If you are a continuing student, you most likely know who Reza Zomorrodian is. If you are a new student, you have probably seen him during SPOP. If his name and his face are completely ambiguous to you, this is your second best option to getting to know him!
Reza is a fourth year Political Science and Sociology double major who also happens to be our current ASUCI President, the Resident Advisor for Isla in Mesa Court Housing and a member of Sigma Chi. Despite his busy schedule, he was able to spare some time to share his stories, experiences and some things that many people may not know about him. He sat down not knowing what to expect from this interview, but it became a conversation that revealed his passion for his current positions.
He began his storytelling with his first year experiences. “I was scared!” His eyes grew and his facial expression revealed the feelings he had as a first year, which a majority of first-years also experience: fear and anxiousness, but also excitement. Reza certainly felt scared, but he was also excited for the experience.
He went on to describe his initial involvement in ASUCI. He mentioned that he did not take part in Student Government during high school, but he was part of Speech and Debate, which he felt has had the biggest impact on his life and on the path he has chosen to take in his college career. Before he began his first year, he researched ASUCI and knew that he wanted to be part of it. He checked it out during SPOP and then Open House, but chose not to intern. Up until week five of the fall quarter, he had not decided how he was going to get involved in ASUCI. It was during week five when he first did something within ASUCI. He attended a Legislative Council meeting that discussed touching the money in the ASUCI Reserves. He took the opportunity to be one of the voices of the students and talked about the By-Laws regarding the reserves. When the votes were counted, it was decided that the money in the reserves could not be touched and only then did Reza feel that this was his calling and that ASUCI was an organization that could make a difference. Not long after this particular meeting, he declared his candidacy to be an At-Large. He was ecstatic about campaigning around Ring Road, but it was also difficult because he was a freshman and did not know many people. In other words, Reza really had to sell himself to the students and other organizations. He eventually became an At-Large, but he struggled to balance his freshman experiences with his duties in ASUCI. “As a freshman, I felt that I was engaged with what was going on and at the same time, it well-rounded my hall experience.”
Before he described his current experiences as ASUCI President and as a Resident Advisor, he talked about what made him so well rounded and prepared for his current positions. He worked at the UCI Bookstore (The Hill) in the Marketing Department, was part of the C.A.R.E. Office’s Champs, a SPOP Staffer in 2013, a Resident Advisor for COSMOS UCI, a part of Legislative Council, Speaker of Council and Sigma Chi.
The theme of his hall, Isla, is Emerging Leaders. What he finds the most amazing thing about his residents is that even though they are all looking for something within leadership, they do not restrict themselves to Student Government. As a Resident Advisor, he believes the best way for his residents to get the most out of their experiences is to get their names out, become familiar with their interests and just go for it. He also feels that as a Resident Advisor, being able to sympathize with his residents enhances their dorm experience. To the best of his abilities, Reza wants to ensure he is there for his residents so that they have a memorable and fulfilling experience. In fact, he has so much faith in his first-years that he considers them the hope of the campus. “I want to come back here in 20 years and know that had I applied in that time, I would not be able to get it. Then I would know that there was progress.” That is the message he wants to get out to his residents and the first years.
Despite all that does as ASUCI President and as a Resident Advisor, he is still a student. He revealed that his drive and motivation are internal. After a long day of classes and extensive meetings with administration, Reza emphasizes that he could have very well just chosen to have a “chill” senior year as a Resident Advisor and a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity. However, he felt that if he chose that route, he would not have maximized his time and that would have “itched” him for the rest of the year, and maybe even the rest of his life. Even when he is exhausted, when he returns to his hall and sees his residents’ interactions with one another, it fulfills him. It is the little things he sees in his positions that remind him of why he chose to do what he’s doing.
His main tip for being a Resident Advisor is to be open. As he described, there are a lot of things that Resident Advisors experience. He feels that he is diverse, but he also knows that a person can never really be so diverse that nothing else could challenge their diverse persona. He believes in order to be a good Resident Advisor, one must be as open-minded as possible because many unexpected situations will arise that they will have to find a solution to. As for being President or even being part of the Executive Board, there is no single path that a person can take but his suggestion to others is to work their way up in the different departments and become familiar with the people they are working around. The most important thing, according to Reza, is to engage yourself in different areas of the campus, but also know proper timing – “You’re ready when you know and say you’re ready!”
Just because Reza has a lot on his plate does not mean he has no time for himself. Some of the things he enjoys doing are: reading, hanging out with close friends and going to the pub. “My hobbies sort of intertwine with the professional stuff. I really like all this political work I do.” He also speaks Farsi fluently. After all, he did go to a Persian school for six years and his parents raised him to speak Farsi. He also has a scar above his left eye from his childhood when he ran into a corner of a furniture and it was cut open. It has healed since then, but it is obvious. He also does not sing or dance, but his talent—that is not hidden—and also something he likes, is holding conversations. If there were something that he would want people to know about him, it would be that when he is in the midst of a conversation with someone, he appreciates it when the other person reciprocates. “I like when people steer the conversation.” Being the one to listen gives him a chance to learn more about the person.
The quote he wants to leave the readers with: “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.” Chinese Proverb.
With that in mind, it is safe to say that titles are just labels for the things that people do. Reza may be the ASUCI President and a Resident Advisor, but those are just titles for the things he enjoys doing. He is still a student experiencing the same struggles all students are experiencing. Whether that struggle is financial, difficulty or time management, it goes to show that there is so much more to someone than just their title.
He would also like everyone to know that he is a really fun person, he promises.
Photo: Reza Zomorrodian & Jamrensze Torres