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< Back Henna Malikyar Director of Operations and People Henna is a fourth year Business Psychology student at the University of California San Diego. Before joining Our Time To Act, Henna dedicated her time to a senior home where she served as the event coordinator for our events. Henna planned and executed thei monthly visits to the local senior home where they would put on fun games and did arts and crafts. Henna's hobbies include reading and cooking and outside of OTTA, Henna also work in retail. henna.malikyar@ourtimetoact.org

< Back to Open Positions Local Leaders Program Manager Volunteer South Bay Area APPLY Rolling application. Priority given to applications submitted before September 30th. ABOUT THE ROLE Program Managers oversee the establishment of our Local Leaders program across various schools in the South Bay Area. Responsibilities include conducting site research to determine if the Local Leaders program is a good fit for it, securing funding sources, recruiting site coordinators, and developing the Local Leaders curriculum. REQUIREMENTS No prior experience required. Demonstrates adequate research and planning skills. High school student or beyond. 6-8 hours, 1-2 meetings a week. Our scheduling is highly flexible. Values cooperation, creativity, growth-mindset. Exhibits organization, diligence, and dedication. Passion for youth empowerment. ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION While pursuing our mission of youth empowerment, Our Time to Act United understands the importance of fostering a safe, welcoming, and positive environment for all. As such, the actions we take align with our values as an organization and as individuals. We value meaningful impact. We always seek to genuinely support those that we serve and the people within our organization. We are committed to being an inclusive and diverse group of people. These values are reflected in our hiring practices, decision-making, and programs. Our team and organization is growth-minded and development-focused. We always have room to improve! Our organization promotes honesty, communication, and integrity. These values allow for us to be a cooperative, productive, and effective team. We praise creativity and ingenuity. Nothing is more exciting than thinking outside of the box or challenging the status quo. Applications are a two-way street. We make our values as an organization clear to you in order to make sure our team is the right fit—and we hope we are! Do not hesitate to reach out to us if you have any questions regarding our organization, values, workplace environment, or the application process. APPLY

< Back Grayson Sciacqua Director of Operations and People & CYAN Advisor Grayson Sciacqua (He/Him) is a 17-year old Environmental and LGBTQ+ Rights activist seeking a better future for Youth. As a Queer youth from San Diego, they are a proud member of Our Time To Act, serving as the Director of Operations and People and the Collaborative Learning Chair of the Civic Youth Action Network (CYAN). grayson.sciacqua@ourtimetoact.org

< Back Hadil Salih Executive Assistant Hadil Salih (she/her) is a senior at San Diego State University studying Comparative International Studies with a double minor in interdisciplinary studies and Arabic and Islamic Studies. Born in Germany, raised in Sudan for five years of her life, and migrating to the United States contributed to Hadil’s passion to learn more about foreign relations as well as legal diplomatic procedures. This led her to study abroad via the federally funded and operated Critical Language Scholarship, intern for the Superior Court of San Diego, become the External President of the national club Empowering Women in Law, and branch into other forms of public service. Hadil was also a resident advisor for two years, and she was trained to help first-year college students through many hardships. This includes economic instability, mental health problems, and Title IX cases. Currently, Hadil is Our Time To Act’s executive assistant. She manages the schedule for the Executive Director, the Office of the Executive Director, and Senior Management. She also fulfills various administrative tasks and has been aiding in drafting the Standard Operating Procedures. Hadil is new to Our Time To Act and is excited to continue to watch OTTA grow and reach various communities. hadil.salih@ourtimetoact.org

< Back OTTA United Celebrates Positivity and Community in Pro-Housing Listening Session Saturday, May 6, 2023 Our Time to Act United MEDIA CONTACT: Aidan Lin, Executive Director ( aidan.lin@ottaunited.org ) FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: At 10 AM on May 6th, pro-housing residents gathered at Doyle Park for a warm, uplifting discussion on the housing crisis in San Diego. Participants ranging from children to youth to older folks focused on identifying the ways housing insecurity touches their lives and the lives of their friends and loved ones—as well as proposed solutions that work to brighten the future for all San Diegans. Community members expressed themselves on slips of paper representing leaves, roots, and water droplets that came together to form beautiful problem and solution boards. In order to visualize the future, individuals also created their own vision boards while discussing with one another, enjoying donuts, and appreciating San Diego's weather. While in community, we welcomed parkgoers into friendly conversations and helped a fellow resident jumpstart his car. "We chose to come together, as residents, neighbors, friends, renters, students, and, most importantly, as a community , in order to show our commitment to improving our neighborhoods and the City of San Diego," said Aidan Lin, Executive Director of OTTA United. "It's always disheartening to hear others discount our dedication to the communities we live in. That's why we are here—in a community park—to invest our love in our community's collective future." OTTA United works to realize an inclusive, equitable, and sustainable future. Housing is a key component to achieve all three; San Diego needs diverse forms of housing—including mixed-use and multi-family—robust transit options, and increased walk-ability and bike-ability to live safe, fulfilling, and positive lives. In order to foster this better future, OTTA United believes in broadening the conversation by inviting groups that are underrepresented and often shunned from community planning, especially youth and students, to ensure we are building a tomorrow that serves us all. About OTTA United: OTTA United is a youth-founded and youth-led organization that values authenticity and passion and seeks to organize powerful youth for an inclusive, equitable, and sustainable future. Its members are coalition builders and mentors within our communities, who share knowledge, resources, credit, and impact. More information about OTTA United can be found at ottaunited.org . You can follow us on social media on Instagram and Facebook . ### Next Previous

