the sprawling canyons, the weathered routes crisscrossing the slick rock bluffs, all provided a welcome respite from the busy outside world. - Jeremy Brouillet, Graduate Student and Caltech Y Outdoors Leader

  • Rise Expands Services to John Muir High School

    We are pleased to announce that the Caltech Y has received a significant contribution from a long-time Friend to support the Rise Tutoring Program over the next 10 years. This generous gift allows for the expansion of Rise to serve more students. To accomplish this, we welcomed a familiar face to the Rise team. Camila Fernandez, who has been on staff at the Caltech Y for the past four years, will now be dedicated to Rise and other student programs. As a native Spanish speaker, Camila has been able to translate all materials and emails into Spanish. As a result, Rise has been able to enroll more students, and further extend the Rise Program. In addition, Rise has also expanded to John Muir High School. Over the past 12 years, the Rise Program has had very few students from Muir High School. Muir is the furthest high school from Caltech and getting students to Caltech’s campus can be a struggle. In order to make the program more accessible to all Pasadena high school students, we implemented a satellite version of the Rise Program on Muir’s campus. We started the program on January 18 and are excited to continue to grow the program. The decision to expand into John Muir High School came after a request from the former principal of Muir. At the time, the program did not have the capacity to expand, but we are thrilled to do so now. Dr. Lawton Gray, the current principal of Muir, is an enthusiastic partner and is looking forward to having Caltech Y students tutoring and mentoring Muir students. We are incredibly grateful to have received this substantial gift and are looking forward to the next 10 years of the Rise Program.

  • Tom M. Apostol Fund for Science and Math Outreach is Established

    The mathematician Tom M. Apostol passed away on May 8, 2016. During his career, he was recognized for the clarity of his exposition of mathematical and scientific concepts in numerous textbooks, articles, and video presentations. His two-volume text on Calculus is accessible as well as rigorous. These volumes have been used at Caltech and other universities around the world for over 50 years. He was passionate about mathematics education and also cared deeply about Caltech students and was often seen at the Caltech Y. This “Caltech Y Tom M. Apostol Fund for Science and Math Outreach” is established to honor the professor's memory and to provide support for Caltech students reaching out to the local community through math and science tutoring, mentoring, demonstrations, and providing encouragement to students in the local community outside of Caltech. Through this outreach, the Caltech students will also benefit by gaining skill and confidence in communicating math and science concepts, gaining an understanding of barriers to learning, and experiencing the joy of giving to others. This fund will be administered by the Caltech Y. This fund is open to additional contributions. It is expected to be invested in a manner that is reasonably likely to conserve its capital and grow it with inflation while employing earnings for program support. This support may include, but is not limited to providing compensation for student time, providing Caltech Y staff support, providing materials, purchasing and upgrading equipment, providing transportation of Caltech or client students or teachers, or providing recognition to client students. For more information and to contribute to the fund, please contact Agnes Tong | agnest@caltech.edu | 626 395 6163

