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Edith Ascencion (left), Solange Tadros (middle), Kevin Zepeda (back), Cristina Penaranda (right) at the End of the Year Banquet
Coming into UCI, as a first year, I had a very limited friend network and I joined Rotaract looking for an opportunity to make friends and serve my community. It immediately became much more than that though, and I found an opportunity for personal, professional and academic growth. Looking back at my experiences as a first year, I think Rotaract is more than just a service organization or an opportunity to make friends (which is not to say that I don't consider it that among other things) but rather, it means growth and change - and overall the idea that it allows the growth of our members which in turn facilitate the growth and change of people, communities, and ideas for the better.