City Council Tuesday, September 29, 2026 Page 1 of 4
Notice and Agenda
Special Meeting
of the
La Cañada Flintridge City Council
Tuesday, September 29, 2026 at 4:00 PM
City Hall
One Civic Center Drive
La Cañada Flintridge, CA 91011
Jeanne K. Hobson, Mayor
Stephanie Fossan, Mayor Pro Tem
Quemars S. Ahmed, Councilmember
Kim Bowman, Councilmember
Keith Eich, Councilman
City Council Tuesday, September 29, 2026 Page 2 of 4
How to Attend and Participate in the Meeting Remotely
City Council meetings are held in person and on Zoom. The City Council Chambers are open to the public. If you cannot attend in person, you can join and speak remotely.
To watch the meeting (view only, no speaking), go to the City’s website: https://lcf.ca.gov/city-clerk/agendaminutes/ To access the meeting and provide public comment, log into the Zoom meeting or dial the telephone number.
You will be muted until the public comment period begins. Use the “Raise Hand” feature at the bottom of your screen, and when called on, unmute yourself.
Zoom Meeting Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85125000465 Meeting ID: 851 2500 0465 One-Tap Mobile: +16699009128,,85125000465# OR +16694449171,,85125000465# US Telephone Number: 1-669-900-9128
Technical Disruptions - If a technical issue prevents remote public observation or participation and City personnel cannot immediately correct the problem, the City Council will recess the meeting while the City takes further corrective action. If remote access cannot be restored within one hour, the City Council may continue the meeting only after confirming that the City made good faith efforts to restore service and finding that the public interest in proceeding outweighs the need for remote access. These procedures also apply to disruptions affecting Councilmembers participating remotely.
Comments from the Public - The public is encouraged to address the City Council on any matter posted on the agenda or on any other matter within its jurisdiction. If you wish to address the City Council, you may do so during the Comments from the Public period noted on the agenda. Each person is allowed 3-minutes speaking time.
Pursuant to provisions of the Brown Act, no action may be taken on a matter unless it is listed on the agenda, or unless certain emergency or special circumstances exist. The City Council may direct staff to investigate and/or schedule certain matters for consideration at a future City Council meeting.
Agenda Materials - Copies of staff reports and supporting documentation pertaining to agenda items are available for public viewing and inspection at City Hall, 2nd Floor Lobby Area, during regular business hours, and on the City’s website https://lcf.ca.gov. For further information regarding agenda items, please contact the office of the City Clerk at (818) 790-8880 or via e-mail at [email protected]. For any assistance or questions, during the live meeting, please email [email protected].
SB 343 – Any writings relating to an agenda item distributed to a majority of the City Council less than 72 hours prior to the meeting will be available for public review in the City Clerk’s Office during normal business hours and/or posted on the City’s website.
Levine Act - To promote transparency and fairness in government decision-making, the Levine Act imposes contribution prohibitions and disclosure requirements. Specifically, any elected or appointed City officer is prohibited from making or attempting to influence a decision in a proceeding involving a license, permit, or other entitlement for use if the officer received a contribution of more than $500 within the preceding 12 months from a party or their agent. (Gov. Code § 84308(c)(1).) Additionally, parties to proceedings involving a license, permit, or other entitlement for use pending before any elected or appointed City officer must disclose any campaign contributions exceeding $500 that they made within the preceding 12 months. (Gov. Code § 84308(e)(1).) For more information please visit: https://lcf.ca.gov/city-clerk/levine-act/.
Reasonable Accommodations - In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and Government Code Section 54953(g), the City Council has adopted a "reasonable accommodations" policy to expedite accommodation requests. The policy can also be found on the City’s website. Please contact the City Clerk’s Office, (818) 790-8880 to make an accommodation request, or to obtain an electronic or printed copy of the policy.
City Council Tuesday, September 29, 2026 Page 3 of 4
4:00 PM City Council Special Meeting
Call to Order
Roll Call Jeanne K. Hobson, Mayor
Stephanie Fossan, Mayor Pro Tem
Quemars S. Ahmed, Councilmember
Kim Bowman, Councilmember
Keith Eich, Councilman
Comments from the Public - Public Comment cards are in the holder on the wall in the lobby.
Limited to 3 minutes per speaker for items on the Consent Calendar, items not on the Agenda, or any issue within the subject matter jurisdiction of the City Council. Public comment is limited to a maximum of 20 minutes. Speakers not able to speak due to the 20-minute time limit will be provided with the opportunity to speak at the end of the meeting. Please give a completed Public Comment Card to the City Clerk prior to the conclusion of this item. Speakers will be called in the order that public comment cards are received.