  • A Minute with Friends : Dan and Vicky Erickson

    Dan and Vicky Erickson, Caltech Y Board Chair 16-18 (Dan) and Newsletter Editor (Vicky) Dan and Vicky have been married and living in the Pasadena area for 48 years. They met performing melodramas in Colorado during the summer of '68 with a theater group from Southern California. They have two sons and one grandson. "The Y chromosome runs strong in this family." Dan spent most of his youth on the peninsula south of San Francisco. The area now commonly known as “Silicone Valley" no longer feels like home to him and he considers the area around Pasadena to be his home town now. Vicky spent her school years in Orange County. Dan is a proud old-school nerd. He enjoys reading science fiction, working puzzle games like Sudoku, playing a Dungeons and Dragons variant called "Warlock" that was developed at Caltech, and using his computer to work on combinatorial geometry. Vicky is an avid reader and enjoys making unique costume jewelry to sell at science fiction conventions. Together, they like exploring new activities. For a while, they dabbled in middle eastern music. They performed in coffee houses, Vicky on the oud and Dan on the doumbek! Dan worked most of his career at JPL as a software systems engineer. He worked on many missions including Viking, Voyager, Galileo, MER, and MSL. He received NASA Awards of Excellence for both technical accomplishment and leadership. Vicky worked as a reporter and editor for a local newspaper, acquiring the nickname of "Scoop." Vicky spent the latter part of her career in a venture capital firm researching and often debunking claims made by early technology firms that were seeking startup funding. Dan is an alumnus of Caltech (B. S. Math, Blacker 1967; PhD. Math and Econ 1974). He began supporting the Caltech Y through the United Way, because he empathized with the pressure and isolation felt by many students and wanted to help them broaden their perspective. He joined the Board in 2005. Vicky (Scoop) took over as editor of the Caltech Y newsletter following the tenure of the Hastrups, who founded the newsletter. They have enjoyed some great speakers at Friends Dinners. If they could invite anyone (living or dead) to a dinner it would be the chemist Linus Pauling as he would be fascinated with the medical engineering going on at Caltech and excited by the student engagement in the world. The Friends are the primary supporters of the Caltech Y. It is through generous contributions of our Friends that the Y is able to continue its long-standing mission of reaching out to the Caltech community with fresh ideas, student programming and active community service. To find out more please visit www.caltechy.org/support-us or contact us at caltechy@caltech.edu.

  • Rise Tutor featured on #SoCaltech Series

    Rise Tutor, Stephanie Threatt was recently featured on the #SoCaltech series. #SoCaltech is an occasional series celebrating the diverse individuals who give Caltech its spirit of excellence, ambition, and ingenuity. Stephanie Threatt is from Charlotte, North Carolina, and is a fourth-year graduate student in biochemistry and molecular biophysics. Threatt serves as president of the Black Students of the California Institute of Technology and of the Black Ladies Association of Caltech. "I think it's important for young people to be exposed to science and to people of color who work in STEM. If you don't see an example of someone who looks like you in a field, it can be hard to see yourself in that field. I was very fortunate that I did have a role model when I was a teenager. My chemistry teacher in high school was a black woman, and she gave us a lot of creative liberty when it came to our labs. That class kind of sparked some of my interest in chemistry. Now, I try to give back in some way. I'm part of a program here with the Caltech Y called Rise. It's a really great program. Students from public schools in Pasadena come to Caltech for tutoring Monday through Thursday, so that's a really great way to make connections, to work with young people. A lot of us in that program are women and students of color."

  • Caltech Y Observes Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Week

    In February 1958, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. spent three days at Caltech as part of the Leaders of America Series coordinated by the Caltech Y, known then as the Caltech YMCA. During his visit to Caltech, Dr. King talked with students and the campus community about the need for active commitment rather than mere academic acceptance to solve the racial problems of the day. 2018 marked the 60th anniversary of Dr. King’s visit to Caltech as well as the 50th anniversary of his death. Once again, the Caltech Y partnered with the Caltech Center for Diversity to commemorate and honor Dr. King’s memory, reflect on his legacy, and consider how we, as a community, can remain active and engaged citizens striving for a better world. The highlight of the week’s events was a keynote talk by Professor Melina Abdullah, Chair of Pan-African Studies at California State University, Los Angeles. Professor Abdullah was among the original group of organizers who convened to form Black Lives Matter, and she continues to serve as the Los Angeles chapter lead. Professor Abdullah spoke to an audience of nearly 150 Caltech community members. In her talk, entitled “#ReclaimingKing: Radical Social Justice as a Remedy to Neo-Fascism,” Professor Abdullah talked of a more radical King who encouraged us to be visionary and to work courageously. She reminded the audience that Dr. King was part of a larger movement and encouraged everyone to come together and summon our own power to collectively fight systemic racism and classism. According to Professor Abdullah, transformation comes through direct actions, and we must be emboldened to use our voices, bodies, and resources to “get up and get out” in order to enact positive change. Courage is an inner resolution to go forward despite obstacles. Cowardice is submissive surrender to circumstances. Courage breeds creativity; Cowardice represses fear and is mastered by it. Cowardice asks the question, is it safe? Expediency ask the question, is it politic? Vanity asks the question, is it popular? But, conscience ask the question, is it right? And there comes a time when we must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but one must take it because it is right. - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. For more on Dr. King’s visit to Caltech in 1958 see http://www.caltech.edu/news/caltech-observes-60thanniversary-martin-luther-king-jrs-visit-81452

