Christina Chen
Co-Site Coordinator |
Fourth Year
Major: Managerial Economics Minor: Communication This is my third year with Students in VITA and it has been one of my greatest decisions in college. Throughout the years, I have gained hands-on experience working with clients, which has overall been a fulfilling experience. Aside from this, I have gained knowledge in financial literacy topics and tax law. Through VITA, I get the opportunity to further advance my career interests while supporting the low-income community. Interacting with clients and other interns has been a rewarding process. Being in VITA has been a unique experience that I would not have found anywhere else on-campus. Hobbies: Dancing, Cooking, Playing Guitar, Embroidering, Learning to skateboard |
Roland Del Mundo
Co-Site Coordinator |
Third Year
Major: Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior Minor: Economics I joined VITA because I wanted to make a positive impact in the Greater Sacramento region. I recognize and understand the barriers that exist in obtaining tax services, and wanted to do something about the inequities that these communities face. VITA offers our clients a wide range of services from tax consultation to tax preparation at zero cost. Individuals who make less than $69,000 annually come from underserved communities that require the assistance that VITA provides. As a Co-Site Coordinator, I plan to lead the charge towards being able to provide equitable financial services at no cost to our community. Seeing the positive changes we are making in the lives of our clients has been fulfilling, and has strengthened my dedication towards improving the lives of others. Hobbies: Volunteering, Reality television, Health advocacy |
Denise Cerna
Co-Vice President |
Third Year
Major: Economics / Mathematical Analytics and Operations Research I joined VITA because I wanted to engage in an internship that makes a real-life impact on our surrounding community. I was excited to apply immediately after attending the info session! Even throughout the pandemic, VITA has been a great way to stay active “on-campus” and make progress professionally. It is such a rewarding opportunity to not only learn applicable tax law and communication skills but also to interact with actual clients and clearly see how your efforts are helping others. Overall, VITA is an incredible community of people to work with and has been one of my most valuable professional experiences thus far! Hobbies: Climbing, Backpacking, Skiing, Cooking, and Learning Languages |
Kristie Kuo
Co-Vice President |
Fourth Year
Major: Managerial Economics Minor: Technology Management Hi! My name is Kristie and this will be my fourth and final year with VITA. I joined VITA freshman year and it has been a wonderful experience. I have gained extensive knowledge in tax preparation and am competent in analyzing financial documents. In addition, I have vastly improved my professional skills and made many friends. I am now the tax expert in my family! One of the things I like the most about VITA is being able to help the less fortunate in the Davis community. Receiving the smile and gratitude of a client always makes me proud that I can make a difference. It also inspires me to constantly grow and improve the program in order to provide the best services possible. I look forward to a fun and interactive season this year! Hobbies: Baking, Gardening, Miniatures, Movie Nights, Stationary |
Samantha Torres
Marketing Director |
Third Year
Major: Philosophy ~ Pre-Law Emphasis You might have noticed that my major really has not as much relation to an organization such as VITA as my fellow classmates, however, you shouldn’t let that discourage you from taking part with Students in VITA. I'll be honest, I did find myself a little out of place because everyone else was majoring in Managerial Economics and they had more knowledge then me, but the people involved in this organization did an excellent job at making every individual feel welcome. This is an organization that not only will help you expand on your professionalism, tax knowledge, communication skills, customer service skills, but it’ll also allow you to meet incredible people who turn out to be lifelong friends. Hobbies/Interests: Dancing, Learning/Trying New Things, Playing Sports (especially wrestling & badminton), Roller Skating; Jigsaw Puzzles, Movies |
Hritvi Sheth
Finance Director |
Fourth Year
Major: Managerial Economics A year ago, I initially joined VITA because I wanted to learn how to file my own taxes. However, through my time as an intern, I have gained invaluable experience relating to taxes & financial literacy while being able to play an active role in supporting low income individuals/families within the community. VITA provides services that are not readily available or easily accessible to a large number of people, and I am very glad that I have the opportunity to help. Being able to grow professionally while doing something I care about is extremely difficult to find, so VITA’s ability to cover both aspects is what makes it an exceptional program. Hobbies: Dancing, listening to music, film photography |
Crystal He
Lead Intern |
Fourth Year
Major: Economics and Communications I was first introduced to VITA from a friend who had good experiences as an intern. Being an Economics and Communications major, I felt that I could take what I have learnt in both majors and bring it to VITA. Through VITA I was able to improve my financial literacy and gain experience dealing with clients. Due to COVID, navigating through the exam and interacting with clients was difficult at first, but I was lucky to have an encouraging team to help me along the way. As a lead intern this year, I hope to be able to help new interns the same way I got help when I first entered VITA. I look forward to improving my leadership skills, including public speaking and developing connections with new interns. I look forward to working with everyone! Hobbies: Drawing, Games, Trip Planning, Making Drinks |
Jan Li
Lead Intern |
Fourth Year