< Back Ria Maheshwari Vice President Ria Maheshwari is a high school senior. Before becoming the Vice President of Our Time To Act, she served as the Outreach Specialist and within the Department of External Operations. As an aspiring lawyer, Ria combines her ambitions of argumentation and social justice as the Lincoln-Douglas Debate Captain and Board Member for the Speech and Debate Club at her high school and by being part of several community service clubs, such as the National Honor Society. Sports being a key passion of her life, you can always find Ria being active. For example, she travels across the United States to play competitive volleyball with her teammates at Mountain View Volleyball Club. ria.maheshwari@ourtimetoact.org

< Back OTTA United holds multi-day, organization-wide retreat in San Diego Saturday, December 10, 2022 Benjamin Wang, Staff Our Time to Act (OTTA) United is all about organizing, community, and consensus-building. These values are embodied in the work that OTTA United does for our communities. Twice a year, OTTA United reaffirms its commitment to these principles by holding an organization-wide retreat. These retreats allow OTTA United staff and board to come together as an OTTA United family and strengthen our personal and professional relationships. On December 9th and 10th, 2022, OTTA United held its second retreat in California and its first in San Diego. OTTA United members flew into San Diego from as far away as New York to make the most of this staff bonding and professional development opportunity. OTTA United’s winter retreat struck a perfect balance between work and play, with visits to the Cabrillo National Monument and Liberty Station in between trainings led by OTTA United leaders. Workshops on topics such as Community Organizing, led by Director of Services Apurv Gupta, and Event Programming, led by Director of Communications Isaac Lara, allowed us to sharpen our skills in a welcoming space surrounded by the people that make OTTA United special. Let’s hear from our Director of Services, Apurv Gupta, about the retreat. Hey Apurv! It’s so nice to see you again. Could you introduce yourself and your role within OTTA United? What does your role entail? My name is Apurv Gupta and I’m the Director of Services here at OTTA United. My role usually involves designing and producing services for the organization; these would be internal or external programs that can empower youth directly. My work tends to be a mix of research, advocacy, event-planning, and managing logistics. On day 1 of the retreat, you facilitated a workshop on Community Organizing. Could you talk a little bit about your workshop? Of course! OTTA United recently decided to shift our organizational focus into Community Organizing, a practice that empowers youth through a development of their capacity. Prior to this shift, I did a lot of research in organizing, and worked with Aidan – our wonderful Executive Director – to plan out some potential programs and applications of the approach. Not everyone on the team, however, had as comprehensive of an understanding, and my workshop aimed to build upon that so everyone was in the loop. In the workshop, I talked about the 3 types of changemaking - lone wolf, mobilizing, and organizing - and how each was significant in their own way. The training also had a lot of activities that gave OTTA United members a lens into organizing and how that could look for the organization or for themselves. Overall, I was pretty happy with how it turned out, and I’m excited to see how OTTA United embraces organizing in the future! Last but not least, I wanted to ask about what this retreat meant to you. Do you have any memories or takeaways from the retreat that you can share with us? This retreat was, by far, my most memorable professional experience. The majority of our staff population lives in San Diego, and I live all the way up in the Bay Area; the physical distance often means I feel more disconnected from the team than I’d like. But the retreat brought me closer to every single person in OTTA United. I underestimated how fun we can be, and I’m so grateful for the opportunity to be myself around them. The list of memories is extremely long but I’ll go through a few, hopefully keeping things brief. I could talk about bonding over Korean Chicken Wings and Frank Sinatra with Tommy; spending 4 hours working with Ben and Ken on a speech while also guessing Ken’s middle name (we still don’t know); laughing with Isaac and Leana while sharing our mutual love for Keshi; playing Super Smash Ultimate with Donovan and Ken and getting absolutely demolished; flying out with Rachel, Andrew, and Ken in an absurd amount of giddiness; and having intimate, personal conversations with everyone on the team, especially Aidan. I’ve left out about a hundred significant moments, but I’m so grateful for OTTA United and for our team. I’ve never been in a community so diverse yet so powerful, and I’m always going to cherish that. In the end, the success of OTTA United’s winter retreat can be attributed to the perfect balance of work and play as well as the meticulous and careful planning of Rachel Choy, OTTA United’s Assistant Director of Communications. Alongside the efforts of Isaac Lara, OTTA United’s Director of Communications, Rachel’s diligent work and attention to detail made the event possible in the first place. This retreat was a wonderful way to renew our commitment to OTTA United’s values and principles while also fostering deeper connections among the OTTA United staff and board. We look forward to many more awesome retreats in the months and years ahead! Next Previous

