ESS Podcast

ESS Episode 1003: More Than Classes: Why Student Orgs Matter

*Upbeat Music*

LAURA VOGT
One of the best ways to find your people at Berkeley getting involved. But where do you even begin?

Hello, and welcome to the not so secret guide to being a Berkeley Engineer. I’m your host, Laura Vogt. Today we’re exploring student organizations how to find the right fit and why they matter more than you might think.

I have two amazing guests, Laura Viera and Evan Wong.

(And just as a side note, I think this is funny. It’s our 10th year of doing the podcast and it’s the first time I’ve interviewed somebody named Laura, so if we get confused by our names, I apologize.)

Laura and Evan are both co-presidents of the Engineering Student Council. Thank you both so much for being here. Can you take a moment to introduce yourselves and what being a Berkeley engineer means to you? We’ll start with Laura.

LAURA VIERA
Thank you so much, Laura. Hello and good morning. My name is Laura Viera, and I’m a junior at Berkeley studying civil engineering and minoring in data science. And for me, being a Berkeley engineer is just being a determined, persevering individual and just enjoying what

everything that Berkeley has to offer.

LAURA VOGT
And Evan.

EVAN
Yeah, hi, I’m Evan Wong, I’m a third year electrical engineering and computer sciences major.
And for me, being a Berkeley engineer is knowing how to be an individual problem solver and also a collaborative one to tackle all kinds of problems in life.

LAURA VOGT
So again, thank you both for joining us today. I know it’s your RRR week, which is the week before finals. So you have a lot going on and a lot to get ready for. I appreciate your time.

Let’s get to some of these questions. First off for someone new to Berkeley Engineering, what is the Engineering Student Council and what does it do?

LAURA VIERA
Yeah, so, for ESC or Engineering Student Council we are part of the student government for the College of Engineering. As co-presidents of the club we collaborate on internal and external events for the College of Engineering. And we basically put on a bunch of large scale events and activities for the engineering students on campus.

And a big part of that is the Blue & Gold Certification program, which we will get into the details later on.

Some of the events that we do in February are Engineering Week or AKA E-Week, and this is just a full week dedicated to making a bunch of events for the College of Engineering and our students. We also have a big E-Ball. So on that Friday of that week, we host a big engineering ball. There’s food and music and popcorn and a bunch of games and a bunch of pictures and a photo booth. So it’s just a way to celebrate everybody after a hard semester, or if they want to have some fun within engineering. That’s what that week is dedicated to.

And we also have another large scale event, it’s called Research Week and in the beginning of the fall semester. And it helps students connect with faculty and grad students, and they just become more aware about the research opportunities that we have on campus and just try to connect them with faculty.

And yeah, beyond that, we also really focus on advocacy for the state of the College Engineering, like our goal is to be able to advocate for the engineering student body.

EVAN
And we hope that soon we will see this as an avenue to be able to service advocacy for them, whether it’s about majors or broader issues, maybe in the college or other things that students might be thinking about. Like we plan town halls, typically also involving faculty and students so that they can talk about these issues.

LAURA VOGT
Oh that’s awesome. I know that you’ve had some town halls, but I didn’t realize that advocacy was the main point behind them. You mentioned the blue and gold certification process, which was one of the things that I really like about what your organization does for all of the organizations in the College of Engineering. So can you tell us more about that certification and what it does for students?

EVAN
Yeah, so the Blue and Gold Certification Program is when we created partnering with ESS or Engineering Student Services as essentially a way to make sure it’s having an opportunity to be able to access organizations regardless of their background.

So we want to make sure, since that might not have had the same privileges as some other students are able to still find that same community. And we’ve partnered with over 50 student orgs to the point where we know they share the same sort of goal, and they can help provide students with that sort of technical experience and without this technical background. So essentially trying to create a marriage of, I guess, a social experience as well as a technical experience without needing a technical background, is just being able to step foot into these organizations.

LAURA VOGT
Why does having students be in those organizations matter so much, especially for the engineering students?

EVAN
Well, I guess in orgs can help expose engineering students to tools and skills that you wouldn’t be learning as part of the theory in your coursework. I think this is super important.