If the matter on which you wish to speak is an Agenda item (other than a Consent Calendar item), you will be provided the opportunity to address the City Council when the matter is considered. Please give a completed Public Comment Card to the City Clerk prior to the beginning of the item.
Item for Consideration
1) Interviews of Applicants for the Design Commission and Youth Council All interview scheduled times are approximate and may vary Applicant Name Commission/Committee Time
Tiffany Lee Youth Council 4:00 p.m.
Allegra Sernett Youth Council 4:10 p.m.
Isabella Kim Youth Council 4:20 p.m.
Joyce Kang Youth Council 4:30 p.m.
Frank Mester Youth Council 4:40 p.m.
Nikhil Nelson Youth Council 4:50 p.m.
Todd Soomian Design Commission 5:00 p.m.
Irene Sung Youth Council 5:10 p.m.
Bret Van Dyke Design Commission 5:20 p.m.
Comments from the City Council
City Council Tuesday, September 29, 2026 Page 4 of 4
Adjournment
Motion to Adjourn
I certify under penalty of perjury that the agenda was posted on the City Hall bulletin board at One Civic Center Drive at least 24 hours prior to the meeting, in accordance with Government Code Section 54954.2.
Tania Garcia, City Clerk
LA CANADA YOUTH CITY COUNCIL APPLICATION
Name of Commission/Committee: YOUTH COUNCIL
Date: May 29, 2026
Are you currently serving on this Commission/Committee and applying for reappointment? NO Personal
Name: Tiffany Lee
Address:
Phone Number:
Email:
Number of years lived in LCF: 12 years (same location as address above) Education
1. Please describe your education and any related training you possess which would be relevant as a Commission/ Committee member.
I am a sophomore at Flintridge Preparatory School, where the discussion-based classes have taught me to build an argument with care and listen to one just as closely. The preparation most relevant to committee work, though, has come alongside school. Two trainings in particular shaped how I'd approach a deliberative body: restorative-justice facilitation through the University of San Diego's Center for Restorative Justice, which is the practical skill of guiding a group through a hard conversation toward something everyone can accept, and Congressional debate, which gave me parliamentary procedure and the habit of reading proposed legislation closely before deciding how to vote. A public policy course via the University of Michigan added the analytical side, asking who a decision affects and what it might cost alongside what it promises. And after the Eaton Fire, training in trauma-informed care through Trauma Transformed helped me understand how a community absorbs an event like that, especially its younger members. This summer I'll build further on that foundation through two fellowships, the Women's Foundation California's Solís Policy Institute and the ACLU Advocacy Institute, which train young people in how policy is made and changed, from gathering evidence to giving effective public comment.
2. Please describe your relevant experience and skills.
Most of what I have done comes down to taking an abstract policy idea and translating it into functional, localized practice. As Co-CEO and Director of Corporate Social Responsibility for ROK Campaigns, I formulated a partnership with Girls Inc. that managed operations to raise $25,000 for youth leadership programming. This required mastering the unglamorous structural details: fiscal budgeting, cross-sector compliance, and the disciplined operational follow-through that ultimately determines whether a good intention ever becomes a reality.
As Director of Youth Programming for the Global Initiatives Alliance, I architect curricula and train peer leadership teams to facilitate workshops across California independently. This includes actively adapting formal University of San Diego restorative justice mediation protocols into structured, age-appropriate dispute resolution toolkits for local school frameworks.
The skills underneath all of that are the exact ones a municipal advisory committee depends on. I have learned how to analyze complex legislative trade-offs under parliamentary procedure, manage small budgets effectively, and, most importantly, foster a structured environment that pulls authentic opinions out of the people least likely to offer them, which are usually the ones most critical to hear.
3. Please outline your involvement in community activities, organizations, and civic engagements.
The common thread running through my civic engagement is a commitment to structural equity and accessible infrastructure. In partnership with the Greenfield Family Resource Center, I co-designed and executed a regional community resource fair serving over 500 migrant rural families, successfully building a localized pipeline that connected constituents directly to vital public service, academic, and health-literacy assets.