Major: Managerial Economics & Psychology I heard about VITA through a friend from a different club. At first, since I was not interested in a career in accounting I did not find an appeal to join. However, during COVID, I found myself revisiting the VITA page and decided to give it a chance. Throughout COVID, I have come to enjoy accounting, as well as improve my understanding on tax. VITA has such welcoming and supportive people who are there to help you grow professionally and personally and really enjoyed my time here so far. This year as a Lead Intern, I hope to give back to VITA members the same experience I had gained during my time as an Intern and to help others grow, as others have helped me. Hobbies: Traveling, Photography, Baking and Binging long TV series |
Michelle Lee
Lead Intern & Webmaster |
Fourth Year
Major: Economics Minor: Accounting and Technology Management Hi! I’m Michelle Lee and this is my second and final year with VITA. I joined because of my love of volunteering and was looking for an engaging internship that would give me practical skills in my future career. I heard about VITA from my friends, who told me about their great experiences with the organization. They encouraged me to apply and the rest is history. VITA is a great way to improve so many aspects of your life. You’ll be able to make friends, explore various career paths, improve social and professional skills (i.e communication, time management), interact with clients, and gain so much tax knowledge (you have to take an exam but we prep you for it). Hobbies: Watching movies/k-dramas, Designing, Listening to music, Bullet Journaling/Stationary |
Tiffany Tran
Lead Intern |
Fourth Year
Major: Managerial Economics I joined VITA because I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my future career. I wanted to know what it was like to touch upon different forms of business and I found VITA through an event page on Facebook and decided to try it out. Through VITA, I was able to improve my knowledge on taxes and gain experience handling various clients. As a lead intern this year, I hope to create the same great experience I got from VITA when I first joined. Can’t wait to be working with everyone this year! Hobbies: Hiking, Cooking, Baking, Painting, Shopping |
Grace Cho
Advisor |
Fourth Year
Major: Managerial Economics Minor: Accounting and Technology Management Hello! I am an advisor for Students in VITA at UC Davis this year, and my career interests lie in advisory, management consulting, and finance. I am passionate about diversifying my experiences and continuously learning from challenging situations, mentors, and peers. Being Lead Intern of VITA last year was one of those engaging experiences that was truly beneficial to my college career. I was able to further advance my knowledge of tax concepts and continue to discover my true interests through hands-on work. Networking with other ambitious, like-minded interns while giving back to the community with pro-bono tax returns, was a unique experience that I hope everyone interested in tax or business pursues. Hobbies/Interests: Travelling, Baking, Watching Movies |
Irene Kitamura
Advisor |
Fourth Year
Majors: Managerial Economics and Statistics I had just finished changing my major and was looking for an internship when an acquaintance gave a class presentation about VITA promoting its internship. Immediately, I was interested and wanted to apply because it was exactly what I was looking for! Being in VITA allowed me to expand my skill set by applying what I learned in class in a professional setting. This internship gave me the opportunity to explore the career paths I'm interested in, all the while giving me a better sense of what I want to do with my future while being able to give back to the Davis community. VITA is a unique program that benefits its interns with hands-on, practical experience that is vital in developing as a young professional! Hobbies: 3-D bead art, Calligraphy, Nail art, Painting |
Sara Vien
Advisor |
Fourth Year
Major: Managerial Economics and Communication I joined VITA in my sophomore year and it was a really great decision. I knew nothing about taxes but was looking to explore possible career avenues. Being a VITA volunteer has granted me valuable experience with not only our complicated tax system, but also with positively contributing to the Davis community. Through my time in Students in VITA, I gained a sense of confidence to try new things that I was unfamiliar with; I took the opportunity with VITA and acquired lifelong skills. VITA is such a great organization and I love working with everyone here. Overall, I'm super excited for another year with VITA! Hobbies/Interests: Watching Horror Movies, Trying New Food Spots, Hanging Out with Friends; Mukbangs |
Serena Leung
Advisor |
Fourth Year
Major: Statistical Data Science and Managerial Economics VITA has helped me grow as a professional, a student, and as a person. From an intern to a site coordinator, and now an advisor, VITA has given me the chance to realize my potential in a setting beyond the classroom. My experience as a tax preparer has helped me deftly navigate through difficult professional settings and has also allowed me to apply concepts I've learned in class. More importantly, my encounter with each client has given me a new perspective in approaching problems, connecting with people, and understanding myself. My time with VITA has given me opportunities that I never thought existed for me and I hope for others to experience this as well. Hobbies/Interests: Dancing, Learning New Languages, Playing Poker |
Emily Choi
Design Director |
Third Year
Major: Communications and Cinema & Digital Media I first heard about VITA through a friend who was a part of the organization and was interested in utilizing my passion for design for a good cause. Working with VITA has been such an eye-opening experience, collaborating with equally passionate people who are dedicated to helping others. While my field of interest may not be in finance and accounting, working with VITA has allowed me to experience working in a professional setting, and grow my communication skills. Joining VITA this year has been one of the most rewarding experiences I have had because through this organization I was able to meet new people, challenge my skills as a designer and put my efforts towards a positive cause. Hobbies/Interests: Video Editing, Reading, Listening to K-RnB, Café Hopping |
