Chancellor's Associates Scholars Program

e-Newsletter | May 2025

Greetings CASP,

Happy May! We're halfway through the Spring Quarter, and just remind yourself, you're almost there! Whether you're studying for midterms or jumping ahead and preparing for finals- you got this! Don't forget to make time for yourselves too.

As we enter May, which is both the final stretch of the school year and Mental Health Awareness Month, we want to remind you how important it is to take care of your well-being—both mentally and academically. This time of year can feel overwhelming, so remember to pace yourself and stay organized. You don’t have to do it all on your own—our doors are always open if you need academic support, someone to talk to, or just a moment to catch your breath. Prioritizing your mental health is a strength, not a setback. You've already accomplished so much, and we believe in your ability to finish strong. Keep going—you are capable of amazing things!

We are open! Come by and say hello to our new office located on the 3rd floor of Center Hall (through Door E & F). We have free printing, a dry kitchen, and a study space open Mon - Fri from 9 am - 5 pm.

Visit the CASP day-to-day calendar of events to keep up to date with CASP events, resources, and other opportunities available to you all!

As always, feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns at casp@ucsd.edu, (858) 534-8366.

To schedule a time to meet with one of our professional staff members virtually, please check our availability by clicking here.

CASP scholars participating in a game room social hosted by our CASP Peer Leaders!

Community Corner

Questions? Ask us here!

casp@ucsd.edu

(858) 534 - 8366

Center Hall, 3rd Floor (through Door E & F)

Spring Quarter Updates!

Graduating Seniors:

• Don't forget to file your Degree & Diploma Application (DDA)
• UC San Diego Commencement Information

Stay Connected

First-Year Students

Transfer Students

Join Student Health and Well-Being (Counseling and Psychological Services, Health Promotion Services, and the Tritons Flourish Initiative) and our campus partners for programs supporting mental health and well-being throughout the Month of May!

Mental Health Awareness Month will kick off with Move for Mental Health which includes a series of movement-based classes highlighting the benefits of physical activity on mental well-being. Students can attend a variety of designated classes to learn about how movement can support managing stress, regulating mood, and strengthening the connection between your mind, body, and heart. You can also pick up free swag!

📅 Thursday, May 15th, 6 PM - 8 PM

📍 In-person at ArtSpace (CCC)

Present your poetry, compete with student poets, and win gift card prizes in the spirit of Mental Health Awareness Month! Poets will bring 3 original poems to present, read or memorized, each poem no longer than 3 minutes! There will only be 8 slots for performers, so register early!! Artists can submit art to be displayed during the poetry slam and in the CAPS office! Art must be easily displayed on a wall or an easel. 

📅 Sunday, May 18th, 10:30 AM - 1 PM

📍 In-person at Scripps Beach

Let your inner glow shine at this special Tritons' beach day!  Enjoy FREE yoga by the sea and a sunshine social with surfing, beach games, crafts and light refreshments. 

Please bring a towel and a light jacket! Event check-in begins at 10:30am under Scripps Pier.

Registration for this event will open on Monday, May 5th. This event is limited to the first 300 students.

📅 Thursday, May 1st, 11 AM - 1 PM

📍 In-person at Price Center West Ballroom

Join us for the Annual Kickoff Luncheon and Awards Ceremony which will include live cultural performances, inspiring words from keynote speaker Shyama Kuver- a celebrated writer, poet, and founder of Heart Over Crown, a platform dedicated to storytelling around love, loss, and healing. There will also be a presentation of awards honoring outstanding students, faculty, and staff.

For more information, reach out to Omar Padilla at o1padilla@ucsd.edu.

Hosted by the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, Public Health Research Day highlights cutting-edge work being done by trainees and research staff, often alongside community partners. This year's showcase will be held from 1 – 3 pm on May 7, 2025 at the Price Center Ballroom East and will include trainee-centric networking opportunities.

