Meet our eight amazing Student Collaborators from our Spring cohort: Ashley, Erin, Hannah, Katie, Kendall, Jules, Michelle, and Yua!

This Spring, we had the pleasure of having 8 amazing Student Collaborators on our Yo! Team. They helped behind the scenes, ensuring that the magazine was running, while also helping to shape the future of the platform. Get to know more about our Student Collaborators below!

Ashley Omiya

Pronouns: she/her/hers

Department: Marketing

School: UCSD

Interests, hobbies, fun fact: I enjoy drawing and playing video games in my free time.

Erin Moore

Pronouns: she/her/hers

Department: Marketing

School: UCSD

Interests, hobbies, fun fact: I have a twin sister who also attends UCSD with me! I currently work part-time as a barista and am in the Nikkei Student Union. I am also thinking of minoring in Japanese. My hobbies include thrifting, taking pictures on my film camera, and most recently going to art galleries/museums (I went to the Yoshitomo Nara exhibit at LACMA and loved it!). I also am trying to expand my record collection :)

Hannah Nagakura

Pronouns: she/her/hers

Department: Marketing

School: UCSD

Interests, hobbies, fun fact: I play on UCSD's field hockey team, and I love dogs (I have 2), watching sports (basketball, baseball)/Netflix, reading books, and eating (I want to learn to cook in 2022). I also love Japanese food and visiting my family in Japan!

Katie Ikemoto

Pronouns: she/her/hers

Department: Writing

School: USC

Interests, hobbies, fun fact: I played JA basketball, really like Disney and BTS, enjoy making videos and taking pictures, and play the ukulele!

Kendall Arata

Pronouns: she/her/hers

Department: Web Design

School: UCLA

Interests, hobbies, fun fact: I love backpacking and hiking, any outside activity, curating Spotify playlists, and beach volleyball. I also have a sock collection and am a Harry Potter nerd.

Jules Yap

Pronouns: he/him/his

Department: Writing

School: UCSD

Interests, hobbies, fun fact: I really enjoy playing music on the guitar, piano, and ukulele. The type of music that I play is old school R&B. I also enjoy producing videos in my free time. I usually like to film dumb random videos, especially music videos.

Michelle Higa

Pronouns: she/her/hers

Department: Graphic Design

School: UC Berkeley

Interests, hobbies, fun fact: I am on the route to becoming a Physician Associate, so I am currently working as a MA in Manhattan Beach. For fun, I love working out (running, HIIT classes, hot yoga), salsa/bachata dancing, playing tennis, dog watching at the beach, reading, and doing art! I recently made an IG art account to motivate me to be more creative (@aik.oart if you wanna check that out).

Yua Watanabe

Pronouns: she/her/hers

Department: Graphic Design

School: UCLA

Interests, hobbies, fun fact: I'm studying theater and entertainment design, but I'm most confident with graphic design! I love to bake in my free time, and am currently trying to learn how to play the guitar. I enjoy staying active with running and dance and need to cut spending on coffee and boba!

Thank you so much to our Student Collaborators for all of their help this season!

_____________________________________


The Yo! Student Collaborator Program is designed for community enthusiasts looking to learn about the content development, publishing, and marketing of a community-oriented online publication. Through hands-on experience in areas including social media and email marketing, graphic design, web development, and article development, Student Collaborators will have a direct impact on the growth and development of Yo! Magazine.


Timeframe
We host Student Collaborators at two time intervals during the year. Participants may choose one, both, or opt for a full year.
Spring: February - May
Fall: September - December
Full Year: February - December


Areas of Work
Collaborators choose an area of work that best matches their personal interests. No prior experience is necessary. Each focus area will include both training and practical application of skills.

  • Writing: Includes article brainstorming and development.
  • Marketing: Includes social media and email marketing of Yo! Magazine content, with analytics and performance measurement.
  • Graphic Design: Includes graphic layout and design of assets for articles, posts, and web content.
  • Web Design: Includes webpage design, implementation through Webflow, and content management systems.


Program Structure
Our program structure builds teamwork, individual capability, and community knowledge through the following components:

  • Project: Participants will be given a project to complete during their time in the program.
  • Mentor Pairing: Participants will be paired with an editorial committee member to provide project direction and feedback.
  • Team Project: The full cohort will be given a collaborative project to develop, launch, and promote during the course of their program.
  • Meetings: Participants will meet monthly to provide feedback, share project milestones, and learn meaningful skills.

Interested in Applying?
Keep an eye out for more information coming in August.

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