Translated by H.B. Qin Edited by Ida Eva Zielinska
Tzu Chi Collegiate Association (TCCA) members from five Southern California chapters gathered on March 8, 2026, to build connections through the 2026 Southern California TCCA gathering. With the theme Growing Together with Friends, the event was organized by the TCCA chapter at California State University, Long Beach (CSULB), and brought together members from CSULB; the Riverside, Irvine, and San Diego campuses of the University of California; and the East Los Angeles chapter.
The gathering balanced social connection with personal growth, helping participants build friendships, strengthen teamwork, and reflect on their inner development. Organized by the students themselves over the course of about a month, the event also showed the initiative and unity of young volunteers who, while managing their studies, found encouragement, support, and motivation through service. For the organizing team, the preparation process itself became a meaningful exercise in teamwork, responsibility, and leadership.
Getting to Know Each Other
The gathering opened on the California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) campus as participants listened to a teaching by Dharma Master Cheng Yen, then watched a video produced by CSULB TCCA and a sign language performance by chapter presidents and vice presidents of the TCCA anthem, which highlights Tzu Chi’s humanistic spirit. Participants then split into four teams, giving them a chance to meet peers from other chapters. Each team brought energy to the day through a group dance competition, followed by a sharing session where participants reflected on their volunteer service experiences and personal growth.
Among the activities at the gathering, the Jing Si Aphorism charades game was one of the highlights. Each team used body language and gestures to help teammates guess key words from one of Dharma Master Cheng Yen’s Jing Si Aphorisms. The activity fostered teamwork, communication, and trust while helping participants learned Jing Si Aphorisms through play.
Another activity invited TCCA members to make friendship bracelets for one another as gifts, encouraging sincere care and generosity among peers. In the afternoon, participants also took part in outdoor activities, including football, tug-of-war, and an Easter egg hunt, building teamwork, communication, and friendship in a joyful atmosphere.
The event concluded with a heartwarming closing ceremony, where participants expressed gratitude to one another, exchanged small gifts, and held lotus lamps as they prayed together for the world. Through the day’s activities, they came to see connection as a treasure for growth and were reminded that, although they came from different chapters and locations, they shared the same aspiration and commitment to Tzu Chi’s mission. The organizing team hoped that the love and compassion nurtured through the gathering would continue to grow in the community, within each TCCA chapter, and in the hearts of every young volunteer.
Three Dimensions of Growth
Lily Kang, Counselor for the California State University, Long Beach Tzu Chi Collegiate Association chapter, has been part of Tzu Chi for more than ten years. She is also one of the co-founders of the chapter, which marks its twelfth anniversary this year. Kang shared that the theme, Growing Together with Friends, reflected three dimensions of growth: Growing with the community by sowing seeds of love, like farmers, so the community can become more caring; helping each TCCA chapter grow by welcoming new members; and nurturing personal spiritual growth by learning to take responsibility and give to others.
She explained that the purpose of the gathering was to remind TCCA members that they are not alone on the Tzu Chi path. “Even though everyone is in different locations, at different schools, and in different chapters, we’re essentially doing the same thing, which is helping the community and carrying out Tzu Chi’s work,” Kang said.
What impressed Kang most was the Jing Si Aphorism charades game. “I saw a lot of teamwork. Without voices or words, they had to use sign language and gestures to express the words,” she explained. Kang was especially proud of the organizing TCCA officers and interns. “Hosting this event together really helped them grow. They learned to take responsibility and lead. It was a way to push them a step further, and I was very impressed by their leadership today,” she said. The event showcased the spirit of the Tzu Chi family and the mutual support that helps young volunteers discover their own potential.
Don't underestimate yourself. I believe they experienced the truth of that through today's event.
Connection Is a Treasure
Deborah Boudreaux, the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation’s Chief International Affairs Officer, shared that this year marks her 36th year with Tzu Chi USA. She found it inspiring to see students from different universities gather in one place and form bonds through indoor and outdoor activities. To Boudreaux, such bonds are a precious treasure because they help young people build their abilities and grow as future leaders.
Boudreaux noted that students are usually busy with their studies, making it especially meaningful that the gathering gave them an opportunity to relax and share heartfelt laughter. In that atmosphere, participants could learn from one another, practice gratitude and appreciation, and continue growing through their interactions. As young volunteers on the Tzu Chi path, they also gained a deeper understanding of what Dharma Master Cheng Yen means when she guides volunteers to remain rooted in the Dharma while putting compassion into action through Tzu Chi’s mission.