As Co-Founder of YouthTIDE, I collaborate with organizations like Trauma Transformed, EBAC to run administrative design sprints with educators, optimizing intake forms and school peer-support networks. With the OpenMinds podcast and the LA HeartShare Art Program, the focus is quieter but the operational instinct is identical: establishing dedicated platforms where neurodivergent young people can build cognitive focus, creative autonomy, and speak for themselves rather than being spoken about. Having logged over 100+ hours of verified, hands-on community service across housing, environmental, and civic infrastructure campaigns , earning the President’s Volunteer Service Award (Gold), my work operates on a singular premise: the people a public decision ultimately lands on should have a direct hand in shaping it. This is the exact philosophy I intend to bring to the Youth City Council.
Other Information
1. Include a brief statement outlining your views on the roles and responsibilities of this Commission/Committee. Include key issues you believe are important and detail your goals if appointed.
The Youth Council exists to give students a forum for the issues that affect them, to show young people how city government works, and to propose programs that draw youth into the life of the community. My approach starts from one conviction, that the strongest communities don't keep their generations in separate lanes, and that the habit of showing up for your town is best built early. If appointed, I'd pursue two key goals:
#1: Help young people understand their own city, starting before high school.
Most students have little sense of how City Council decisions affect their daily lives, and by high school that disinterest has usually set in. I'd work both ends of it:
a. Translate city business into formats students use.
i. Short written recaps of what the Council decided and why it matters, plus clear visual explainers, infographics and illustrated one-pagers, shared through school channels and social media so the information reaches students rather than waiting to be found. b. Hold a youth town hall each semester, backed by surveys. i. A standing forum for students to raise what they're seeing, paired with short surveys, so the Council can bring the City Council real evidence rather than guesswork. c. Start civics education & mentorship at a young age.
i. A student-led program that shows elementary and middle schoolers what a city does and how to be heard, including a short illustrated guide to local government made for younger kids. Building the habit early means engaged high schoolers become the norm rather than the exception. d. Open the city government's doors to students.
i. A civic shadowing channel where any interested student can spend real time inside the city, sitting in on a commission meeting, spending a morning at public works, and shadowing staff at the library or city manager's office, so they see how local government actually runs instead of only reading about it. It's built to be open rather than selective, a standing invitation for curious students rather than a competitive placement.
There's a reason to start this young. People who get involved civically as teenagers are far more likely to keep voting and volunteering as adults, so the habits built now last for years. #2: Build engagement across generations.
A community is healthiest when its age groups aren't walled off from one another, and La Cañada already leans this way, from the Community Center's all-ages programming to Music in the Park. The Chamber of Commerce already links students to local businesses, so the Youth Council's role should be different, built around shared community projects rather than careers.
a. An annual intergenerational project.
i. Each year, a team of students and adult residents takes on one real local need, researching it, designing a response, and seeing it through over the year. Working side by side on a shared goal builds the kind of cross-generational trust a town runs on.
b. A first project tied to the city's 50th.
i. La Cañada turns fifty this year under the theme "Together for 50 Years." The first team could build a youth-led oral history, recording longtime residents' accounts of how the city has changed, paired with portraits or an illustrated exhibit so the stories become something the city can display rather than only store.
After the Eaton Fire, I'd also keep the Youth Council in step with the new Emergency Preparedness Coordinating Committee, offering a youth and peer channel to help its work reach students and families. None of this requires a large budget or any reshaping of what La Cañada is. It comes down to listening, organizing, and following through.
2. If applicable, include the Commission/Committee on which you have served previously and include the time frame
This is the first city commission or committee I've applied to serve on. My leadership so far has come through youth and community organizations rather than city government, as my resume details in full. I’m excited for an opportunity to bring that experience to a city body for the first time.
Attachments: I have attached my resume as a separate PDF in this email.
TIFFANY LEE La Cañada, CA
EDUCATION: Flintridge Prep | 9th - Current | GPA: 4.0
PROFILE: Leader in education & youth advocacy who turns ideas into programs that other young people can actually use. My work runs from La Cañada classrooms to the state level – organizing community fairs and peer workshops, training in restorative practice, presenting health research, and studying how public policy shapes schools. On the Youth Council, I hope to advocate for my own city: carrying students' voices into the room where decisions are made and designing the programs La Cañada's community needs.
SELECTED 2026 FELLOWSHIPS & LEADERSHIP PROGRAMS
Dr. Beatriz María Solís Policy Institute | Youth Fellow (Women's Foundation California) | 2026 ● Selected for a nine-month, stipend-supported policy-advocacy fellowship for leaders to promote state-level change in California; summer residential retreat in Sonoma followed by a year of policy and civic-engagement training.
HOBY Leadership | California State Leadership Seminar | 2026 ● Selected for Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership's statewide seminar for high school sophomores recognized for leadership potential, focused on leadership development and community service.
