Student Ambassadors

Angelina Chen grew up in Irvine, CA, and graduated from UCLA in 2024 with a B.S. in Psychobiology. Her passion for healthcare began early — shaped by observing doctor-patient interactions during her grandfather’s chemotherapy treatments. As she explored various healthcare fields, optometry stood out for its balance of lifestyle, hands-on care, and personalized patient relationships. Confident in her decision, Angelina applied only to Berkeley Optometry, drawn by its renowned faculty and ideal location.

At UCLA, she deepened her commitment to the field by serving as President of the Pre-Optometry Society, volunteering as a research assistant at the Stein Eye Institute, and interning at three private practices. She was also an active member of a pre-health honor society, Alpha Epsilon Delta. Beyond academics, Angelina was one of three UCLA Feature Twirlers, performing at large-scale school events alongside the Marching Band and Spirit Squad. Her dedication to baton twirling was further recognized when she was selected to represent Team USA at the 2023 International Baton Twirling Federation’s Nations Cup. She also worked in marketing and brand ambassadorship for companies such as Glow Recipe and CELSIUS — a role she has continued into her first year here. Angelina’s diverse experiences have shaped her long-term goal of working part-time in private practice while also engaging with the industry, social media, and beauty sectors of optometry. As an ambassador, she hopes to share her unique journey and help future students feel supported and welcomed at Berkeley.

While managing Berkeley’s curriculum, Angelina is also the President-Elect for the Optometric Business Management Club, a part-time employee for the Equipment Team, and one of two Big-Lil Sib Coordinators. Outside of school, you can catch her tutoring K-12 students, creating content for her food Instagram account, or training for her next fitness competition. In her free time, she loves traveling, attending festivals & concerts, reading, and catching the sunrise/sunset!

If you have any questions, email Angelina directly at: angelinajchen@berkeley.edu

Jazmine Maria Solorzano was born in Lynwood, CA, and raised in Paramount, a city in Los Angeles County. As a proud first-generation Mexican-American, she became the first in her family to pursue higher education and earned her Bachelor’s degree from UC Berkeley, majoring in Molecular & Cellular Biology with an emphasis in Neurobiology and minoring in Global Public Health. Like many students, Jazmine didn’t initially know that optometry was her path; she began her undergraduate studies on a pre-law track. However, after realizing that law did not ignite her curiosity the way science did, she shifted her focus to the health professions. It wasn’t until a campus club meeting where students from Berkeley Optometry came to speak that something clicked. Hearing their stories and experiences, she felt an immediate connection to the profession and knew she had found the right career path.

Jazmine’s optometric journey officially began when she joined a pre-optometry club on campus. As a first-generation college student with no clear roadmap or mentors in the field, this decision was pivotal. The club connected her with guest speakers and resources that helped her understand the requirements for optometry school, from prerequisite coursework to clinical experience and application deadlines. Most importantly, it gave her a sense of direction during a time when she was navigating her career path on her own. After graduating, Jazmine took three gap years to prioritize her well-being and prevent burnout, but she remained actively involved in optometry to ensure she kept her passion alive. She eagerly sought real-world experiences by shadowing in optometric research as well as in OD/MD hybrid offices. She also worked in two different types of optometric settings: private practice and academia. During her final gap year, she joined UC Berkeley’s Meredith W. Morgan University Eye Center as a Patient Services Assistant. In this role, she worked closely with the Contact Lens and Myopia Control clinics and occasionally supported the Dry Eye and Low Vision clinics, gaining valuable exposure to a wide range of patient care experiences and specialty services. She also had the opportunity to collaborate with supportive staff, faculty, and optometry students from Herbert Wertheim School of Optometry & Vision Science, giving her a firsthand look at what it would be like to work in the clinic as a future student clinician.

Through her various optometry roles as a technician, research assistant, shadowing student, and patient services assistant, Jazmine acquired valuable practical skills and gained a comprehensive understanding of the day-to-day realities of patient care in optometry. These diverse experiences contributed significantly to her clinical and personal development, further solidifying her dedication to pursuing a career in optometry. Motivated by her own challenging path, Jazmine is deeply committed to advancing access to eye care, advocating for the inclusion of underrepresented voices in healthcare, and serving as a role model for future generations of first-generation and underrepresented students.

