Giovanni Lombardi, also known as VONNI (@vonniofficial), is a second-year music major and Sacramento native who has been making music since his junior year of high school. From recording in his friend’s closet to having his own booth back in Sacramento, making a living off of his musical talent has always been on the forefront of Giovanni's mind. Despite his music catalog being limited to a few old songs on his SoundCloud, the artist promises the arrival of a full-length project this summer! His most notable musical inspirations at the moment include Brent Faiyaz, 6LACK and Drake. Hidden Gems is a segment that seeks to highlight and bring exposure to deserving creatives around UCR! Check out our Instagram Reels and Tik Tok (@lifeatucr) to watch our series! If you or a friend is interested in becoming the next feature for Hidden Gems, comment down below! . . . . (📸: @byiananthony) 
Exciting news! LifeatUCR has new GIF’s and our very own augmented reality (AR) filters! Check it out on our page and tag us in your photos/videos! ✨ . . . . . . (📸: @ucrchass) 
Join UCR's Black Faculty And Staff Association for a conversation with Michael Brown, University of California provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, this Thursday, March 4 from 2–3:10 p.m. Provost Brown will speak on the experience of being Black in the higher education environment. Registrants may submit questions for consideration prior to the event. The event will be moderated by Jennifer Brown, UCR vice provost and dean of Undergraduate Education, and include an introduction from UCR Chancellor Kim Wilcox. Visit events.ucr.edu for more information and to register. 
Scotty is here to remind you to wear your mask and to submit your FAFSA or California Dream Act applications. The deadline is tomorrow (March 2). Connect with @ucrfinaid for more information! . . . . (📸: @ucrstudentaffairs) ![The next feature in our Student Entreprenuer series is Ankita Ahluwalia, founder and administrative leader of The Power of Words and Numbers (POWAN) Initiative. POWAN (@powan_initiative) is a nonprofit organization that supports K-12 students around the world with their educational journeys by offering free online tutoring. Ankita is a first-year computer science with business applications major. Her inspiration to launch POWAN dates back to the connections and relationships she shared with her high school teachers. "Being a part of hackathons, LaunchPad (@launchpaducr), I-Corps, and the [ASUCR] Civic Engagement Committee at UCR (@asucr) has only grown my love for learning and for creating a more equitable future for students," she says
Founded last June, POWAN has over 65 tutors from colleges including UCR, UCLA, UCSD, Stanford, and Georgia Tech offering tutoring services and educational webinars covering important topics like college readiness, procrastination avoidance, and mental wellness for K–12 students. "Overall, we’re trying to be role models for K–12 students, especially in socioeconomically disadvantaged school districts,” Ankita says. “We have been conducting our own research on how we can further help these students through I-Corps and are working on more solutions.”](https://scontent-frt3-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.29350-15/154332733_422543369035802_8533130227701069042_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-3&_nc_sid=8ae9d6&_nc_ohc=6r1Msqmexg8AX91v79B&_nc_ht=scontent-frt3-1.cdninstagram.com&oh=a1cb291a152bce271b0c9ddc4a1546c2&oe=606B2A79)
The next feature in our Student Entreprenuer series is Ankita Ahluwalia, founder and administrative leader of The Power of Words and Numbers (POWAN) Initiative. POWAN (@powan_initiative) is a nonprofit organization that supports K-12 students around the world with their educational journeys by offering free online tutoring. Ankita is a first-year computer science with business applications major. Her inspiration to launch POWAN dates back to the connections and relationships she shared with her high school teachers. "Being a part of hackathons, LaunchPad (@launchpaducr), I-Corps, and the [ASUCR] Civic Engagement Committee at UCR (@asucr) has only grown my love for learning and for creating a more equitable future for students," she says Founded last June, POWAN has over 65 tutors from colleges including UCR, UCLA, UCSD, Stanford, and Georgia Tech offering tutoring services and educational webinars covering important topics like college readiness, procrastination avoidance, and mental wellness for K–12 students. "Overall, we’re trying to be role models for K–12 students, especially in socioeconomically disadvantaged school districts,” Ankita says. “We have been conducting our own research on how we can further help these students through I-Corps and are working on more solutions.” 
Just like that, winter quarter is about to come to a close! What are your tips for handling stress? 📝 How are you preparing for finals? Comment down below! 
The new @bluegoldblack podcast is here!🎙✨ This week, we welcome Paige McGee, a research administrator in the UCR Entomology Department and a UCR alumna. In this episode, Paige shares her upbringing and the experiences in her life that have helped shape her identity. Listen as she talks about her experience as a UCR student and a research administrator, and how @ucr_entomology is creating opportunities for Black students and students of color. 