ACLU Advocacy Institute | High School Program | 2026
● Selected for a competitive civil-liberties advocacy program, working directly with ACLU lawyers, lobbyists, and community organizers on issue advocacy and policy.
Stanford Neurodiversity Project (SNP-REACH) | 2026
● Selected from a competitive national pool for the Stanford School of Medicine program, where students develop mentored research and advocacy projects on neurodiversity and inclusion.
ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERSHIP & COMMUNITY IMPACT
Sixth Avenue Hospitality’s CSR Division (ROK Coffee & Tea) | 9th - Present Director of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
Saved personal earnings from the role to seed a scholarship fund for girls and young women, now developing a dedicated donor fund in partnership with the Liberty Hill Foundation.
● Lead corporate social responsibility for the company; building partnerships and fundraising campaigns that fund youth leadership and underserved-youth education programs.
● Partnered with Girls Inc. on a branded campaign that raised $25,000 for girls' leadership programs ● Ran a collaboration with Flintridge Prep's Feminism Club to raise funds for the Center for Reproductive Rights. ● Partnering across ROK, Girls Inc, GIA, and Vista Global Horizons Charter School to build an interactive educational program composed of workshop series helping underserved South LA youth explore diverse career and field pathways.
Global Initiatives Alliance (GIA) | 9th - Present
Director of Youth Programming for Statewide Youth Leadership Alliance ● Direct youth programming for a California-wide alliance where students run discipline-based research labs and on-the-ground community projects; build the workshops and curriculum that members across the state deliver. ● Trained by the University of San Diego's Center for Restorative Justice (restorative facilitation and circle processes) and EBAC / Trauma Transformed (trauma-informed care)adapted into a safe, trauma and conflict-management curriculum for students. ● Lead and co-found several of the alliance's flagship initiatives, detailed below YouthTIDE: Youth Trauma-Informed Development & Equity | 9th - Present Co-Founder | GIA, in collaboration with Trauma Transformed ● Built the YouthTIDE Toolkit and a train-the-trainer curriculum for peer-led, trauma-informed student leadership; piloting at multiple schools using student surveys and counselor interviews. ● Interview educators, mental-health support centers, mental-health professionals to identify institutional gaps; run design sprints to rework school forms, peer-support systems, and discipline policies. ● Coordinate the SoCal Youth Trauma Justice Collective with EBAC Migrant Rural Youth Community Fair & BeyondthePlaygrounds Virtual Platform | 9th - Present Co-Developer w/GIA, with Greenfield Family Resource Center & Rural Community Nonprofits + Clinics ● Designed & run annual free community fair serving 500+ migrant rural families, connecting them with educational workshops, stations, health-literacy, and public-service resources. ● Co-developing a virtual learning platform for rural migrant students facing literacy barriers, built around needs the students named themselves.
OpenMinds Podcast | 9th - Present
Production Director | GIA, in collaboration with Miracles in Action ● Produce a podcast that pairs neurodivergent adult leaders with neurotypical youth, centering neurodivergent voices on identity, autonomy, and advocacy for parents, caregivers, and educators. $EED Financial Literacy | 9th - Present
Workshop Facilitator | GIA, with Olive Crest
● Lead financial-literacy workshops for foster youth aging out of care, teaching budgeting, saving, and investing through interactive simulations; run in partnership with foster-youth organizations including Olive Crest.
LA HeartShare Art Program | 8th - Present
Workshop Designer & Facilitator | LA HeartShare, HOLA & WLAC | Arts engagement with neurodivergent youth ● Design and lead weekly art lessons for neurodivergent children through LA HeartShare, focused on self-expression and fine-motor skills; coordinate scheduling, communication, and volunteers. ● Volunteer with WLAC and HOLA (Heart of Los Angeles) to lead arts workshops for underserved youth.
RESEARCH & HEALTH LITERACY
IHA National Health Literacy Conference | May, 2026
Selected Student Presenter (1 of only 5 high school teams) ● Selected to present research to 250+ global health practitioners on how gender norms shape the way adolescents learn about sexual and reproductive health by examining how stigma, ideas about “protecting innocence,” and masculinity and femininity expectations differently affect whether boys and girls ask questions or seek care. ● Authored additional health-literacy research, including a study on digital overload and phantom-notification behavior and its effects on adolescent anxiety and focus.
