When I Became A Gator

Victoria Lasavath talks with host Vi Payulert (DCP’12) about her career journey after UF, moving to Boston and now to Los Angeles, now leading communications at the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank.

Minh Le (‘12), Co-founder & COO of In-Between Studios, talks with host Vi Payulert (DCP’12) about the leap he took moving to the West Coast to Los Angeles, where keeping your network of Gator Alumni helps you in any stage of life.

Jon Tanawan, a family medicine resident, talks with host Vi Payulert (DCP’12) about his time at UF, serving through various campus organizations, studying abroad for medical school in the Philippines and now finishing up medical residency in Chicago!

Sonia Amin, a consultant pharmacists and children’s book author, talks with host Vi Payulert (DCP’12)  being from a family of Gator alumni, her early career, serving the community, and also branching out and writing her own children’s book - Bax and His Bubbles, a book all about a kid and his thoughts.

Michael Satyapor (CLAS-Economics’12), a Product Manager at Hulu, talks with host Vi Payulert (DCP’12)  about the early years of the UF Association of Asian Alumni, and building your skills outside the classroom. Not only did Michael serve as past lead of the Alumni Association but also AASU President while maintaining leadership in many on campus organizations.

Ellen graduated from UF's College of Design, Construction and Planning in 1992 with a degree in interior design. Amidst the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew, she shifted to working in student affairs and now is a licensed realtor. On this episode of the podcast, Ellen sits down with Vi Payulert (DCP'12) to talk about her experience on campus, being one of the founding members of the Filipino Student Association (FSA), pivoting in new careers opportunities, and her passions for all things creative.

Phillip Cheng, an educator, licensed real estate agent, talks with host Vi Payulert (DCP’12) about his time at UF, serving as President of the Asian American Student Union (AASU), teaching in Hawaii, and his passion for teaching and learning!

We are back with Season 2 of the podcast When I Became A Gator, with new host Vi Payulert. Vi catches up with alumni to see where they are now and how their times at UF shaped their lives, careers, & passions. Through the unique stories of each guest, Vi hopes these podcasts will not only bring about nostalgia, laughs, memories, but also highlight how diverse the Asian and Asian American community truly is.

Now serving as the Director of Volunteer Engagement at the UF Alumni Association, Carré Mitchell talks about how she become a Gator when she bought her first T-shirt from the UF Bookstore.

Double-Gator alumni Sandy Chiu talks about her Weeks of Welcome experience attending the Asian American Student Assembly at University Auditorium and how that inspired her to become a student activist during her time at UF. 

Naomi shares how she became a leader in the Indian Students Association during her time at UF and how her leadership experiences still influence her career as a lawyer today.

Dennis Ngin shares his memories of when he was a Preview Staffer and how the phrase "Go Gators" allows him to stay connected to UF no matter where he is in the world. 

From finance to food delivery, Vanessa Kwong talks about the moment she knew she wanted to be a leader in the Asian American community at UF. 

Brian Fung reminisces on the "Golden Age" of Gator Football and talks about how he went from playing World of Warcraft to becoming an Informatics Pharmacist.

From Florida to Los Angeles, Kevin J. Nguyen talks about his path into the world of media production and how he allowed his creative side to shine. 

Hosted by Phillip Cheng, When I Became a Gator focuses on the stories of various alumni, around the country, in the hopes of bringing closer the Gator Nation, one alumni at a time. 

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After completing her degree in architecture at UF, Vi Payulert reflects on her time as a student leader and how the skills she learned at UF led her to a successful career in commercial real estate.

Bowie Oliveira, a founding member of the UF chapter of alpha Kappa Delta Phi Sorority, shares how attending an Asian American student conference at UF while in high school impacted her decision to apply to UF.

South Florida native George Liu shares his memories about being involved in the Chinese American Student Association while at UF.