Raising the woof in America's fastest rising university! 🐕💛💙 **Disclaimer: Photo was taken before the COVID-19 stay-at-home orders and restrictions** 
Dear Highlanders, my name is Vee Dotson. My purpose here at UC Riverside is to inspire my fellow Black and Brown peers to keep shining and living in their truth, especially through these trying times. We have visually been shown that there is power in our Blackness #BlackLivesMatter. Keep uplifting one another and extending help to future generations. As for me, I will be doing the same. I will move forward in creating safe spaces to educate our communities about finances. I look forward to hearing about y'alls success stories! ✊🏾✨#blackexcellence #UCRiverside #LifeAtUCR #UC #Highlanders #TartanSoul #HighlanderPride #UCR #Scotty #Riverside #Rside #UCRiverside #UofCalifornia #UniversityofCalifornia #UCRAdmissions #college #fiatlux #blackhistorymonth #blackstudents #blackheritage #blackexcellence #iamucr 
牛年行大運! Gōng xǐ fā cái! Happy Chinese New Year Highlanders! Life at UCR would like to wish you luck in this year of ox! May this new year bring health, happiness, and good fortune to us all! Watch this video to take a trip memory lane and relive some of our favorite moments from the 2020 Riverside Lunar Festival (this video was recorded before the COVID-19 stay-at-home orders and restrictions). #UCRiverside #LifeAtUCR #UC #Highlanders #TartanSoul #HighlanderPride #UCR #Scotty #Riverside #Rside #UCRiverside #UofCalifornia #UniversityofCalifornia #UCRAdmissions #college #fiatlux #chinesenewyear #ox #yearoftheox #lunarnewyear #gongxifacai 
The Blue, Gold & BLACK is a podcast that is dedicated to amplifying the voices of Black students, campus leaders, and community partners to explore the intersection of being Black and being a Highlander. The latest episode features Jonathan Paul Higgins (@doctorjonpaul), an educator, writer, and mental health advocate who will discuss speaking truth to power. Listen to the episode to learn how Jon creatively uses his channels of writing and education to inspire and speak his truth of being Black and queer. Visit link in profile to subscribe to Blue, Gold & BLACK and listen back to past episodes. This episode was sponsored by the LGBT Resource Center at UCR (@ucrlgbtrc). The Community Engagement and Outreach Unit wants to give a big shout out to the Assistant Director of the LGBT Resource Center, Toi Thibodeaux, for making this possible! 
Come dance with Mynesha Whyte, dance/movement therapist and counselor, and UCR Department of Dance alumna, to learn all about dance therapy and explore our mind/body connection as a tool for healing! This series is intended to not only expose our community to the profession of dance/movement therapy, but also to offer space for connection, empathy, and community building during a time of crisis and immense challenges. Check out @ucrlgbtrc for the link to sign up or swipe up from our latest story! #UCRiverside #LifeAtUCR #UC #Highlanders #TartanSoul #HighlanderPride #UCR #Scotty #Riverside #Rside #UCRiverside #UofCalifornia #UniversityofCalifornia #UCRAdmissions #college #fiatlux #blackhistorymonth #blackstudents #blackheritage #blackexcellence 
In the spirit of Black History Month, @lifeatucr is launching a month-long celebration of Black excellence at UCR, highlighting people, events, organizations, and resources on campus. Moving from Self-Care to Self-Reverence is a three-part series of conversations about Black self-care, love in the struggle, and new visions for masculinity with Durryle Brooks, founder and president of Love and Justice Consulting, that launches tomorrow. Register by visiting @ASPUCR's Linktree! #UCRiverside #LifeAtUCR #UC #Highlanders #TartanSoul #HighlanderPride #UCR #Scotty #Riverside #Rside #UCRiverside #UofCalifornia #UniversityofCalifornia #UCRAdmissions #college #fiatlux #blackhistorymonth #blackstudents #blackheritage #blackexcellence 
Next up in our “Entrepreneur Series” is Jonathan Javier! A UCR alumnus, Jonathan is CEO and founder of Wonsulting (@wonsulting), a career and professional development firm with the mission to “turn underdogs into winners” by helping those who come from non-target schools/non-traditional backgrounds land into their dream careers. Wonsulting has helped students receive offers from top companies including Google, Facebook, Deloitte, Goldman Sachs, and many more! “At UCR, I remember I was rejected by my dream companies and saw it happen to many of my peers as well; however, I would save the interview questions and helped my peers land into their dream companies when I didn’t even have a job lined up yet because I wanted what was best for others before myself," he shares. "This is what inspired me to help bridge the gap between those who come from non-traditional backgrounds and their dream companies.” During his time at UCR, Jonathan was involved with ALPFA and ASUCR, where he built mentorship and professional development programs to help thousands of Highlanders land jobs through LinkedIn. “When I was at UCR, I remember spending days and nights speaking with professionals and recruiters to pitch to them on why they should recruit/come to our events while balancing leadership and work positions; I would travel from the Riverside area to Los Angeles/OC to go to corporate offices and speak regarding how we could work together," he recalls. The most valuable lesson that Jonathan learned from his endeavors is that “rejection is redirection”. With each setback, Jonathan knew it would only be one step back and ten steps forward. He advises for current students to “be the change you want to see in the world because you’ll never fail in anything you do as long as you never stop trying.” 