You can contact Jazmine directly at: jazminesolorzano@berkeley.edu

Kim Nguyen was born and raised in San Jose, California. At 16, she attended a middle college, where she took dual enrollment courses, earning both high school and college credits. In 2022, she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from San Jose State University.

Halfway through her undergraduate studies, she started working at a local optometry office and quickly developed a passion for serving others through healthcare. She began her journey into the field and applied to UC Berkeley’s Post-Baccalaureate Health Professions Program to complete her prerequisites. Along the way, she gained valuable experiences as she worked in both private and corporate practices, served as the Vice President of SJSU’s Pre-Optometry Club, and assisted the blind community. Kim chose Berkeley for its close proximity to home and its holistic admissions process. She opted not to take the OAT, instead choosing to take her time with the application. During her gap year, she focused on recharging by traveling, volunteering, babysitting, and boxing.

She is now enjoying all that Berkeley has to offer — from the supportive faculty to the vibrant community. She’s excited to connect with prospective students and is happy to share insights about her gap year, the application process, or what life is like as an optometry student.

You can contact Kim directly at: kimhnguyen@berkeley.edu

Learn more about her journey to optometry here:
https://voices.berkeley.edu/sciences-mathematics-and-biotechnology/vision-providing-optometric-health-care

Lucy Huang was born and raised in Queens/Long Island, New York. She graduated from Cornell University with a B.S. in Human Development and a minor in Gerontology. During her undergraduate studies, Lucy delved into research in neuroethology and immunology and deepened her understanding of medicine through mentorship and community involvement. After graduating in 2023, she dedicated her gap year to working as a scribe at an ophthalmology office in NY, while also balancing OAT exam preparation, online prerequisite coursework, and the optometry application process. Initially on the pre-medical track, Lucy used this time to solidify her commitment to optometry through her extensive shadowing opportunities and passion for eye care.

From Lucy’s routine Ortho-K lens visits to her optometrist for over 12 years to her recent LASIK procedure last year, her longstanding exposure to vision correction continually fostered her interest in optometry. Thus, she was able to cultivate a strong foundation for clinical thinking through meaningful interactions with patients and mentors in diverse healthcare settings. While confident in choosing optometry, Lucy had reservations about moving far from home having lived on the East Coast her whole life— however, she was ultimately drawn to Berkeley’s close-knit and welcoming community, bountiful resources, and its pioneering role in research and innovation in the optometry field.

During her time at Berkeley, Lucy has tackled her academic responsibilities, while also involving herself meaningfully in her community. She is the Co-Philanthropy Chair for her class, Director of Social Relations for the Myopia Control Club (MCC), part of UCOSA’s Student Life Committee, part of the T-35 NEI Summer Research Program, member of her class’s Sunshine Committee, mentor for UCB’s Foresight pre-optometry club, and is proud to be a Berkeley Optometry Ambassador! Lucy is excited to share her optometry journey with prospective students and hopes to be a reliable resource for those interested in a career in optometry.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact Lucy at: lh488@berkeley.edu

Margaret is from Davis, California and graduated in 2020 from Boston University with a double major in Comparative Literature and Chinese and a minor in Philosophy. After college, she moved to Washington D.C. where she worked as a middle school English teacher for over a year before realizing the career was not the right fit. She returned to her hometown to explore new career paths and found herself especially drawn to optometry.

Intrigued by this prospect, she reached out to local optometrists and started working as an optometric technician. She quickly fell in love with patient care and recognized that optometry would provide her with a sustainable career that still allowed her to improve others’ quality of Life.

Having graduated with a non-STEM degree, Margaret spent an additional two years taking all the science prerequisites at a community college and preparing for her optometry school applications. Though initially apprehensive about such a major career change, she is now very happy with her choice and enjoying her time here at Berkeley Optometry. She is on the e-board of Berkeley’s Optometric Business Management Club and also works as a vision therapist on the weekends. Outside of school, she enjoys hiking with her dog, playing video games, and trying out new restaurants and activities with friends.

Margaret is excited to guide others through the process, especially those with non-traditional backgrounds. She is always happy to share her journey and/or answer any questions.

Please reach out to her directly at margaret.park@berkeley.edu

Natalie is a midwesterner at heart, having grown up in Minnesota before moving to Indianapolis, Indiana to attend Butler University. If you listen closely, you might still hear a touch of her Minnesotan accent, although she’s been enjoying her experience with Bay Area culture at Berkeley Optometry.

