Jaclyn Oka
Day in the Life
“The arts saved my life.” – Jaclyn Oka, B.A. '15, World Arts and Cultures
Jaclyn Oka’s journey with the UCLA Department of World Arts and Cultures/Dance (WACD) began before she had even graduated from high school. Participating in the department’s award-winning summer program convinced her that dance was more than just a hobby – that it could be a career and that the arts could be an integral part of her life forever.
Once she joined WACD as a freshman, faculty and alumni of the department became her mentors, encouraging and supporting her as she came into her own at UCLA. “I wasn’t the best public speaker in high school. I was so scared of talking in front of people,” she says. “But now, after performing, dancing, and studying in the Department of World Arts and Cultures/Dance, I've found my voice, and I realize that I have something to say.” Jaclyn credits her experience in the department as the driving force that pushed her to shape an independent identity and to find a career that keeps spiritually, mentally, and physically fulfilled.
Through WACD, Jaclyn also gained the professional experience that helped her begin her emerging career in the arts after graduation. As a co-producer of the undergraduate showcase WAC Smash’D, Jaclyn learned to fundraise, manage, and market a production. Now, as a principal dancer and school program coordinator in the hip-hop dance company, Versa-Style, and an mentor for the Flourish Foundation, Jaclyn has the opportunity to serve as a mentor to young artists herself.
Jaclyn Oka with Versa-Style. Photo by George Simien courtesy of Versa-Style Dance.
Thinking about her mentees and her hopes for the future of WACD, Jaclyn recognizes the necessity of funding for the department. “It is no joke trying to produce your own show for all of your peers while at the same time going to school and trying to be a professional dancer outside of school. It was a crazy time for me, but I think if I had more financial support in the department it would have helped me accomplish even more.”
Please consider supporting students like Jaclyn with a gift to the department or to the Dean’s Fund for Excellence, which supports students across the entire School of the Arts and Architecture. Your generosity will count towards UCLA’s ambitious Centennial Campaign to support the next 100 years of excellence.