Aaron Reyes
Fall Quarter
2024
ODPhi President
Serving as president of ODPhi was a complete transformative journey for me that I wasn’t fully ready to encounter. Stepping into that level of leadership was incredibly difficult. Navigating the complex dynamics of managing a large group of peers, handling organizational responsibilities, and making executive decisions forced me to mature a little faster. There were stressful nights where the weight of the role felt overwhelming, and learning how to lead with fairness while enforcing accountability was difficult to balance at first. Being an openly queer man in a place that is traditionally only for straight men really put a lot of pressure on me for how I should perform and present myself. Yet, despite the immense challenges, watching our members thrive under my leadership felt really fulfilling. Successfully navigating that big learning curve has shifted how I view responsibility, communication, and resilience. It took me out of my comfort zone and helped give me a more mature, grounded perspective on understanding and empathy that I have carried into every space afterward.
My First SNS
Choosing to SNS my first class ever was a very humbling and difficult experience. Coming into the class, I was already hesitant about what my performance would look like, considering I hadn’t taken a science class since high school, which left me feeling really unprepared and behind the rest of the group. About halfway through the quarter, the reality shifted and I realized I wasn’t going to get the grade I wanted. I was being stretched too thin, learning how to balance a heavy load of responsibilities outside the classroom, which made it difficult to dedicate the time the class demanded. While seeing how I did not receive credit for the class, sitting with that outcome taught me an important lesson about my own limits and the importance of balance. It forced me to re-evaluate how I manage my time and shift my mindset toward a more realistic approach of balancing my obligations, which ultimately was school first.
Officiating a Wedding
Officiating my first wedding ever for my cousin in Mexico was a very emotional, full circle moment that I will carry with me forever. Growing up, I always looked up to her as the older sister I never had, so being asked to marry her and her fiancé was an incredible honor that made me feel so deeply valued. It is still wild to think that what started out as a silly joke at Applebee’s actually became a reality. It took me entirely out of my comfort zone in the best way possible, by showing me the power of holding space for the people who matter most. Being a part of such an important moment in their journey made me feel incredibly special. It gave me the reassurance that showing up for family and celebrating others is an integral part of shaping who we are.