I guess, for example, if you’re maybe working towards a competition, you learn the processes and tools to work towards the goal and also how to work collaborating with other people. And additionally, if you end up deeply involved in some of these orders, you might end up learning important soft skills for life and industry, such as leadership or interpersonal stuff.

LAURA VIERA
Yeah, and to go off of what Evans said, it’s important to learn how to engage with the team and actually communicate with people, because Berkeley is so theoretical and it teaches you all about the fundamentals and the theory, but not so much about how to communicate with somebody and be engaged in a team.

And that’s something that I learned at my competition club team. I was able to apply the theory, but I had to be able to express it through competition presentations and such. And also, it’s really nice to be engaged in clubs because engineering is so intensive at times, and it could feel like all you do is study, study.

So it’s really important to engage in student orgs and at least try to find something that will make you feel like you’re a student on campus that has so many resources for you to enjoy and reach out and have those memories and experiences that are not just the academic based experiences.

LAURA VOGT
Laura, can you share a moment where you were involved in a student org that made a real difference for either you or someone else that you were working with?

LAURA VIERA
Yeah. So at ESC, I didn’t really know too much about how being involved in the Berkeley club was. So ESC was the first club that I ever joined, and one of my tasks was to create an event for the engineering body. And I decided on hosting a volleyball game, because when I visited Berkeley and I saw people on the Glade, I thought that it’s so fun to, like, just get out of class and then you’re like, listening to music and you’re on the Glade and you’re having fun with your friends. Like, that just seemed like a cool experience.

So I was like, let’s just create a volleyball game for everybody. And although ESC was pretty small at that time, so we didn’t have an amazing turnout per se, but there were a bunch of clubs that were on there at the Glade during that time, and they saw us setting up and they just wanted to join. And so we ended up playing volleyball for two hours that day, and it really motivated me to continue, not just with ESC, but also to not let like, a little bad thing turn into a negative experience for the whole event. Just making sure that reaching out, staying positive, would really make a difference.

And another part with ESC is Evan and I gave a talk on Cal Day and that was really a fun experience because it’s something that as a freshman, I didn’t think I would be able to give a speech to the other freshmen. So it felt like a full circle moment, and it was very special to do that.

LAURA VOGT
Yeah, Cal Day this year was different because we were able to do our welcome in the house. So folks listening today might actually have seen Laura and Evan give their presentation in their Berkeley jerseys.

So what have you found that employers or internships actually value about that student or involvement? Does it help you outside of the college environment?

EVAN
Yeah, I think this is actually a really interesting question. So I think there’s like the obvious answer that like, oh, this org taught me how to use this tool or whatever, and I’ve used this on a job. Right. Which might be like a very technical answer, but I honestly have found that like in my internship hunting experience, at least in the tech industry, and that employees are super interested in what work you actually accomplish in your scenarios and what personal traits these might show.

Like, for example, I was recently asked about what I did on the Engineering Student Council in some interview with the hiring manager, and I explained my responsibilities like things I had accomplished with the org and like, for what reason, why was I doing this? And I think the guys just seemed impressed. And I guess he passed me on to the final rounds and I got the job, which it’s not always simple, of course, but I think student orgs can display like what you can accomplish. When not motivated by something like a grade?

Because like stuff in class, like, you know, everyone started working towards the same goal. It’s very obvious. But for the student orgs, I think it’s very much like being driven by students and very much like your own motivation.

LAURA VIERA
Exactly. To what Evan said. I relate to it as a civil engineer, where most employers, they’re looking for that leadership experience and internship experience and such, and everybody would be motivated by a grade.

They all take the same classes, they’ve done the same programs, the same internship. So it’s very important to kind of venture off a bit and try to become a niche or become more aware about something that you’re actually really interested in. Because it’s one thing to say that you’re a president of a club and you list all of these accomplishments which seem like you’re just in it for the name, but it could be another thing where you’re just a member and you’re actually very, very into what you’re doing, and you show a lot of passion for it.