Boudreaux reflected that, while there are many ways to serve, the foundation of all action is the heart. With love in their hearts, young volunteers can come to understand gratitude, learn to cherish what they have, and grow in their care for others. Through Jing Si Aphorisms, shared reflection, and hands-on activities such as making friendship bracelets and artwork, the gathering became more than a program: It became a way for participants to build connection.
This kind of connection is a treasure for young leaders in today’s challenging world.
Finding Community Through Service
For Daphnee Ruiz, a California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) TCCA member, the gathering was her first TCCA social event, having joined the association just two weeks earlier. Ruiz said she was drawn to Tzu Chi’s outreach work and the mutual support she saw among volunteers. “I really love how everyone helps each other, and I really like food distributions,” she shared. “I felt really happy doing them and seeing people smile. I’m really happy I joined.”
Clarrissah Ko, President of the University of California, San Diego Tzu Chi Collegiate Association (TCCA) chapter, said the event allowed her to meet many new friends and gain a better understanding of Tzu Chi culture. She especially enjoyed the Jing Si Aphorism charades game, where participants used creativity and teamwork to complete the challenge, making the process both exciting and fun.
What inspired me to first join was that I wanted a community to feel part of. As an international student, I’m a long way from home. I had some exposure to Tzu Chi back home, so it was a familiar name here. I wanted to join so I could get to know more people and feel like I was part of a community.
What inspired Ko to continue was the example set by senior volunteers and advisors. “I feel like they always go the extra mile to do something for Tzu Chi,” she said. “They always cook really good vegetarian food for our events, and they are so happy to do it. Our advisor always drives us to volunteer events like these. Seeing these people always give their best really inspires me to go further myself, too, and be selfless like them in contributing.”
This was also Ko’s first time participating in an event as co-president. “We had to perform the TCCA anthem in front of everyone, which was a bit nerve-wracking,” she said, “but it was a really good chance for me to get out of my comfort zone and show the skills I learned as a leader.”
Marco Chavez, CSULB TCCA Vice President, said that working with unfamiliar teammates helped participants build stronger friendships. As they completed activities with people they didn’t know well, they became more comfortable with one another and grew closer.
I hope everyone can look back and say, ‘I made some new friends, and I was able to come out of my shell a little bit and become friends with people I never thought I’d be friends with.
“Our theme was growing as friends and growing as people,” Sophia Jobson, CSULB TCCA
President, noted. “All of our events focused on how working with Tzu Chi, working with friends, volunteering, and making new connections through Tzu Chi help us grow as human beings, as volunteers, and as people who will go into career fields all over.”
Jobson explained that each activity reflected a different part of that growth, showing how working with Tzu Chi, volunteering with friends, and forming new connections can shape participants as human beings, volunteers, and future professionals. In flag football, participants practiced communication and teamwork as they coordinated with one another on the field. In the friendship bracelet activity, they made something for someone else as a way to practice compassion. The Tree of Growth, she added, invited self-reflection, creating a space where participants could say, “This is what I gained from volunteering. This is why I volunteer. This is why I’m with Tzu Chi.” Jobson said, “That self-introspection is so important, and I’m so happy we were able to include that as one of today’s activities.”
Debra Boudreaux’s reflection on visiting refugee camps with Tzu Chi moved Jobson deeply and reminded her that “we are all human” and “we are all one.” “All of these divisions are manufactured,” Jobson said. “They’re not real, and we need to remember that. One way to remember is through Tzu Chi and volunteering, doing food distributions, medical outreaches, beach cleanups, and taking these small steps. Just one step every day. Not for yourself, not just for your loved ones, but for everybody. Because we are all one family.”
I hope they feel a real sense of community, not only within their own chapter and not only within Tzu Chi as an organization, but as human beings living on this planet. There is community, and we are all connected.
Through a day of exchange and shared activities, Tzu Chi Collegiate Association members in Southern California learned through cooperation, grew through giving, and formed friendships that could continue along the Tzu Chi path. The gathering not only brought together young volunteers from different universities and chapters but also showed how service can become a source of joy, belonging, and purpose. As they returned to their campuses and communities, the seeds of kindness planted that day continued to grow in the hearts of a new generation.