< Back to Open Positions Director of Operations & People Staff Director (Volunteer) San Diego and/or Remote APPLY Rolling application. Priority given to applications submitted before January 28th, 2024. ABOUT THE ROLE Reporting to the Associate Executive Director, the main responsibility of the Director of Operations and People is to optimize the efficiency and effectiveness of OTTA United’s team, systems, and processes. JOB DESCRIPTION The Director of Operations and People drafts, revises, and enforces workflows and policies that guide the way OTTA United conducts its work. Key job responsibilities include: Drafting, revising, and enforcing workflows Analyzing and improving task efficiency Performing administrative tasks that maintain function Generally managing the internal, day-to-day work of the nonprofit Boosting team cohesion, collaboration, and morale Hire and onboard new members REQUIREMENTS DREAM ROLE This is the dream role for someone who is skilled at identifying and solving problems, understand systems work, and can lead the enforcement of processes in a kind, understanding, and empathetic way. Additionally, this role targets those who are looking to kick-start a career in organization management, human resources, project management, or business administration and strategy. Key skillsets may include: Problem-solving, Authoring and enforcing policy Evaluating and improving systems of work A focus on efficiency and efficacy Being an empathetic leader EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE Previous operations-related experience is required, with preference given to individuals with experience in youth or youth-related issues. A high school diploma is preferred, although not required if a candidate has exemplary youth operational experience. WORK MODALITY & LOCATION The work modality of this role is either hybrid or remote. Work is welcome in person at OTTA United’s office is located in San Diego, California (3252 Holiday Court Ste 103, San Diego, CA 92037), but it is not required. PAY & BENEFITS This position is on a volunteer basis. There is no compensation for this position at this time. OTTA United deeply values the potential for personal and career development and strives to uplift its team members to best position them for their bright futures. Non-monetary benefits include: Mentorship and hands-on experience on hiring and onboarding practices Gain knowledge on nonprofit operations and processes Tailored work and growth to fit your desired career path Networking opportunities with community nonprofits, policymakers, elected officials, and companies Letters of recommendation Certified Volunteer Hours, if requested A tight-knit team and community of fellow change-makers EXPECTED HOURS & FLEXIBILITY In a Director position, expected hours fluctuate from 15-25 hours per week. Certain responsibilities, such as staff meetings, are fixed. Other obligations can be flexible around your schedule. Many staff members are also students, so our work environment is as flexible as possible. ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION OTTA United is a youth-founded, youth-led 501(c)(3) nonprofit with the mission to organize powerful youth for an inclusive, equitable, and sustainable future. OTTA United values authenticity and passion. We play the role of coalition builders and mentors within our communities, sharing knowledge, resources, credit, and impact. And as a justice-oriented, impact-driven, and people-centered organization, our perspective grounds us with who we serve and the work we do while advancing our mission. Applications are a two-way street. We make our values as an organization clear to you to make sure our team is the right fit—and we hope we are! Here are some things to keep in mind: Our team values flexibility and initiative over structure and top-down delegation. This philosophy is not a good fit for all, so we want to be clear upfront. If you thrive in dynamic, open environments, this is the place for you. We value meaningful impact and support. We seek to authentically serve both our audience and our team members alike. We are committed to being an inclusive and diverse group of people. These values are reflected in our hiring practices, decision-making, and programs. Our team and organization are growth-minded and development-focused. We always have room to improve, at all levels of our organization! Our organization promotes honesty, communication, and integrity. These values allow us to be an effective team. We praise creativity and ingenuity. Nothing is more exciting than thinking outside of the box or challenging the status quo. We prefer personability over professionalism, at least in internal settings. APPLY

