Alumnae
Alumnae Night - Spring 2015
KGD doesn't just end when you graduate college, it extends into an entire network of motivated individuals who are there to provide advice and inspiration. Interested in what Alumnae have to share? Every rush week we have an Alumni night where KGD sisters can share there experiences and answer any questions you may have! A big thank you to our Alumnae who come to speak at our meetings and events!
What are our almunae up to?
Amanda Pitts - Beta Beta
My name is Amanda and I graduated in June 2016. I was a microbiology major and I wanted to work in the field of public health. Currently I am working for the Public Health Division of a small county north of Sacramento. My role is director of the tobacco prevention program in the county and I love my job! I run an entire health program and do everything that encompasses such as outreach, health education, health policy and collaborating with other professionals to work towards a common goal: illness prevention. Being in KGD was a great experience that I squeezed into my last year of college. It was energizing to have the support of a great group of individuals that worked hard and were very dedicated to their future dreams! If I was ever feeling discouraged or negative my sisters were there as an inspiration to push forward. I wouldn't trade the experience for anything!
Tiffany Firestone - Alpha Xi
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My name is Tiffany Firestone and I graduated UC Davis in 2013. I was in Kappa Gamma Delta for the full four years I was in college. My class was the Alpha Xi class :) I graduated as an Evolution, Ecology, and Biodiversity BS (EEB for short). When I started UCD my intention was to go to medical school to become an orthopedic surgeon. As a grew more into my role as a Resident Advisor in the residence halls, my career plans shifted to pursue a path in Higher Education in a field called Student Affairs. I went to University of the Pacific right after UCD for my Master of Arts in Educational Administration and Leadership with an Emphasis in Student Affairs; graduating in 2015. Now I work as a Hall Director overseeing a Residence Hall at Washington State University in Pullman, WA.
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Lindsey Demetral - PsiMy name is Lindsey Demetral and I graduated from UCD in 2005. I majored in biochemistry and molecular biology and always planned on going to medical school and becoming a pediatrician. This was always my career goal. I graduated with honors from Touro University, California College of Medicine in 2010. I did my pediatric residency at UCSF Fresno, and was chief resident. After residency, I joined the core pediatrics faculty as an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Valley Children's Hospital with University of California, San Francisco. I am now a Pediatric Hospitalist at Valley Children's Hospital and also teach residents and medical students inpatient Pediatrics.
Clare Gyorke - Alpha LambdaMy name is Clare Gyorke and I graduated in 2011. I majored in microbiology at UCD - I was premed when I started, but graduated unsure of whether I wanted to pursue an MD, PhD or MPH. So, I worked at UCDMC for 4 years, and am now in my second year at UNC-Chapel Hill getting my PhD in Microbiology/Immunology. Specifically, I study the innate immune response to chlamydial infection in the lab of Uma Nagarajan. KGD was an absolutely wonderful experience for me - it was great to have a group of friends who were going through the same courses and experiences as you. I still keep in touch with some sisters - just last weekend I visited my little sis up in Washington DC! I also spent a lot of time with the guys in SMD - many of whom I am still friends with today. I was pledge mom for a year and also really enjoyed that experience. Personally, I like to have multiple groups of friends I can spend time with - I was also a part of ASM at UCD, but KGD was always my main home of support. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions about graduate school or otherwise!
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Lauren Tseng - Alpha TauMy name is Lauren Tseng and I graduated in the Spring of 2015. At Davis I was an Animal Science major with Companion Animal Health emphasis to be a veterinarian. I currently am working at the San Jose City Animal Shelter as a veterinary assistant/ animal care technician. It helped me to diversify my experiences in the animal healthcare field beyond clinical medicine. I will be attending Western University of Health Sciences' College of Veterinary Medicine this Fall. KGD was an amazing experience! By the time I had graduated I had held 2 executive board positions (VP social and Publicity woo!) along with being involved in other leadership areas within the sorority. I gained an amazing network of sisters whom I still keep in contact with and whom continue to help me grow mentally and socially. There is no replacement for the sisterhood that is gained during your time in KGD. Being surrounded by our diverse individuals was key in helping to motivate, challenge, and support my goals. I gained the confidence I needed to be a strong woman (both academically and psychologically) in the sciences through KGD. Kappa Gamma Delta is one aspect of college that will always be close to my heart and I highly recommend joining this organization to enhance your journey as a pre-health (or other major!) student.
