Indianapolis residents Tanya Triggol and Yuka Sato, currently in their sophomore years at Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI), know what it means to have a healthy balance between a life of faith and a life of academic excellence.

Yuka Sato, president of University College Student Council.

Tanya Triggol, vice-president of University College Student Countil.

Sato and Triggol are second-generation Unificationists and are respectively, the President and Vice-President of University College Student Council (UCSC).

“Within IUPUI, there are many schools, such as Kelley School of Business, School of Liberal Arts, etc.,” Triggol explained. “University College is one of such schools and is the school for all incoming freshman. The UCSC is the board of University College and oversees about 7,000 students.”

Triggol is attending IUPUI’s Indiana University School of Nursing, and Sato, who is double majoring in business management and human resources, attends IUPUI’s Indiana University Kelley School of Business.

They credit their motivation for running for positions within UCSC to Oaksoon Callahan, another second-generation Unificationist who was president of UCSC prior to Sato.

“We saw how Oaksoon was running the meetings and saw the potential in all we could do with the resources and people we have here,” said Sato.” I appreciated the wonderful things that UCSC had to offer to me as a freshman and was inspired to run for the position of president.”

Oaksoon, also a resident of Indiana, said: “I had never been the type of student to run for anything in high school, but after two years of STF (Special Task Force), I gained the confidence that I can do more than I give myself credit for. I don’t always have to know everything about doing something before I do it, but as long as I keep an open mind and am willing to work hard, I can rise up to the challenge. UCSC is a great opportunity for first-year students to get involved and gain leadership experience, so I encouraged Tanya and Yuka to do the same when they entered college.”

Lessons from the Special Task Force

Yuka Sato (center, dark blue shirt) and company take a break during their service work on the STF program.

Triggol and Sato’s friendship extends beyond their time in college, as they too took time after high school to enroll in STF, a gap-year service program now known as Generation Peace Academy (GPA). Like Callahan, both attribute a part of their self-confidence and academic success to their experiences on STF. All three of the young ladies have dedicated two years to witnessing, fundraising, and public service overseas on the program.

“STF gave me the chance to discover who I am and what my strengths are,” said Triggol. “It also gave me a strong group of friends. Now that we are all in college, we can relate and support each other when we are faced with hardships in school and in life.”

Sato said: “The two years that I was on STF continued to push me to discover in what I believe and about what I’m passionate. I learned the importance of developing my God-given strengths and abilities. The more you work and perfect your passion and strengths, the more you are able to give back to the world. STF has definitely enhanced my college experience because I developed the motivation and reason not only to pass, but also to excel and thrive in my studies.”

Academic Excellence

Both Sato and Yuka scored a 4.0 on their GPA during their first semester at IUPUI and as a result, founded the 4.0 Club.

“We started the club as a casual joke between us, me and Tanya, and Jin Sung Nim,” said Sato. “Now a 4.0 is something we can aspire to every semester. We always do our best – especially after receiving so much guidance from our Senior Pastor, Rev. In Jin Moon about how important a good education is.”

On campus, Sato also works with the Asian Student Union, the International Peer Mentor program for international students at IUPUI and has a part-time job. “I like to keep myself busy because I find it helps me stay focused academically during the semester,” she said.

When it comes to working together as President and Vice-President of UCSC, longtime-friends Sato and Triggol are quick to put in a good word for the other.

“Yuka is an inspiring leader,” said Triggol. “We are both really lucky to have each other because we understand each other. After years of being friends, we communicate very effectively. When one person is having a bad day, the other will pick up the slack.”

“Tanya makes everyone feel comfortable and welcomed,” said Sato. “With her around, people feel included and encouraged to pursue exciting ideas form which the University can benefit. It’s easy to talk to her about ideas for the council and make them happen. I am really blessed to have her as Vice-President. As a team, we would like to build UCSC to be one of the best represented councils at IUPUI.

“One of our accomplishments is that over the summer of 2011, we funded and staffed an adventure camp. There were over 40 newly-admitted freshmen who came out to the three-day weekend trip, and my council members were the team leaders for the entire camp. We got to hike, swim, zip-line, rock climb and navigate a high-ropes course. It was awesome! We were incredibly busy, but the experience was fun and memorable.”

Identities as Unificationists

“Six other Unificationists currently attend IUPUI, and whenever our schedules allow, we like to get together,” said Sato. “We do not have a CARP (Collegiate Association for the Research of Principles) chapter at our school, but we appreciate all the support that CARP has given our young church communities across the country. CARP galas and Christmas cookies from CARP headquarters were just some of the sweet signs of affection that many students appreciate during a stressful semester.

“In terms of my identity as a second-generation Unificationist, I talk about it to those who are interested. I am pretty active on campus and work with all sorts of people, so naturally people become curious when they hear I don’t date and want to get a 'modern-day' arranged marriage. The friends and professors with whom I have shared my faith accepted it well, and I give more in-depth explanations of my beliefs as our relationship deepens. There haven’t been any issues regarding my faith of which I’m aware.”

“I try to be as open as I can about being a Unificationist,” said Triggol. “If people ask me about my faith, I am more than willing to share. My close friends on campus are extremely interested in the church and have even come to the Lovin’ Life church service, which they really enjoyed. There haven't been any issues.”

Despite their busy schedules, Sato and Triggol continue to attend Sunday service at their local church. “Our Indiana church community has a lot of high-school- and middle-school kids, so we try to plan fun activities for them during the year, such as trips to the Ohio church and Christmas parties,” said Sato.

Plans for the Future

“My dream is to one day own and manage a wellness spa,” Sato said. "With the importance of health publicized more than ever, I want to establish a place that incorporates both the ideas from eastern and western medical technologies of health and create a place where people can be educated and treated for physical- and emotional stresses from life. I believe Rev. and Mrs. Sun Myung Moon emphasize the importance of taking care of your ‘temple of God.’ Living in a society with increasing health problems, we have to remember that health isn’t just about how good you look, but also about how well you take care of your body.”

“I would like to focus my nursing degree on women and infant health, in particular birthing and infant nutrition,” said Triggol. “I would like to create a birthing practice that views birth as an experience rather than a procedure, by using holistic and natural methods. In the future I would like to receive my Masters’ Degree in public health and work on the international level to solve the issues of unsanitary birthing facilities and infant-nutrition needs. My passion for infant care is a reflection of how I relate to God. I feel God is closest to me when I care for and nurture people.”

As a side note, Sato added a word of advice to college applicants: “Let your passions and interests drive your education, even if that involves taking a couple of years off to figure out what your passion is, as I did. It’s worth trying new things to discover what you want to pursue!”

Contributed by Ariana Moon.