📅 Starting April 10th, Every Thursdays, 3 PM - 5 PM

📍 In-person at UCSD Women's Center, Large Conference Room

Starting Week 2, join us weekly in the Women's Center for STEM Cafe! We will have warm beverages and free tutoring from OASIS available.

📍 Geisel Library, 1st Floor West Wing

📅 Tuesday, May 6th, 2025 & Tuesday May 13th, 2025, 3:30 PM - 5:30 PM

📍 In-person at Black Resource Center or Zoom

Need Writing Motivation? Join the Black Resource Center and Writing Hub for “Writing Pop-Ups” on May 6 and May 13 from 3:30–5:30 PM! Build sustainable writing habits and make progress on your projects alongside a supportive community. Open to both grad and undergrad students — in person at the BRC or via Zoom. Scan the QR code to register!

Are you an international student on an F-1 visa? Join our OPT Workshop & Alumni Panel to learn about Optional Practical Training (OPT) and hear firsthand experiences from alumni!

Where: Triton Transfer Hub 

When: Thursday, May 8th @ 11:30 

*Disclaimer: The workshop is hosted by peer coaches. For more detailed information, please reach out to ISEO*

📅 Saturday, May 17th, 2025, 10 AM - 7 PM

📍 In-person at The Loft in Price Center

Join us at the 2^nd Annual Student Leadership Conference (SLC) – a free, one-day, on-campus event, open to all UC San Diego undergraduates that empowers students to lead authentically and intentionally in both their personal and professional lives.

The conference theme this year is “Fuel Your Inner Fire” where students will have an opportunity to explore their passions and communicate their why.

📍 Location: Design and Innovation Building Room 208

⏰ Time: Saturday, May 17 |

11AM - 3:30 PM

Mosaic Minds is a research showcase for all students hosted by students. Our main goal is to bridge the gap between students and faculty as much as possible. Our showcase is dedicated to increasing access to research opportunities for underrepresented minority students and fostering an inclusive academic environment where diverse perspectives are valued and celebrated. This has led us to create a space where we invite researchers, professionals, professors, and students to network and gain lasting connections. Any form of research is invited and highly encouraged to represent as many fields as possible so that everyone's voices, regardless of the field of interest, are heard and showcased to the world! 

Given your involvement, research, leadership, and passion for Latinx/ BIPOC students in higher education along with your commitment to student success, we would be honored to have your resource center and its affiliated members present as student presenters or attendees. Your presence and expertise would be incredibly impactful for our attendees, and we would love to have you as part of this important initiative.

Here is the registration link for Student Presenters & Attendees: https://forms.gle/v1FfNqDXCSHBK1Hb7 

📅 Every Friday, 12 PM - 2 PM

📍 In-person at Pepper Canyon Hall 264

Take this opportunity to develop your writing with personalized coaching in framing competitive research abstracts and applications. Whether you’re a first-time applicant or refining your work, our mentors are here to help.

For more information, reach out to Omar Padilla at o1padilla@ucsd.edu.

The Experiential Learning team is hosting drop-in hours at various locations across campus. Join us on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 1-2pm at the indicated location and we can provide insight on different experiential learning opportunities such as:

• Learning about opportunities outside the classroom related to your career goals.
• Getting information about applying for internships, through Academic Internship Programs, the UC Washington (UCDC) Program, or others.
• Earning credit for on-campus involvement via the Co-Curricular Record (CCR).

BioSci Spring 2025 Career Development Workshops

Jumpstart your career in life sciences or healthcare through the School of Biological Sciences' Career Development Workshops! Open to undergrad and graduate BioSci students.

📅 May 2nd, 6 PM

📍 UC San Diego NPHC Plaza

The National Pan-Hellenic Council at UC San Diego is excited to announce our 2nd Annual NPHC Yard Show! The Divine Nine organizations are taking the stage on May 2nd a the UCSD NPHC Plaza, with performances beginning at 6pm.

