Let me take you back to 2000. I recall the day I attended the UCR hosted Block Party searching for anything that would remind me of something familiar as I transitioned into college life. As I wove in and out of the crowd, I eventually found my way to the table of what was known back then as the Filipino Student Union (FSU). Attempting to avoid eye contact I timidly attempted to walk past the table and instead found myself immediately welcomed by a bright-eyed, cheerful Filipina whose smile seemed to reach the corners of her warm inviting eyes. The corners of our eyes creased with joy as we came to realize that we were both Bay Area natives. Her warmth extended a familiar feeling of home and immediately I felt less alone. This woman, Daisy Belle Morales Visitacion, would later become my Ate in the Ate/Kuya program and I would follow in her footsteps to serve as External Vice-President and President of Katipunan. Daisy was not only my Ate throughout college. She continues to be both a friend and mentor to me in my personal and professional pursuits. Through Ate Daisy, I was able to meet so many fellow alum who had graduated before me and as a result have expanded the network of people I can tap into for guidance and support.
I am a firm believer that the people we meet are meant to teach us something about ourselves, life or about the journey that we are on. Sometimes the realization of what the purpose of the friendship or meeting happens immediately, and sometimes it comes to surface at a later time. I am grateful for the bonds that I have been able to create through Katipunan with members I have met and with those I have yet to meet. What I mean is that without knowing it, my membership to Katipunan immediately gave me a pass to access the vast network and family of Ate’s, Kuya’s and adings, some who I already know and some who I have yet to meet.
My college experience was enhanced by joining Katipunan as both member and officer. It was a place where I was able to re-discover my voice, further develop my leadership style, make mistakes and be forgiven, fail gracefully and have a community pick me up to start over again. It was a space where I was able to share in the success of our organization’s impact at UCR and in the greater community. I practiced amplifying not only my voice but also the voices of our community both on campus and off campus. I was able to explore the various political and social issues that impacted our community and raise them through different mediums. As Cultural Chair I had the opportunity to highlight the impact of domestic and dating violence in the Filipin@ and Filipin@ American community breathing life to the stories and experiences of some of our Katipunan members, myself included. Katipunan became a space of learning about myself, our Filipin@ American community and history, and a space I would call family; a space that contributed to even my own healing journey.
The Katipunan experience has provided me with a lifeline, a network of people to tap into for support and guidance. It has equipped me with tools to architect the work that I am doing now in Legal Operations designing, developing and enhancing systems and processes around products and emerging services, contributing to transformational change projects and in making an impact in the diversity, equality and inclusion space at my company. Embrace the relationships that you create through Katipunan, be present and don’t be afraid to reach out. Community is everything. As we head into Alumni Conference this weekend, I hope you are encouraged to participate and learn from the amazing network of Katipunan Alum who plan to impart kernels of wisdom about their journey from Katipunan to the life they have designed.
BIO:
Catherine was a member and External VP from 2001-2002, Cultural Chair from 2002-2003 and President from 2003-2004. She was a co-founder of the Pilipino Studies & Tagalog (PST) Collective, an organization developed out of Katipunan to further develop Filipin@ studies and Tagalog at UCR. This organization was born out of the cross-collaborative efforts with NCPASO and SCPASA initiatives to increase Filipin@ studies and Tagalog across all respective campuses. Catherine was very active while at UCR, working for APSP, serving on ASUCR advocating for equality and amplifying the student voice. After graduating from UCR (BA, Political-Science-Law and Society, Minor in Asian American Studies), Catherine continued to stay involved within the Filipino community and organizations that advocated on behalf of survivors of sexual assault, a survivor herself, in the UC system. She pursued a career in the Legal field and completed her MBA from Saint Mary’s College and returned to teach high-school based Catechism for 12+ years. Catherine is working for Equinix, Inc. a global company based in Redwood City, CA where she has had the ability to work domestically and internationally, in global legal operations, product development, transformational change initiatives and lead in the diversity, equality and inclusion space. She is the founder and global co-leader of the interASIANconnect employee resource group (ERG), is an ambassador to the Equinix Women Leaders Network as the External Partners Liaison developing external partnerships and sits on the ERG Leaders Council. She lives in Union City, CA with her husband Fredrick, their three children Xander, Zachary and Zoe and their dog, Koa.
Contact Info:
Email: Catherine.cu@gmail.com
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-noelle-cu-rivera
IG: @ckaleicu