CIVIC LEADERSHIP & ADVOCACY
Congressional Debate & Speech | 9th - Present
Oratory Competitor & Congress Debater
● Analyze proposed legislation and debate it under parliamentary procedure ( the same deliberative format an advisory body uses) building skills in bill analysis, policy evaluation, and respectful disagreement. ● Debated six bills; wrote and delivered original oratory on current events and policy.
Civic Leaders of America | 9th - Present
Convention Staff | National, Student-led Nonpartisan Civic-engagement Nonprofit ● Organize fall conventions and state-level events under the national Conventions Coordinator, running logistics and outreach for student debate, leadership training, and issue campaigns. ● Lead fundraising and volunteer teams for county-wide civic projects; recruit and mentor new chapter members.
FLINTRIDGE PREP LEADERSHIP
BRIDGE: Belonging, Respect, Inclusion & Diversity Grounded in Equity | Elected 10th - Present Student Leader | Flintridge Prep's student leadership organization ● Lead dialogue, identity-exploration, and outreach programming (events, guest speakers, advisory, and peer counseling) that build cross-cultural understanding and a welcoming campus community.
ARTS, CREATIVE & PUBLISHED WORK
Award-Winning Visual Artist & Writer | 8th - Present
● Nature Record Author's Spotlight Recipient for creative piece “I Burn to Bloom, Listen” chosen by the authors of The Nature Record (a national assessment of U.S. lands, waters, and wildlife) for its report read by policymakers and educators (2025). ● Works across acrylic, watercolor, charcoal, colored pencil, and digital media (Wacom, Adobe Creative Suite), with a focus on narrative and children's-book illustration.
Hi-Teen | 9th - Present
Zine Founder, Pageant Finalist & Co-Host
● Founded the Hi-Teen Zine, a digital publication of essays, interviews, and visual storytelling by girls who challenge pageantry, beauty standards, and gender norms.
● National finalist for People's Choice (2024) and co-host of the 2025 Hi-Teen USA event; founded Beyond the Crown, an interview project that reframes pageantry as a platform for girls' empowerment.
ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT & TRAINING
● University of San Diego, Center for Restorative Justice (2026): Trained in restorative facilitation and circle processes:
structured dialogue, conflict resolution, and consensus-building. ● Trauma-Informed Care, Policy & Implementation (2025): Trauma Transformed / East Bay Agency for Children; equity-centered systems training for schools and community care. ● Using Public Policy for Social Change, U. Michigan (2025): Policy analysis, stakeholder mapping, equity metrics, and implementation trade-offs.
● Feminist Theory Workshop, Duke University (2026) : Selected to attend the 19th annual, registration-limited scholarly workshop.
● Brown Pre-College, Harvard Debate Council & Certifications (2025): College-level work on equity, justice, education policy, and child development (Brown; Harvard; U. London; U. Glasgow; U. Cape Town; Utrecht; SUNY).
AWARDS & HONORS
● President's Volunteer Service Award, Gold | The White House & AmeriCorps; 100+ service hours (2024) ● Bronze, Bow Seat Ocean Awareness Contest | National Environmental Contest, ~16,000 entries (2025) ● Second Place, National Dosan Art Festival | Digital Painting on the Eaton Fire's aftermath (2025) ● National Congress Debate Qualifier, 6th of 36 | National Qualifying Tournament (March 2025) ● Hi-Teen USA Pageant, Kim Award & People's Choice | Cultural advocacy and public speaking (2024)
Joyce Kang
EXPERIENCE
● Teen Line, Los Angeles, CA - Crisis Listener (December 2023 - Present) - Selected as 1 of 20 students in the Fall of 2023 cohort for 50+ hours of crisis intervention training at the Didi Hirsch Suicide Prevention Center
- Provide empathetic, peer-based support to teens experiencing crises including depression, anxiety, abuse, and suicidal ideation
- Commit to 5-hour in-person shifts twice monthly, maintaining confidentiality and composure under pressure to support emotional well-being
● Dragon Kim Foundation, Irvine, CA - Fellow (February 2024 - Present) - Selected as 1 out of 60 teams from 519 applicants for DKF-8 Fellowship, receiving leadership training and a $5,000 grant to launch a nonprofit.