As an undergraduate at Butler, Natalie majored in Health Sciences with a minor in Chemistry and was actively involved across campus. She served as a student ambassador for the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, where she first discovered how much she loves supporting prospective students. She also served as the Coordinator of Academic Development in her sorority, combining her love of learning with her desire to help others succeed. Between her junior and senior year, Natalie took the OAT and applied to optometry schools, committing first round to Berkeley Optometry for the clinical excellence of the program.

Natalie’s path to optometry was shaped by a number of experiences. She worked as a behavior therapist with kiddos on the spectrum, where she came to understand that vision is more than just sight—it can also be a gateway to communication and connection, especially for nonverbal children. She also found purpose in supporting older adults as a scribe at an OD/MD practice focused on patients over 55, and later when volunteering at a hospice center. In between, she enjoyed shadowing at private and corporate optometry practices. Ultimately, Natalie chose optometry for the opportunity to serve underserved communities, long-lasting and personable patient-provider relationships, and the quality of life.

Now a student at Berkeley Optometry, Natalie enjoys continuing to stay involved by mentoring students interested in optometry and helping plan the school’s annual Eyeball celebration. Outside of school, she loves to hike, hit the gym, pickleball, and eat her way through the Bay Area!

You can contact Natalie directly at natalie_boland@berkeley.edu

Sean was born in Pasadena, California and grew up in the San Gabriel Valley. He completed his undergraduate degree at UC San Diego where he majored in Molecular and Cell Biology. While always aspiring to be in healthcare, Sean was uncertain about his exact calling and explored many paths, from working in orthotics, taking CNA and MA courses, to consider becoming a physician assistant. Although he was no stranger to optometry due to a high prescription from a young age, the spark to become an optometrist only came after graduating when he started a job at a Los Angeles private practice by chance.

This journey across the next few gap years as both an optometric technician and optician gradually solidified Sean’s direction into optometry. Through work with multiple doctors, his passion emerged from the long term patient-provider relationships, service to disadvantaged communities, and legislative advocacy in the field. Additionally, being a previous tutor and instructional assistant resonated with Sean’s experiences in patient education and health empowerment by preventative care. It was during this time he also had unique opportunities to travel, hone his language learning, and even help some celebrity patients!

While completing the OAT and applications, Berkeley stood out to Sean because of its pioneering role in optometry and clinical emphasis. Once moving to the Bay Area however, he realized it was the tight knit community between faculty and peers that he appreciates most as a student. In his free time, he loves hiking, museum hopping, and trying new restaurants as an avid foodie. Aside from being a member of E-Team and volunteering with VOSH, Sean is now excited as a Berkeley Optometry Ambassador to offer guidance to any questions and welcome all prospective students!

Sean looks forward to learning about everyone’s own story.

He can be reached directly at: sean_wu2024@berkeley.edu

Tyler is a proud Canadian, born and raised in Toronto, Ontario, where he spent his time playing basketball and tennis, cheering for the Toronto Raptors, and developing his passion for photography. In 2021, he completed an Honours Specialization in Biology at Western University in London, Ontario.

Professional school was always Tyler’s goal, but after graduating, he took time to explore which path was truly right for him. Although accepted to multiple optometry programs in 2020, he decided to take two gap years working in ophthalmology before committing to a career. During that time, he was also accepted into several medical and dental programs and eventually spent a few months in the Doctor of Medicine program at the University of Melbourne, Australia. While that experience wasn’t the right long-term fit, it taught him valuable lessons about adaptability, resilience, and clarity in choosing a career path that aligns with his goals and values.

Tyler initially considered Berkeley Optometry for its name and reputation, but through the admissions process, he became drawn to the school’s commitment to community, collaboration, and excellence. His experience at Berkeley has been nothing short of exceptional —something he credits both to the journey that prepared him for optometry school and to the incredible faculty and classmates who surround him. Outside of class, Tyler serves as the historian for the Optometric Student Association, a mentor for UC Berkeley’s Foresight pre-optometry club, and a co-chair for the BAOC-Berkeley Mentorship Program. He also works part-time for the Equipment Team and BoosterPrep, and continues to pursue photography, capturing events both in and outside of school.

Tyler is incredibly passionate about helping students who are navigating their own paths to professional school. If you have any questions or want to connect, don’t hesitate to introduce yourself — he’s always happy to help!

You can connect with Tyler directly through email: tylerlue@berkeley.edu