  • The Caltech Y Welcomes New ExComm Cabinet

    We are excited to introduce the new ExComm cabinet to the Caltech Y community. ExComm President – Kavya Sreedhar (2019) Kavya is a junior in Avery House studying Electrical Engineering. She is from Lake Oswego, Oregon. Kavya got involved with the Y when, as a freshman, she went on the Washington, D.C. Science Policy trip. She says, “I found it absolutely incredible that through the Y, I was given the opportunity to interact with people like the directors of DARPA, NSF, and ARPA-E, and White House Office of Science and Technology Policy staff.” Some of her hobbies are playing piano and Tae Kwon Do. She says people would be surprised to learn that she sang in choir in middle school and was very involved in school musicals. Her favorite Caltech Y program is Kids Reading to Succeed because “I regularly get the opportunity to foster a love for reading along children at a young age.” As ExComm president, Kayva says, “I want to increase awareness of the Caltech Y among the Caltech community and focus on outreach. I’d like to ensure we’re getting the word out about the variety of programs the Y offers and that everyone in the Caltech community has the opportunity to get involved in participating and leading programs if they want to.” Vice President – Sunny Cui (2020) Sunny is a sophomore in Lloyd House studying Electrical Engineering. She is from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Sunny got involved with the Y, the same way as Kavya, when, in her freshman year, she went on the Washington, D.C. Science Policy trip. She says, “I learned so much and made a lot of new friends. The experience showed me the value of the Y’s programming and made me want to get involved!” Her favorite Caltech Y program is the Explore LA series. Sunny’s hobbies include hiking, drawing, playing piano, and baking. As ExComm Vice President she says, “I would like to put together more events that bring in members of the Caltech community who are not yet engaged with the Y. I would like to find out what their needs and interests are, and how the Y can help enrich their Caltech experience.” Secretary – Hazel Dilmore (2020) Hazel is a sophomore in Avery House, majoring in Biology. She is from Lake Mary, Florida. Hazel got involved with the Y when Agnes Tong, the Caltech Y’s Director of Marketing & Development, was her mentor during her freshman year. Some of Hazel’s hobbies are yoga, meditation, cooking/baking, and eating vegan food. She says people would be surprised to learn that if she wasn’t pursuing a career in science, she would probably be majoring in South Asian Studies and she has always wanted to learn how to speak Hindi. Her favorite Caltech Y program is the Rise Tutoring Program, because she says, “It is incredibly rewarding to get to know students outside of the Caltech community on a deeper level and to watch them grow academically after facing setbacks in school.” As ExComm Secretary she says, “I want to start a series similar to the Explore LA series where we rent out a fitness studio once a month to allow students to try various workout classes for a reduced price.” Treasurer – Sirisha Gudavalli (2021) Sirisha is a freshman and member of the Lloyd House. She is from Lafayette, Colorado. Sirisha was recently elected as a Y ExComm member and jumped right into taking a leadership position. She started her involvement with the Y by leading Explore LA events and volunteering at Decompression. As a treasurer, along with her fellow cabinet members, she would like to work on outreach within the Caltech community. We are excited to have the new cabinet on board and are looking forward to the year ahead. We would also like to thank our outgoing cabinet members, Aishwarya Nene, Jenny Hsin, and Phillip Liu. It was a pleasure to work with you. We so appreciate your time and efforts serving the Caltech Y!

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