- Co-founded Poetic Hearts, an organization empowering underrepresented youth to use poetry as an outlet for emotional expression and mental health awareness
● Poetic Hearts, Los Angeles, CA - Co-founder (February 2024 - Present) - Founded a non-profit organization teaching poetry workshops to elementary and middle school students as a creative form of emotional expressions
- Partnered with community organizations such as Koreatown Youth and Community Center and MIX Academy to reach underserved populations
- Led workshops for 170+ students, promoting resilience, confidence, and emotional literacy through creative writing
- Designed and implemented lesson plans focused on self-expression, empathy, and coping skills ● Centre for Sports and Human Rights, Los Angeles, CA - Journalist (July 2024 – Present) - Selected as one of the five student journalists in Los Angeles for the Youth Media Forward Initiative inaugural cohort
- Collaborate with student journalists across the nation to research, develop, and publish human rights focused stories
- Engage with industry professionals to strengthen skills in ethical reporting, interviewing, and editorial analysis - Publish original work through the Youth Media Forward online platform (ex. Interview) ● Youth Mental Health Academy (YMHA), Los Angeles, CA - Intern (June 2025 – Present) - Completed evidence-based workshops on psychological well-being, suicide prevention, and mental health advocacy
- Conducted and presented a research capstone projected focused on effects of group exercise on mental health
- Strengthened skills in research design, data interpretation, and public presentation through collaboration with mental health professionals
● Koreatown Storytelling Program (KSP), Los Angeles, CA - Intern (August 2025 - Present) - Interviewing and documenting life stories of local elders to highlight the experiences of Los Angeles’ primarily immigrant and low income communities
- Collaborating with the Los Angeles Local News Initiative to produce youth-led community journalism and hyper-local news coverage
- Developing skills in interviewing, cultural research, and narrative documentation to strengthen intergenerational understanding and community engagement ● The Spartan La Canada High School Newspaper, Los Angeles, CA - Features Editor (August 2024 - Present) - Lead the Features section of a 30+ member nationally recognized student newspaper, guiding writers through the drafting and revision process
- Edit feature articles to ensure accuracy, narrative cohesion, and publication readiness - Write and publish original feature articles for print and digital editions - Organize and teach photography training sessions to strengthen visual journalism across the paper
● Banchan (Sidedish) Service, Los Angeles, CA - Caregiver (2019 - Present) - Provide ongoing caregiving support for grandparents by preparing homemade Korean banchan and ready-to-eat meals
- Dedicate multiple hours every Saturday to cooking, meal planning, and food preparation - Adapt meals to meet the dietary and accessibility needs of grandmother recovering from a stroke - Support household stability through consistent caregiving, reliability, and long-term commitment ● Independent Project, Los Angeles, CA - Student Researcher (August 2025 - Present) - Conduct independent research project on biological factors contributing to migraine susceptibility under science teacher advisor
- Review and synthesize scientific literature to develop research questions and guide analysis - Analyze findings and draw evidence-based conclusions over multi-semester research periods - Present research findings to La Cañada High School administration at the end of each semester ● USC Shoah Foundation- The Institute for Visual History and Education, Los Angeles, CA - Intern (June 2024 - July 2024)
- Selected among 40 students nationwide for the University of Southern California’s William P. Lauder Junior Internship Program
- Analyzed first-hand survivor testimonies of genocide to explore themes of trauma, identiy, and moral responsibility
- Presented research-based insights on collective memory and civic engagement to peers and Institute partners ● Arts Media Entertainment Institute, Burbank, CA - Ambassador (June 2024) - Selected for the SONY AME Ambassador program to assist with event organization and media coordination - Facilitated sessions as a room host, engaged with speakers and attendees, and supported event logistics - Assisted with social media coverage and Expo coordination to enhance event reach and engagement ● Working Assumptions Education, Berkeley, CA - Student Curator (March 2024 - May 2024) - Worked under photographer Joshua Watson to curate the “In the Moment” exhibition focused on visual storytelling
- Managed submissions, communications, and event logistics as part of a paid internship ● Overseas Korean Agency, Incheon, South Korea - Participant (July 2024 - August 2024) - Selected for the OKFriends Homecoming Teens Camp, a global youth leadership and cultural exchange program
- Explored Korean identity, history, and socioeconomic development through immersive educational experiences SKILLS
● Communication: crisis communication, emphatic listening, adolescent crisis response trained ● Media: journalism, storytelling, social media management, community outreach ● Research: qualitative research, interview transcription, data interpretation ● Technical: Google Workspace, Canva, basic video editing, proficiently camera trained ● Fluent in Korean
● Adolescent Crisis Response Trained
AWARDS & TEST SCORES
● AP Scholar 2025
● Silver Key at Scholastics Art and Writing Regionals 2024 (Photography) ● Honorable Mention at Scholastics Art and Writing 2024 (Photography) ● Honorable mention California Streaming 2024 (Photography) ● 2nd place at 2024 La Canada PTA Council Round, High school Division 9-12 (Photography) ● 2024 National Examinations in World Languages for Korean: earned the highest possible score of 5
NIKHIL NELSON
___________ ____________
La Canada High School—GPA: 4.16. National Honors Society Class of 2028
EXPERIENCE
Angola Tutoring Club 2 hrs per week / 36 wks per year / 2024–current Vice President, Founding Member & Featured in Forbes Africa. Experience includes teaching the Advisor to the President of Angola. Create lesson plans for different levels of students, kindergarteners to graduate students and adults. Tutor ~5 students weekly from across Angola and rural orphanage on zoom. TOEFL prep. Proctor, manage and edit lessons, oversee attendance, set goals, recruit tutors. Improved communication skills by explaining concepts to non-fluent speakers using many means.