And that’s something that you can’t really. It’s different when you say it to when it’s on your resume. And employers, when you’re talking to them in person, they know that difference, that you’re actually interested and passionate about what you’re doing. And that just goes beyond what is written on paper on a list of accomplishments. And they actually want to learn more about things.

So when I was a freshman and I started talking about ESC, I was just a member. But I think I showed the passion in the Blue and Gold Program and the events that we put on in the town hall events, that’s, I think, what got them knowing that I was interested in not just being an academic student, but trying to engage in the student body as well.

And that really sets you or it helps you be apart from the rest of the group that just takes the same classes and is motivated by a grade on seven sets.

LAURA VOGT
Yeah, I would imagine that employers like the idea that you’re well-rounded, and so this is showing that well-roundedness of what you all could do.

I imagine when you’re looking at a list of clubs, organizations that you’re like, okay, I can’t do that. I don’t know how to do it. So what do you do when you don’t feel qualified when you first get involved? Or do you have help to figure it out? Like how do you go about that?

EVAN
Yeah, this one I’ve thought about a lot as well, but at least for me, I think that when I was stepping into like student orgs, like a lot of the times, I didn’t really feel qualified in the sense that like, oh, maybe I’m joining this like team that does things, but like, I don’t really know anything.

But I think getting into these like or like, especially at Berkeley, I think taking these sorts of risks, most people, especially if they’re, you know, recruiting new members, they want new members. You know, it’s not about, I guess them trying to just get like the best, like the best people that have all the best experiences.

In my opinion, they’re just trying to create a community that also is working towards the same cause. So I think taking the risk to at least take like joining the student council for me, like even like stepping into leadership positions has just helped me at least kind of my level up in the sense, I guess in terms of I guess I’ve never thought myself of being able to do things like Laura was saying earlier, speak at Cal Day, but I think everyone can sort of grow to these sort of challenges if they’re like very interested and given the opportunity.

LAURA VIERA
Yeah, and that’s something that we talked about a bit in our speech for the freshmen, is being open to that opportunity and taking that first stepping stone into new experiences, because I, at least for me, didn’t feel like I was qualified to be involved in the Engineering Student Council.

Like it seemed very like a big title and basically anybody was able to join if you show interest and involvement. And that’s the truth for a lot of different clubs. The truth is, like the first club that you join probably isn’t going to be the one that’s going to last you for your whole college experience. Maybe it’s just for a semester or two, but you feel qualified once you actually show interest and passion.

And if you do feel a little bit lost, you don’t really know what to do. What helped me a lot was talking to mentors or people that do have that experience. Like when I was a freshman, I talked to Ryan and Hannah, who were the ESC presidents at that time, and they were just able to guide me through what the club is and how to run events.

So that’s what is available to all of the clubs. Basically, everybody at Berkeley just really wants to help you out. They were in those shoes before, so it’s not a crazy thing where you don’t feel qualified and you don’t think that you could do it. But everybody has felt that way at one point.

And so it’s really important to just reach out to those people who do have those experiences, and they’re able to apply that knowledge to you down the line.

LAURA VOGT
So how do you end up actually choosing which club, organization, competition team to be part of?

EVAN
Yeah, honestly, there’s so many different approaches to this sort of thing depending on the person. But I think personally, a good starting point for Berkeley engineers is to look into student orgs related to their major.

There’s so many different like major societies and stuff like that. Since you can meet or get advice from other students walking similar career or academic paths or even completely different ones and get inspired by them.

Like me personally, I joined some of those and I’ve slowly learned about different career paths. Like I wouldn’t even have known existed, like if I hadn’t talked to other people who, like, just happen to know maybe off of someone else, but also joining any hobbies that you might have prior to college or looking to get into in college is just great. Like joining a student organization solely based on advancing your career.

So it should also be an opportunity to join a circle where you feel comfortable and also have a lot of fun. So feel free, explore as much as you might want without compromising your own personal work life balance. Like join that. Like, I don’t know, pickleball like club or something, or like Rubik’s Cube Club, even if like, yeah, I don’t know, maybe you’ve never touched a Rubik’s Cube. Maybe you’ll really enjoy it.

