Karen Huang
Peer Academic Advisor
Campuswide Honors Collegium
Major:
Psychological Science
Hometown
Los Angeles, CA
Extracurricular
* Research Assistant for the UC Irvine EVOlution, Culture and Stereotyping (EVOCS) Lab (Jan 2025 – present)
* Lead Education Cluster Lead for the Wellness Initiative in Social Ecology (March 2025 – present)
* Community Assistant (June 2024 – present)
Personal Biography
Why do you love UCI?
Ever since I had become an undergraduate student at UCI during fall of 2022, I was amazed by the endless opportunities, on-campus organizations, and mentors and peers that had helped me achieve my academic success and realize my growth. Because of the generosity of my counselors and peers within UCI’s Trio Scholars Program and SAGE Scholars Program, I began to believe in myself more, through pushing myself to be involved within research and applying for on-campus involvements – even if it meant rejection. My counselors and mentors were also inspirational in helping me have a voice for myself, whenever I needed extra help from office hours or just needed some emotional/mental support during the tougher quarters. Lastly, I am extremely grateful for how UCI has really helped me grow as an individual in the last two years that I have a student at UCI. For instance, having the opportunity to be in a large public university meant I got to form various connections, make new memories in clubs with new people, and enjoy the scenery/nearby spots within OC and campus to de-stress and relax.
How can you be a successful Anteater?
In order to be a successful Anteater, I would say that it is important to develop solid time management skills whilst maintaining a work-life balance. Personally, I find that adding my schedule to my weekly Google calendar has helped me keep track of my classes, work schedule, and the meetings/events that I’ve been scheduled to attend. It is also crucial to maintain a work-life balance, such as making sure that students can have rest days/nature walks to avoid burnout from studying for too long. Lastly, I find that having a good social support network and strong work ethic is important for success. For me, a good social support network encompasses having a solid, quality friend group that pushes and inspires you to succeed, while also being able to emotionally comfort/support you through hard times. My social support network has greatly helped me succeed in times where I needed extra support and someone to vent to. I also find that a strong work ethic is important for academic and career success, as students must work hard in their classes through studying and thoroughly taking notes during lecture/or outside of class in order to ace the exams/assignments. Work ethic is also necessary for career growth, as students must dedicate time and energy into completing those job applications and interviews whilst also understanding that rejection is redirection, meaning that students are aware what is meant for them will come, and that more job opportunities are available to continue hustling for.
What is one fun fact about yourself?
A fun fact for myself is that on my free time, I really love to go whale watching whenever I get the chance, or just meditate and listen to music near a lake. I also love to listen to different genres of music, from house music to rock. Lastly, I can speak Cantonese fluently as I was raised speaking Cantonese since I was very young, and could understand/speak some form of Mandarin.