Boy Scouts 1.5 hr per week/ 44 wks a year/ 2023-current Patrol Leader & Bugler. Joshua Tree Rock Climbing, Catalina Camp, Mount Wilson service projects, Angeles Forest backpacking, navigated thru Mojave Desert with nothing but a compass and map. LCHS and La Canada Congregational Church volunteering. Responsibilities include arranging meals, guiding scouts, enforcing rules, event management, leading activities. Learn self-reliance, first aid, mentoring younger scouts to advance ranks.
Model United Nations 12 hrs per month/ 4 mths per year/ 2025-current LA and OC including Northwoods Delegate, engaging with attendees from Mexico and Canada. Learned government systems, IR, historical topics such as treaties. Built research, writing, speaking extemporaneously, analytical thinking skills preparing for conferences papers and speeches.
Track and Field, LCHS 8 hrs per week/ 18 wks per year/ 2025-current League meets, invitationals across greater L.A. Ran mile, 2-mile, 400m, team relay. Practiced daily with teammates, partaking in intense workouts. Exponentially bolstered my confidence, honed goal setting skills through measurable times and improvement.
Wrestling, LCHS 8 hrs a week/ 44 wks per year/ 2024-2025 Lightweight Varsity 7 JV. Regional CIF tournament as well as various LA tournaments. Hosted Japanese National Youth Wrestling team. Mentored lightweight freshmen. Increased my fitness, mental toughness by pushing through mental and physical exhaustion. Nurtured teamwork.
Cross Country, LCHS 6 hrs a week/ 28 wks per year/ 2025 JV & FreshSoph. Ran Mt. Sac, La Canada area, tournaments in LA area, some hosting more than a hundred teams. Built perseverance, self-discipline, running rain or shine.
In Spirit Artificial Intelligence 12.5 hrs per week/ 2 wks per year/ 2025 Led by Harvard mentors. Covered AI concepts, real-world applications, JAVA basics, AI ethics, algorithm bias. Developed our own AI/advanced algorithm that determined if a cell was cancerous based on a single image, with a very high success rating.
SUMMER 2026
University of California, Irvine: Ethics of Nuclear Risk and Responsibility Foundation for Teaching Economics: Economics for Leaders John Locke Institute, Georgetown University: Politics and International Relations
RESUME
Full Name: Irene Sung
Personal Email:
GPA: UW: 4.0 W: 4.54 W (10-12): 4.84
Intended Major: Life Science (pre-med)
Year Extra-Curricular Activities
(clubs, student gov, sports,
etc.)