LAURA VIERA
Exactly. To what Evans said as a freshman, I think I tried out like six different clubs. They were like art clubs and academic clubs and competition teams, and I ended up sticking up with only two of those clubs. But it’s really important to just try out different things.

In one of those competition teams, I made good friends and we ended up making an intramural soccer team. So out of those experiences, you just create new ones that you never really thought that you would make in the beginning.

And yeah, as Evan said, it’s important to do things that are in your field. As a civil engineer there’s a bunch of different competition teams and clubs that you can try to be a part of, and even though it might not be related to the path that you want to take after college, there’s still fun environments to be a part of, and it really helps you create those experiences that last beyond a classroom setting.

LAURA VOGT
I heard you talk about how you’ve done six, or that you started off with six, but you’ve ended up with two that you stayed with. Makes me think about what a healthy level of involvement actually looks like. I know as these students come in, getting involved in anything and everything
probably sounds awesome, but how do we make sure that you’re still getting that wellness, that you get your sleep, that you give yourself time to study and do laundry and things along those lines?

LAURA VIERA
The healthy level of involvement is really from person to person. And I think for me at least, it ranges into what my semester looks like, because for me, my academics is a priority. I do want to try to make the best out of what I can with my grades and GPA, which is important to employers.

But beyond that, once I feel comfortable with how I’m doing and being able to put in my efforts into my academics, that’s when I could venture off and try to become more involved in clubs and teams.
This is something that was important to me after freshman year, where I decided, okay, I think I’m fit enough to do a work study program. So I started working at the CAEE and devoting more time there too. And then along with ESC and my two other competition team clubs. So it’s really just a journey.

My advice is not to put everything, all your eggs into one basket the first year, because college is four years and it’s going to look completely different to what you think it is at the beginning. So just enjoy that.

Try to talk to as many people as you can. Get advice from peer advisers to ESS, students in those clubs because they know most and yeah, just enjoy it.

Don’t do too much at the beginning because that healthy involvement level is something that you’re going to develop over time.

EVAN
Yeah, I think I’d also add to Laura’s answer that there’s yeah, there’s no shame in stepping away temporarily or even walking away entirely from some experiences. I would like, you know, be harming you, of course, because, I mean, sacrificing your mental health and stuff like that.

You shouldn’t be losing your sleep. You shouldn’t be sacrificing your physical health either for all these student organizations. But I think in the end, I think knowing yourself and feeling out your own work life balance is definitely the best way to go about it.

LAURA VOGT
So looking back, how is being involved in organizations and competition teams helped shape your college experience?

LAURA VIERA
Yeah, I think it kind of relates to that experience of like, what would college be like without those clubs and experiences? And it wouldn’t be the same at all.

I came into ESC not knowing anybody or how the club was run or feeling underqualified, but again, it’s like that journey where you end up making a lot of memories that are just unforgettable and it’s really fun.

You get to go on retreats and make new friends and like we said, give a speech at Cal Day. These are things that you don’t really think that are going to happen, but it’s those opportunities
That comes along the way when you least expect it to make college so fun and just enjoying the process of those experiences and those skills that as a freshman, you don’t think that you’re able to have.

But over time they develop and you just grow as an individual. And it’s just, I think it’s a beautiful experience and I have super fun with that. So I really enjoyed being involved in different clubs and extracurriculars.

Yeah, I think being involved in student orgs has helped me also navigate plenty of things. And aside from like there’s so many factors like making friends and learning skills, it also made some amazing memories.

EVAN
Like Laura said, maybe and through like random events or retreats or just side quests in clubs. And it’s also helping make career decisions that I honestly never even considered before.

I think I mentioned before how stuff like, I know I was joining not even like a major society, but also in some like, you know, career oriented student orgs. I’ve just heard about some things that I’d never even considered before. And I think my current career direction has been completely shaped by my student work experience because of that.

And also like, I think something that’s also not talked about maybe is that in student orgs you’re also interacting with people across different school years.

So I’ve made friends in the dorms and my classes and stuff. But also I think I’ve gotten to connect a lot with people in different school years and got to like, hear about their experiences, maybe older, like upperclassmen have given me advice about certain things that are coming up. And it’s even interesting to learn from, like underclassmen, like things that are changing as well.

