My name is Kristine Plena and I graduated in the class of 2021 with a BA in Media & Cultural Studies.
It was a journey for me to get to the position that I have now. I initially wanted to go into the marketing field, but throughout my fourth year, I was working with a lot of virtual events—both within the organizations I was a part of and with the internship I had at the time. From there I realized working these events and behind the scenes work was something I truly excelled in. The transition of in-person to virtual was a challenge, but it made me realize that I loved creating meaningful events/moments and yearned to create in-person events once again. A year after I graduated, I was lucky enough to land a job as an event coordinator for Silicon Valley Bank. Before landing this job, I was constantly applying to jobs—to the point where my best friend and I had competitions on who would apply to the most. After a few months with this position, I hope to gain more experience and knowledge within the event management field. Even though I’ve only been in this position for a few months, the mentors I have and the challenges I’ve faced make me extremely grateful to have this amazing opportunity. I hope to one day work as the event manager/coordinator for multiple non profits around the world.
Back to when I was in Katipunan, I had the honor of being social chair my 2nd year and internal Vice President my last year. Both positions are primary factors as to why I pursued a career in the event management field. Katipunan not only became my home away from home, but it became the place that had helped me grow tremendously throughout my 4 years at UCR. There are too many memories to recount that hold a place in my heart, but one of the top moments is my first friendship games, which also happened to be the one I was in charge of too. The years flash by you in the blink of an eye, but what you gain from that experience is long lasting. When your 4th year comes around—obviously focus on your studies, your internships, your jobs—but go to every Kati event. Participate in every Kati event, experience, games, open mic. Enjoy those to the full extent, go all out. Enjoy all that is Kati. After graduation, focus on yourself, on your career, on your passions, and just put your best foot forward in life. The journey is never easy, but your hard work will pay off.
