INTRO SPOTLIGHT: SAMANTHA KATZ
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I am a rising sophomore at California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo studying City and Regional Planning. I got interested in urban planning and design after a video about roundabouts sparked a passion for understanding how streets and their design affect the lives of the people who live near and use them, as well as the environment. Over the past three years, I have dedicated much time to volunteer with environmental organizations throughout the city, such as the River Park Foundation. During my senior year of high school, I committed over 30 hours of volunteer work to preserving our local biodiversity. I am also passionate about photography and sailing. I have been sailing for the past 5 years and will serve as Cal Poly Sailing Team’s treasurer for this upcoming academic year.
How did you become interested in Circulate San Diego?
I became interested in Circulate San Diego while looking for an internship for the summer. I had heard the organizations name before but never took the time to look closely into their work. However, while looking for an internship, I revisited Circulates' website and learned a bit more about what the team does. I realized the organization’s mission to create mobility choices and healthy communities aligned with my personal goal of shaping San Diego into a more equitable city. I am super excited to get involved in Circulate San Diego’s mission this summer.
What’s your most memorable face palm moment? Or what is your biggest achievement to date? Choose one.
At one regatta this past year, I was chosen as one of our two women’s team skippers. This means I was in charge of steering a two person boat for half of the regatta within the women’s fleet (or division). However, it was extraordinarily windy the first day of the regatta. So, as my crew and I were sailing the course to check on conditions, we made a turn right in a puff of wind and capsized; before even a single race had started. Furthermore, we got our mast stuck in the mud. This meant that rather than righting our boat and sailing the day soggy, our boat became a land mark for the rest of the day and we sat on the beach until enough motor boats were free to help pull our mast out of the mud. In the end, we all had a good time and no one got hurt, but it was very embarrassing.
If you could choose anyone, who would you pick as your mentor?
If I could pick any mentor, I would choose my dad. Aside from his endless commitment to building the life he wants and his work ethic, he also has advice for every situation. I look forward to learning evermore about life from him.
