Jimmy Zheng
Year: 3rd
Major: Biology
Hometown: Saratoga, CA
What are you involved with on campus?
I am involved with Mobile Clinic Project at UCLA, Together Educating and Advocating Community Health (TEACH), and evolutionary biology research at the Alfaro Lab. I am also a Resident Assistant at Canyon Point.
Why do you want to be pre-med?
Honestly, the pre-med track is a stepping-stone to my real objective: to help those in desperate need. I have worked extensively with homeless individuals and traveled to a few developing nations to do medical work, and what I have observed is how disease and chronic conditions can devastate people’s livelihoods. At a certain point, those who are afflicted with relentless illnesses start losing hope, and their dreams and goals in life begin to collapse. Seeing that in person is a horrible experience; but to realize that many cases are preventable is, to say the least, exasperating. A state of healthy well-being is the linchpin of a productive and happy life. I have been blessed with the ability to maintain my physical and mental wellness – it is my vision to restore that of others.
What is your favorite thing to do on campus?
My favorite thing to do on campus is bike down Charles E Young Drive North from the hill without holding on to the handlebars. It gives me the biggest adrenaline jump in the morning and effectively wakes me up before my 9am classes. The key is to stay as calm as possible when accelerating down the hill and shift your direction with your weight. If you do it right (without freaking out), almost everyone walking up the hill will be amazed. It takes practice, but be careful and don’t fall!
What are you passionate about?
I am thoroughly passionate about serving the homeless population. I started working with individuals living on the street during the summer of my first year. It was through this program called Mobile Clinic Project at UCLA, a student-run initiative that aims to improve the health outcomes of homeless populations in West Hollywood and Santa Monica. But beyond this, the single most important service we provide is not medicine or food, but compassion. Every Wednesday, we set up a temporary clinic at the corner of Sycamore and Romaine, and as undergraduate caseworkers, we listen to their stories, provide them with an array of services, and stand in solidarity with each and every one of our clients. Compassion from others is a service they seriously lack – just think about it, how many times have any of us ignored a homeless individual on the street? Probably too many to count. However, if we are all willing to commit just 5 minutes of our time to ask how our homeless neighbors are doing, we would be amazed at their unheard stories. After all, they are fellow human beings, and they undergo life’s pains, struggles, and hardships, just like all of us do.
What advice would you give to underclassmen?
You must not be afraid to ask the big questions. What kind of legacy do I want to leave? Is this really what I want to do for the rest of my life? What can I be doing now to improve myself? How can I be a better person to all those around me? You may not always have all the right answers. Many times, you will find yourself pursuing a path that does not make you happy, or someone else’s dream. You might even have off-days where you bring down those around you.
But if you keep asking yourself the big questions, you will always be transparent with yourself. You will discover clarity over many facets of your life. Most of all, you will realize that there is always room to grow. And that’s a beautiful thing: to stay humble and motivated. These values, I believe, are the ingredients to true bliss.
What’s your favorite music or movie genre?
My favorite music genre is jazz rap/hip hop. I love how artists work in such a diversity of messages into a melody that actually calms you down. It’s a genre that packages the intensity of hip hop social commentary into a calm Friday evening with tea, if that makes any sense.
My favorite movie genre is biographical drama films, like Lincoln, the Pursuit of Happyness, Schindler’s List, the Imitation Game, etc. I just absolutely love following the lives of those who have made a huge impact on human history and the future. To see others overcome struggle, to me, means that I can do so as well.