It may be gloomy today, but did you know that the motto of the UC system is Fiat Lux, which means "Let there be light"? 🌤 
Hi everyone, salam kenal semuanya! My name is Sena Narottama, I am originally from Indonesia, and I'm currently in my senior year pursuing my Business Information Systems degree. After I transferred from community college, UC Riverside immediately felt like home to me because of the super welcoming students, staff, and faculty! I currently have the amazing opportunity to work for @lifeatucr and also be a part of @ucrmis. I'm excited to share with you about my life here at UCR, so please message me with anything you'd like to know about our campus. Terimakasih! Unibuddy is a messaging portal where you can chat with fellow international students at UCR! Ask any questions you may have by clicking the link in our Linktree or visit admissions.ucr.edu/international. #UCRiverside #LifeAtUCR #iamucr #UC #Highlanders #TartanSoul #HighlanderPride #UCR #Scotty #Riverside #Rside #UCRiverside #UofCalifornia #UniversityofCalifornia #UCRAdmissions #college #Unibuddy #international #internationalstudents 
Keona Henderson, president of @ucrblack, is the latest guest on the @bluegoldblack podcast. She is not only a leader, but an entrepreneur. Keona owns her own company and is a realtor, motivational speaker, and life coach. Tune in to this week‘a podcast as Keona dives into her educational experiences involving community college and her commitment to being a change agent for the Black community. The “Blue, Gold & BLACK” podcast is presented by Undergraduate Admissions' Community Engagement and Outreach Unit and features interviews with African American faculty, staff, students, and alumni at UCR with the goal of amplifying Black voices on campus. 
To kick off our UCR Entrepreneur Series is William Wang! William is a third-year business information systems major. His recent launch of DashBill (@dashbillco) aims to help resolve financial problems for different student organizations. DashBill is a finance web application that automates the process of collecting membership fees, replacing the tedious process of collecting funds through a Personal Venmo Account and manually tracking through an Excel Sheet. An organization that has helped Will with his endeavor is LaunchPad UCR (@launchpaducr). He states, "LaunchPad UCR was able to offer me mentorship from experienced Entrepreneurs and help me get into different accelerator programs." In addition to LaunchPad UCR, Will also serves as the VP of Finance for ASUCR (@asucr) and is apart of the the Entrepreneur Association (@ea_riverside), which allowed William to meet many like-minded students with the mindset of starting their own businesses. William reflects on his journey: "The most valuable lesson I have learned as an entrepreneur is to be adaptable. Being adaptable is one of the most valuable lessons as often, things will not go according to plan, and adjustments will have to be made on the go.” (📸: @slimphoto) 
Hi everyone, my name is Stepahine Chuquipul and I was born and raised in Peru! I am very passionate about mental health awareness. Because of that, I am really involved with the @activemindsucr chapter on campus. I love to spend time with my friends at @thewellucr and go to the movies on the weekends. Chat with me on Unibuddy. ¡Yo hablo español! Unibuddy is a messaging portal where you can chat with fellow international students at UCR! Ask any questions you may have by clicking the link in our LinkTree or visit admissions.ucr.edu/international. #UCRiverside #LifeAtUCR #iamucr #UC #Highlanders #TartanSoul #HighlanderPride #UCR #Scotty #Riverside #Rside #UCRiverside #UofCalifornia #UniversityofCalifornia #UCRAdmissions #college #Unibuddy #international #internationalstudents 
Victor Moreira, academic advisor with @ucrchass, is the latest guest for the @bluegoldblack podcast. Check out this week's episode to hear Victor speak on his experience of growing up in a diverse neighborhood the Inland Empire and how that helped shape his identity. A UC Riverside alumnus, Victor was an active member of the Black community as a student and continues his dedication to UCR into his professional life. Visit the LinkTree in our bio to listen to their latest podcast and hear Victor discuss his interesting educational journey and his insights on mentorship. The “Blue, Gold & BLACK” podcast is presented by Undergraduate Admissions' Community Engagement and Outreach Unit and features interviews with African American faculty, staff, students, and alumni at UCR with the goal of amplifying Black voices on campus.