Leana Wong

Leana Wong is a third-year Speculative Design major, double majoring in Communications with a minor in Cognitive Science. Originally from LA, Leana chose UCSD to stay close to home, as she is very family-oriented. The pleasant environment, with its beaches and nice weather, also influenced her decision. Leana’s sister, a UCSD alumna, had positive experiences with UCSD and guided her throughout the process.

Initially, Leana wanted to become a packaging and label designer for snack products, which led to her major in Speculative Design. Although the major is more theoretical and less hands-on than she expected, she finds it fascinating and enjoys learning about different design methods. Recently, Leana declared an additional major in Communications to gain a better understanding of consumer behavior, marketing, and branding, and enhance her knowledge of advertising. While she enjoys packaging and graphic design, she realized that focusing solely on snack packaging is too narrow, and is now open to exploring broader opportunities in various advertising and marketing roles.

Leana is currently a graphic designer for TedEX UCSD, focusing on the visualizations for salons and the main conference for the past year. She creates graphics for events, enjoying the process of creating simple and complex visuals. Additionally, she is part of the “Other People” magazine on campus, serving as the event planner for two quarters. She organizes social events for the magazine, such as open mic nights and the end-of-year celebration, to help team members bond and showcase student poetry and artwork.

In her course with Dr. Mor Shilon, Leana worked closely with the arts community in Logan Heights, an underinvested area near La Jolla. Her class created a documentary about the local arts scene, and she was involved with the filming, interviews, marketing, and promotion of the documentary. The project was well-received by the community, who were excited to have their art and culture documented and shared online as part of their history. The experience highlighted the community’s use of art to build and strengthen their cultural identity. 

Leana’s proudest experience as a university student was studying abroad. She pushed herself out of her comfort zone, traveling to Singapore for the University of California Aboard Program (UCEAP) in 2022. There, she enjoyed delicious and affordable food while taking various art and consumer courses, including Chinese Art History and Art and Media in Japan.

Last summer in 2023, Leana participated in a Global Seminar in New Zealand with Dr. Phoebe Bronstein, a five-week program that combined learning about culture with nature excursions and hikes. The CAT program in New Zealand was eye-opening, helping her learn how to participate comfortably in class discussions and share personal stories. Leana notes that Dr. Brostein’s approach to teaching makes students feel at ease, creating a casual and engaging classroom environment. On excursions, she appreciated seeing Dr. Bronstein interact with her family, making the experience more personal and enjoyable. Leana recommends that others students try studying abroad as both experiences helped her grow by fostering independence and allowing her to meet people from all around the world.

Leana advises incoming students to not be afraid to branch out early and explore on-campus events and participate in them. She waited too long and felt hesitant to reach out to clubs she liked, but realized it would have been beneficial to build a community early on, as the first year is a difficult transition. She emphasizes that it’s never too late to join and get involved.