LAURA VOGT
Well that’s awesome.

If you hear that a student is on the fence about joining a student organization, what would you say to them to give them that push to be like, no, you got to try it.

EVAN
Yeah. So honestly, my biggest tip is to give it a try. But of course, you know, talk to the people involved in the student organization to feel it out or maybe talk to your peers who might be interested as well, because I’ve personally found that a lot more comfortable with someone I kind of knew might be interested in joining the organization with me.

So it can be helpful if, like you maybe know a friend or something, you’re both maybe interested. Maybe you’re both engineers. You’re like, oh, maybe you’ll both join this engineering work, but if you don’t end up liking it, many people are super interested in the circumstances and probably have poked around different committees.

I think, you know, Laura was talking about how she was in six clubs and ended up with two. I think I had a similar scenario. I’ve probably been maybe like five student orgs, but over time I found sort of like trying to balance my own academics, like work life balance. I stuck with only maybe two.

So I think this is like a completely normal thing. Like obviously don’t try to like I don’t think it’s super the nicest thing to do to be like, oh, well, I don’t really care about this, this organization whatsoever. So I’m not going to do anything unless they like, force me to do things. But I think definitely finding your sense of community is a and finding out where you maybe are more comfortable is definitely something you should keep in mind.

LAURA VIERA
I was just going to add a little bit onto what Evans said. Everybody is within that same boat of, you know, not feeling like they’re qualified or too busy, not experienced. So definitely reaching out to people would help a lot.

And if you don’t feel like it’s the right time, don’t force yourself into something where you don’t think you’re able to put in everything that you want to. It’s okay to tell those clubs or that, hey, I’m interested, but maybe I can’t this semester or this week be involved in this type of activity. Can I still learn more about it and try to give my full best within this next couple of weeks, or be more involved next semester?

And that really sets the tone of, I’m really interested in this. I want to continue, and they know that you want to do it. So it’s way better than just saying, I can’t do this. I’m not experienced enough and I’m not going to try it at all.

LAURA VOGT
I don’t think we touched on this yet, how do you find out about what is available out there?

EVAN
Yeah, so I believe there are a lot of sources, honestly, that are floating around about how to find these sorts of things. So at least on calendar lists of student orgs that you can actually look for the general like maybe not in engineering, could be hobby or other orgs, But for Blue and Gold and ESC supported organizations there on our website we have a list of Blue and Gold Certified organizations, which I think we touched on earlier. Means that they usually are more, but they are more open and willing to accept people who may or may not have more or less experience.

So we believe that their principles of equity and inclusion are well aligned with our beliefs at least.

LAURA VOGT
And what’s the website address they should go to?

EVAN
I believe it’s esc.berkeley.edu.

LAURA VOGT
And our last question of the day is it ever too late to get involved?

EVAN
Yeah, so I’m under the firm belief that it’s never too late to get involved. And if you’re interested in the student organs, play all that interests. The org is lucky to have you, and I’m sure you’ll do great. At least I know all the other Blue and Gold orgs. Any interested member is like a super valued member and welcome in open arms, so I’d highly encourage that.

LAURA VIERA
If you think it’s too late, it’s definitely not. Yeah, definitely not too late. It’s on a rolling basis. You put in whatever you want to put in and it’s open to everybody. So never too late to join clubs.

LAURA VOGT
Well, thank you, Laura and Evan, so much for being here today and giving us all this information about student organizations and the Engineering Student Council. I really, like I said before, I appreciate your time and your energy and your knowledge on this subject.

EVAN
Thanks so much for having us.

LAURA VIERA
Thank you so much, Laura. Very, very welcoming and very happy to be on this podcast.

LAURA VOGT
And thank you everyone for listening to The (not so) Secret Guide to being a Berkeley Engineer. Getting involved is one of the best ways to build community, so don’t be afraid to try something new and find where you belong.

Be sure to explore the rest of our series for more ways to make the most of your Berkeley experience. And we look forward to welcoming you to the College of Engineering this fall.

*Upbeat music*