< Back to Open Positions Lead Editor Volunteer South Bay Area, San Diego, and/or Remote APPLY Rolling application. Priority given to applications submitted before September 30th. ABOUT THE ROLE The Lead Editor is in charge of Our Time to Act United's newsletter, website content, articles, and reporting. They compile internal information to create communiqués, document interesting instances of youth action or areas of youth need, and share this information through social media, news organizations, and on our website. REQUIREMENTS Prior experience preferred. Must be demonstrate ability to engage others through writing. High school student or beyond. 6-8 hours, 1-2 meetings a week. Our scheduling is highly flexible. Values cooperation, creativity, growth-mindset. Exhibits organization, diligence, and dedication. Passion for youth empowerment. ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION While pursuing our mission of youth empowerment, Our Time to Act United understands the importance of fostering a safe, welcoming, and positive environment for all. As such, the actions we take align with our values as an organization and as individuals. We value meaningful impact. We always seek to genuinely support those that we serve and the people within our organization. We are committed to being an inclusive and diverse group of people. These values are reflected in our hiring practices, decision-making, and programs. Our team and organization is growth-minded and development-focused. We always have room to improve! Our organization promotes honesty, communication, and integrity. These values allow for us to be a cooperative, productive, and effective team. We praise creativity and ingenuity. Nothing is more exciting than thinking outside of the box or challenging the status quo. Applications are a two-way street. We make our values as an organization clear to you in order to make sure our team is the right fit—and we hope we are! Do not hesitate to reach out to us if you have any questions regarding our organization, values, workplace environment, or the application process. APPLY

< Back Aidan Lin and OTTA United featured in State of the City Speech by SD Mayor Gloria Wednesday, January 11, 2023 Our Time to Act United On January 11th, 2023, San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria held his first in-person and third ever State of the City Address. The Mayor declared the city to be ‘rising’ to meet prevalent challenges and that “our best days lie ahead.” His address focused on infrastructure, public safety, homelessness, and housing. It was during his segment on housing where Mayor Gloria spotlighted the work of Aidan Lin, Executive Director of Our Time to Act United, with youth and students in housing solutions. “Aidan is a 20-year-old student at UC San Diego. He currently has a 3.9 GPA, and while in high school, he founded a non-profit known as ‘ Our Time to Act United ,’ which works to empower young people.” The Mayor continued, “He’s already deeply involved in the civic life of our city – advocating for the Asian Pacific Islander community, shaping City Council Districts, and enthusiastically pushing for more housing and transit options.” Last year, OTTA United took on several advocacy projects — specifically focusing on the area surrounding UC San Diego — to promote increased housing stock, transit options, and building density to combat the worsening housing and climate crises. Students mobilized by OTTA United showed up in support of much-needed community planning group reform and density in the University Community Plan Update . Shortly after highlighting Mr. Lin, Mayor Gloria outlined the actions the city has taken to build more homes. This includes signing an executive order that directs all city staff to complete reviews and approvals of 100-percent affordable housing projects within 30 days, a process that currently takes up to six months. OTTA United looks forward to continuing its housing organizing and advocacy efforts in 2023 and greatly appreciates the acknowledgment of youth and youth leaders in the struggle for affordable housing. Next Previous

< Back Jasmine Truong CYAN Advisor Jasmine Truong is a San Diego native and is currently pursuing a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science from UC San Diego. She is a field organizer for Congressman Scott Peters' re-election campaign and volunteers her time as a board member of the AAPI Democrats of San Diego. As CYAN Community Building chair, she's excited to help youth and youth allies build connections through their collective work and organizing. jasmine.troung@ourtimetoact.org

< Back Aidan Lin, Executive Director, awarded "2022 Community Service Award" from SD Pride Thursday, June 30, 2022 Our Time to Act United Our Time to Act United is pleased to announce that our Executive Director, Aidan Lin, has been awarded the 2022 Spirit of Stonewall Community Service Award from San Diego Pride. Aidan has been honored for his work with OTTA United in the City of San Diego's 2020-21 redistricting process where he sought to uplift the many diverse groups of San Diego—including the LGBTQIA+ community. Aidan shares his sentiment of Pride: Pride is a celebration, but it is also a powerful demonstration of collective power and collective action. It is a demonstration of a world where love always prevails over hate, where pain is soothed by community, and where diversity is our strength. That is why Pride means so much to me, and why I am honored to receive the 2022 Spirit of Stonewall “Community Service Award” from San Diego Pride. Please join me, Our Time to Act United, and our wonderful community in marching in the Pride Parade on July 16th. Join Aidan Lin, OTTA United, and the San Diego community in marching in the Pride Parade on June 16th at 9am! Sign up to march with OTTA's contingent here . sdpride.org Community Service Award Community Service: An individual who is recognized as an up-and-coming leader within the LGBTQ community or whose contribution to the community in the past year was of particular significance. Next Previous