📅 May 2nd, 12 PM - 2 PM

📍 Triton Transfer Hub, Pepper Canyon Hall

Do you have scraps of fabric, paper, mail or clean trash? Give it some new life by learning about junk journaling at the Triton Transfer Hub’s very on Junk Journaling event.

Start your journey in sustainability while getting creative in recycling. Meet other students who like to junk journal or want to learn! No experience is needed.

Craft materials will be provided and no experience is needed! Bring your own scraps and material if you’d like to share! (please edit this as needed)

Tuesday, May 6, 2025 | 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. | NTPLL Mosaic Hall 113, Sixth College



On April 30, 1977, 14 mothers in Buenos Aires began protesting the disappearance of their children under military dictator Videla, forming the Mothers and Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo. Around the same time, citizens in Gwangju, South Korea, resisted Chun Doo-hwan’s dictatorship, leading to a massacre. This talk by Dr. Junyoung Verónica Kim explores the shared histories of these events, connecting them through transpacific connections and offering insights into decolonial, demilitarized futures.

📅 May 8th, 11:30 AM - 1 PM

📍 UCSD Cross-Cultural Center

This workshop is comprised of four first daughters who will share and invite others to talk about how their first daughterness has shaped not only their worldview, but their outlook on higher education. Part of the “Equity Exchanges: Staff Collaborations for a Just Campus” Series hosted by the Cross-Cultural Center. This event is directed toward UC San Diego faculty and staff. Please visit the Cross-Cultural Center website for more information.

📅 Friday, May 23rd, 12 PM - 1 PM

📍 In-person at Israni Biomedical Research Facility 1102

Come experience some JOY at a Kpop photo card trading event hosted by Sharon Young and the Pacific Islander and Asian American Staff Association (PASA)! Participants are encouraged to bring their lunch and binders. All groups welcome! Korean cream puffs by Mon Chourie provided. Bring a bag for a ton of Kpop freebies and possible trivia prizes*

📅 Wednesday, May 28th, 2025, 12 PM - 2 PM

📍 In-person at Angela's Space (4th Floor of Oceanview Terrance underneath OVT Dining Hall

Join the AAPI Studies Program and APIMEDA Programs and Services for social mixer to meet staff, faculty, and student. RSVP by May 21st.

📅 Mondays, every other week, 3:30 PM - 4:30 PM

📍 UCSD Womens Center

The deadline to apply is Friday, June 6, 2025. 

This is a lending program so you will need to return the cap and gown. You can return it in person to our office by June 18th, 2025 or ship it back to us by June 23rd, 2025. 

Trans and Gender Diverse Group

Tuesdays | 2-3 PM | Cross Cultural Center

Are you questioning your gender? Do you need a space to discuss your gender identity with others who may be going through the same thing? This group allows students to explore their thoughts and feelings related to their gender identity.

Join this group to build community, share experiences, and get support while navigating the world outside the gender binary. No matter where you are on the gender spectrum, you are welcome here! This CAPS group is cofacilitated with our STRIDE coordinators.

Queer Community Connections

Tuesdays | 1-2 PM | Cross Cultural Center

The Queer Community Connections group is a place to meet and gain support while discussing your sexual and/or gender identities in a confidential setting. This group is for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, asexual, intersex, and people questioning their sexual or gender identity.

Topics are determined by group participants and can include queer joy, life stressors, sociopolitical climate, family/cultural issues, etc. This CAPS group is cofacilitated with our STRIDE coordinators.

Queer Community Connections for Graduate and Professional Students

Wednesdays | 4-5:15 PM | Cross Cultural Center

This in-person connections space exists to create space for community development and to foster a sense of belonging. The content is guided by community members and often focuses on Queer issues and/or general graduate and professional student issues.

Examples include personal and professional relationships, Queer topics in academia and media, intersectionality, minority stress and coping with Imposter Syndrome. Conversations will be facilitated by Dr David Kersey.