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Vanessa Zhu - Alpha Phi
My name is Vanessa and I will be starting a Master in Science Nursing program at Western University of Health and Sciences in August 2016. I graduated June 2015 and am currently working as a scribe at the Sutter Davis Hospital Emergency Department. KGD has definitely been a big part of my college career and I wouldn’t be where I am today without all the support from my sisters. I met some of my best friends through KGD and will never trade the experience for anything else.
Bianca Castro - Alpha Pi
My name is Bianca Castro and I am currently a doctor of physical therapy student at the Univeristy of California, San Francisco. I graduated from UC Davis in 2013 and spent two years out of school saving up money for graduate school by working as a waitress at the Ritz Carlton Halfmoon Bay and working as a physical therapy aide. I began PT school in June 2015 and I can’t believe how amazing it is! I can fully say that I wouldn’t be here without the support of my sisters through undergrad and beyond. When times got rough, my sisters were always there to support me — whether I needed a shoulder to cry on or a study buddy for my hardest class. The network and bonds created through KGD are ones that I wouldn’t ever trade!
Kate Rashe- Alpha Mu
My name is Kate and I graduated from UCD in 2011. I just graduated with my Masters of Science in Nursing and Clinical Nurse Leader from Rush University in Chicago, IL. I just started working at Northwestern Memorial Hospital downtown in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit. As a new grad, it's a very challenging experience and after a couple years experience I plan to become certified as a CCRN and get my doctorate in nurse anesthesia. KGD definitely helped to prepare me for the challenges and workload of nursing school and this field of healthcare. The sisterhood gave me a foundation to develop my patient care, communication, and professional skills.
Lisa Teixeira- Alpha Omicron
I'm currently working as Junior Specialist at the UCDMC, in the Department of Pathology for a liver regeneration lab. My job is a lot of administrative work, rather than bench work, but I'm enjoying grant writing and helping establish new programs (GI biorepository) and grants (we're in the middle of coordinating a grant opportunities that involves 9 departments at the UCDMC). I'm also in the processing of applying to medical school (wish me luck!). When I'm not working, I volunteer with Donate Life California, an organ and tissue donor registry, and hike, read, and I just picked up cross-stitching.
Rita Yau c/o 2014:
John's Hopkins School Of Nursing
I was part of the Alpha Rho class and I graduated in March 2014. I just started an accelerated nursing school at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore MD in September. The way classes are structured has taken a bit to get used to. It's more application based rather than memorizing everything and a lot of hands on work. KGD definitely helped in various aspects and I didn't realize it as much until after I left the sorority. When I first came here, I was able to get in contact with another alumni in the area and it made me realize the amount of connections and resources that we gain from being in KGD. Definitely make use of it!
Esther Min
I joined KGD Spring of 2008 as a freshman and found my best friends through KGD. I initially joined KGD, hoping KGD will help me reach my dream as a doctor. My plans didn't work out quite the way I had wanted to, but I look back at everything and have no regrets!
I majored in Animal Science from UC Davis in 2011. I started with equine emphasis, then switched to lab animals, but ultimately I gradated with emphasis in animal behavior. All throughout my undergraduate years, I was determined to apply to med school. I took on multiple internships and got a job on campus as well. During my fourth year, I took the MCATs, and things started to go differently from there. My score wasn't as high as I had hoped, but even worse, the stress started to affect my health. Eventually, I decided to put med school on hold, and started to work towards a degree in Public Health.
I had taken on an internship in high school that strengthened my drive to go towards med school. It was a clinical research internship in a children's hospital with a pediatric reconstructive plastic surgeon. I got very lucky with my mentor. He wanted to give me exposure to the field of medicine and arranged shadow-days with over 8 different departments. After the internship, I had decided to pursue a career in medicine. When I was choosing a major for college, my mentor told me the best advice i can ever pass on. Luckily, it was by email, so I can pass on the message directly to you. "The key is majoring in a subject that you really like, not doing it because you think that's what college or med school admissions committees want." He majored in English and became a world renown surgeon. I majored in animal science, now hoping to become a public health official. Pretty different, huh?