Positions / Role Responsibilities Hrs/Wk
2023 -
present
La Canada High School
Orchestra
1st violin, 2nd
Violin Principal
Attending daily rehearsals,
performing music pieces for
concerts, perform in community
events, learning discipline through
an ensemble with others who share
the same passion; Leading the
second violin section in the
orchestra through rehearsals and
organizing weekly sectionals with
the whole group to assist with
difficult passages, performing at
local elementary schools to promote
a passion for music
2017 -
present
Violin Committing to the instrument
through regular practices to improve
technique, working with teachers
and mentors to refine skills as a
musician, compete in competitions,
volunteer at churches and senior
homes by providing music
2013 -
present
Ballet Training with other pre-professional
ballerinas through exercises on the
floor, barre, centre, and across the
floor to elevate technique, learning
choreography for performances,
training for state and national level
competitions
2024 -
present
Health Occupations Students
of America Club
Treasurer,
Co-President
Handling and recording funds made
from fundraisers, promoting career
opportunities in healthcare,
developing leadership skills,
collaborating with other members
and the cabinet to plan for events to
teach about medicine, preparing the
members for competitions to
showcase healthcare knowledge and
skills
2025 Keynote Project Club Co-Founder,
Co-President
Gathering a community of LCHS
students passionate about all forms
of music, hosting instrument drives
for underprivileged communities,
showcasing performances through
charity shows
2024 June -
present
La Canada High School
Advanced Orchestra
Leadership
Treasurer,
Secretary
Handling funds made from
fundraisers, coordinating events for
the orchestra, volunteering every
week in the summer in the park to
hold bake sales to raise money,
collaborating with other members of
the leadership team to plan events
2024 -
present
JPL National Science Bowl Treasurer Helping to lead afterschool meetings, conducting competition
round simulations, managing
competition funds, preparing for
competition
2024 -
present
LiteratureDiversified LA
Chapter
Director of
Educational
Research
Diversifying the perspectives taught
in school curricula to foster more
inclusive classrooms for
underrepresented students across
the world, leading direct research to
develop history curriculum based on
minority groups to share with
teachers
2025 JPL Space Academy Intern, Head of
Marketing
Collaborating with a team to
spearhead a business simulation by
building a launcher, increasing stock
value, and managing a successful
social media page
2020 -
present
Working in Family Shoe
Importing/Wholesaling
Business
Assisting in managing inventory by
tracking shipments and organizing
stock, drafting emails to send to
customers, communicating with
retail partners about orders and
product details, research footwear
trends or popular styles to help
decide what to import, prepare and
label packages for shipment, handle
invoices
2025 Civic Leaders of America
Organization
Assistant Director
of
Non-Partisanship,
member of
Community
Action
Working with other student leaders
across Southern California to foster
DEI within civic engagement through
conventions and debates
2024 -
present
National English Honors
Society
member Promoting a love for literature
through reading and writing,
maintaining a high level of academic
excellence, engaging in
literary-focused volunteer work,
participating in writing workshops,
entering a literature and art
competition
2025 Data Journalist Research
Internship
Intern Developing a research piece by
gathering data about the
homelessness in Koreatown and
analyzing trends in the Korean
demographic
2025 Biomedical Research Genetically transforming bacteria to act as biosensors for detecting
analytes; Will be published in April
2026
2026 Student Journalist at the
Korean Daily Newspaper
Writing articles to be published in
the Korean Daily News
Year Community Service Positions / Role Responsibilities Hrs/Wk Wks/ YR
2023
September
Volunteering at local
Catholic Church
Playing the violin Collaborating with the choir to provide music during mass
2024 July Volunteering to play at a
Senior Homes/Centers
Playing the violin Providing enjoyable music for the
elderly, utilizing music to create a
welcoming and supportive
atmosphere for residents, bringing
delight and relaxation through music,
collaborating with other volunteers to
plan the events
2025 Girls Who Code Innovation
Camp (Supporting Mental
Health and Wellness)
Counselor Providing guidance and teaching
programming, engineering, and
problem solving to girls in elementary
and middle schools
2025 Women in Stem Science Counselor Providing hands-on experience in
Year Community Service Positions / Role Responsibilities Hrs/Wk Wks/ YR
Discovery Lab science experiments to students in
elementary schools
2026 Elementary Honors
Orchestra Assistant
Conductor
Teaching elementary school violins
basic skills such as music reading,
posture, and intonation; Helping the
conductor lead the orchestra
Year Summer
Program/Internship
Positions / Role Responsibilities Hrs/Wk Wks/
YR
2025
Summer
Stanford Cardiothoracic
Surgical Skills Internship
Intern Learning about cardiothoracic surgery
and actively participating in hands-on
skills (ex. suturing)
Year Honors / Awards (royal of the week/year, end of year academic awards, service awards, etc.) 2024
March
Regional Dance Competition Platinum 1st Place for ballet 2024
May
Regional Dance Competition Platinum 1st Place for ballet 2024
May
Top 10 Dancers in the West Coast Award
2024
June
Nationals Dance Competition Platinum 1st Place
2024 Regional Satori Music Festival 3rd Place for Open Category, Violin 2024 Regional Satori Music Festival 3rd Place Bach Category, Violin 2024 Certificate of Merit Award Level 10 Advanced for the Violin 2025 Scholastic Art and Writing Competition Gold Key Award for Poetry 2025 Scholastic Art and Writing Competition Honorable Mention for Poetry 2025 The Music Center Spotlight Artistic Achievement Award for Ballet 2025 "First Class" Award of Excellence from the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) for The Ink and the Iris (school literary arts magazine) Submission
2025 Orchestra Director’s Award for Violin
2026 HOSA Medical Spelling + Nursing Assisting State Qualifier