The LGBT Resource Center Social Justice Peer Educators are available to provide educational workshops on gender identity and sexual orientation, and romantic attraction to UC San Diego student organizations and student groups. Requests are now open! A pamphlet has been included for our current offerings of programs and materials.

Triton Speak Out Survey on Sexual Misconduct



Your voice is needed for creating positive change on campus! Tritons Speak Out is an anonymous survey for undergraduate and graduate students that asks questions about experiences, community norms, and resources and support surrounding sexual violence and sexual harassment at UC San Diego. The overall goal of the survey is to gather information that can be used to improve services, support, and prevention education for students. A survey participant link will be sent to your UC San Diego email account on Monday, April 7th. Participants will be entered into weekly raffles for a gift card, with more opportunities to win the sooner you complete the survey! You will have until June 2nd to complete the survey. Visit tritonsspeakout.ucsd.edu for additional information.

Yoga as Healing Support Group Registration Open

⏰ Time: Spring Weeks 2-9, Thursdays at 4:30pm

This eight-week yoga series for student survivors of sexual trauma explores reconnection to the mind and body. This program provides a means for participants to connect to their bodies and allows them to explore the benefits of mindfulness, guided practice and meditation. No prior yoga experience is necessary to participate and all supplies are provided.

The Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) announced that the 2025 National Scholarship and Awards Program is now underway. The JACL annually offers approximately 30 college scholarships for students who are incoming college freshmen, undergraduates and graduates, and those specializing in law and the creative/performing arts. There are also financial aid scholarships for those demonstrating a need for financial assistance.  

Scholarship Program guidelines, instructions, and applications have been posted on the JACL website, www.jacl.org, and can be accessed by clicking the “Youth” tab on the menu bar.

For more information on the National JACL Scholarship Program, contact Scholarship Program Manager, Matthew Weisbly at scholarships@jacl.org.

Stanford PRISM Program

Are you a graduate student considering your next big step? If postdoctoral training is on your horizon, Stanford's PRISM program is your gateway to an exciting, transformative opportunity.

PRISM is designed for graduate students from all fields who want to explore world-class postdoctoral training at Stanford University. Twice a year, we offer travel funds for an exclusive chance for you to experience Stanford's cutting-edge research environment, connect with faculty and lab groups, and immerse yourself in our vibrant postdoctoral community.

PRISM opens the door for you to:

Identify potential mentors and clarify your goals for postdoctoral training 

Visit campus and explore the research and living environment

Get access to top faculty and research teams

Network with fellow postdocs who share your identities and interests

We encourage applications from all graduate students, particularly those from historically underrepresented backgrounds, including but not limited to first-generation college graduates, individuals facing socioeconomic or educational disadvantages, people with disabilities, neurodiverse individuals, and those underrepresented by gender identity, sexual orientation, or expression, as well as those who have overcome discrimination.

Achieve your Higher Education Dreams

In just one application, our Common Scholarship Application provides students access to more than 150 scholarship opportunities with awards ranging from $1,000 to more than $5,000.

In 2024, San Diego Foundation awarded a record-breaking $4.9 million in scholarships to more than 1,200 San Diego students.

We are happy to announce that Price Center has expanded its hours to provide students with more options for late-night studying. Price Center East (Levels 1 & 2) and Burger King will now be open 24 hours Monday through Thursday and Open Desk and Sun God Lounge will now be open until 2am Monday through Thursday.

Tritons Connect is open to all students, alumni, staff/faculty, and the UC San Diego community. Join us to connect 1:1 or in groups, post and apply for job opportunities, get matched with or be a mentor, and so much more. Signing up is easy!

We are so happy to have you all be part of the CASP family and look forward to seeing you all throughout your time here at UC San Diego.

Visit our Flickr account to view more pictures from our Kickoff event.

University of California San Diego

| Chancellor's Associates Scholars Program |

9500 Gilman Drive #0045, Mail Code 0045,

La Jolla, CA 92093-0045

(858) 534-8366