Along with my mentor's advice, my experience in various fields helped me mold my goal towards the future. I joined Emergency Medicine Research Associate Program (EMRAP) as a freshman. My motivation at the beginning was to gain experience and exposure to Emergency Medicine. Through five years of involvement, I've learned so much more through EMRAP than what I had expected. I took on some internships through Animal Science, making sure I kept my options opened. I helped feed guinea pigs and monitor them pre/post-op for a summer. I taught math and science to elementary school kids. I took on a student assistant job as a freshman. I loved the job so much I stuck around, and I'm still working for the same professor to this day, studying diabetes, obesity and all its research aspects!
Work towards what makes you happy. The more interest you have in your major, the better you'll do in classes. The happier you are in your future career, the harder you'll work and more rewarding the experience! College is the perfect time to experiment with your interests--learn your limits, likes and dislikes. If you are having doubts, if you are unsure which field is right for you, get out there and get submerged in the field. See what its like, see how it feels. Research those fields and talk to professionals already in the field. Bottom line: Do something you'll enjoy.
I hope many of you can relate to me in different ways. I wanted to become so many things and had so many dreams. It took me years of struggling and many trial and errors to narrow down and fine tune my interests. I've doubted myself more often than anybody should, and I've spent numerous hours talking to friends and family trying to figure out my future. Its not easy, but thats when KGD comes in. Life is full of twists and turns. Enjoy every bit of it, like a roller coaster!
I majored in Animal Science from UC Davis in 2011. I started with equine emphasis, then switched to lab animals, but ultimately I gradated with emphasis in animal behavior. All throughout my undergraduate years, I was determined to apply to med school. I took on multiple internships and got a job on campus as well. During my fourth year, I took the MCATs, and things started to go differently from there. My score wasn't as high as I had hoped, but even worse, the stress started to affect my health. Eventually, I decided to put med school on hold, and started to work towards a degree in Public Health.
I had taken on an internship in high school that strengthened my drive to go towards med school. It was a clinical research internship in a children's hospital with a pediatric reconstructive plastic surgeon. I got very lucky with my mentor. He wanted to give me exposure to the field of medicine and arranged shadow-days with over 8 different departments. After the internship, I had decided to pursue a career in medicine. When I was choosing a major for college, my mentor told me the best advice i can ever pass on. Luckily, it was by email, so I can pass on the message directly to you. "The key is majoring in a subject that you really like, not doing it because you think that's what college or med school admissions committees want." He majored in English and became a world renown surgeon. I majored in animal science, now hoping to become a public health official. Pretty different, huh?
Along with my mentor's advice, my experience in various fields helped me mold my goal towards the future. I joined Emergency Medicine Research Associate Program (EMRAP) as a freshman. My motivation at the beginning was to gain experience and exposure to Emergency Medicine. Through five years of involvement, I've learned so much more through EMRAP than what I had expected. I took on some internships through Animal Science, making sure I kept my options opened. I helped feed guinea pigs and monitor them pre/post-op for a summer. I taught math and science to elementary school kids. I took on a student assistant job as a freshman. I loved the job so much I stuck around, and I'm still working for the same professor to this day, studying diabetes, obesity and all its research aspects!
Work towards what makes you happy. The more interest you have in your major, the better you'll do in classes. The happier you are in your future career, the harder you'll work and more rewarding the experience! College is the perfect time to experiment with your interests--learn your limits, likes and dislikes. If you are having doubts, if you are unsure which field is right for you, get out there and get submerged in the field. See what its like, see how it feels. Research those fields and talk to professionals already in the field. Bottom line: Do something you'll enjoy.
I hope many of you can relate to me in different ways. I wanted to become so many things and had so many dreams. It took me years of struggling and many trial and errors to narrow down and fine tune my interests. I've doubted myself more often than anybody should, and I've spent numerous hours talking to friends and family trying to figure out my future. Its not easy, but thats when KGD comes in. Life is full of twists and turns. Enjoy every bit of it, like a roller coaster!
