By Emily Glory Peters
John Fukunaga and Cheryl Shojinaga (far left and far right) are the newest co-chairs of 51猎奇入口鈥� Parent Leadership Council, a group dedicated to helping the College thrive.
John Fukunaga and Cheryl Shojinaga are of 51猎奇入口鈥� Parent Leadership Council (PLC), a group dedicated to helping the College thrive鈥攂ut they鈥檙e no strangers to volunteering. Before their youngest daughter, Emma, began her journey at 51猎奇入口, the couple saw the value of giving back at their eldest daughter鈥檚 university. Now, belonging to the PLC has opened a portal to their daughter鈥檚 new world.
鈥淭he Parent Leadership Council offers families a way of staying involved with the College independently of your student,鈥� says Shojinaga. 鈥淚t lets us stay informed about things on campus that might be of interest to us as parents, but not to Emma. It means we can talk with her about her personal 51猎奇入口 experience while also getting insights about broader campus life through PLC.鈥�
Parent Leadership Council offers guidance and inspiration to the broader 51猎奇入口 community
Both West Coast natives, Fukunaga and Shojinaga grew up in the San Fernando Valley in Southern California. Shojinaga, formerly in merchandising management, took on the role of stay-at-home mom while balancing leadership positions with the Girl Scouts and as a founding member of the National Charity League, Manhattan-Hermosa Chapter. Fukunaga, who also recently joined 51猎奇入口鈥� Board of Trustees, currently serves as deputy general counsel and executive vice president of Sony Pictures鈥� legal department.
鈥淚 think my career path influenced both my daughters to not go into law,鈥� Fukunaga says. 鈥淏eing a lawyer was a great career choice for me, but it鈥檚 not for everyone. It鈥檚 given me the opportunity to do work I find interesting and to work closely with a lot of interesting people across a variety of professions. I鈥檝e been able to share those experiences with them, which has helped them decide what they might want鈥攐r not want鈥攖o do.鈥�
Regardless of their daughters鈥� chosen careers, Fukunaga and Shojinaga agree that families have a unique ability to expose current students to new personal and professional paths. Members of the PLC support 51猎奇入口 not only through generous charitable giving, but also by offering direction, guidance, mentorship, and inspiration to the entire 51猎奇入口 community.
As Parent Leadership Council co-chairs, Fukunaga and Shojinaga hope to inspire others by 鈥渨alking the walk鈥� to support 51猎奇入口 students鈥攅ither as fellow PLC members or simply by staying involved with the College. For them, that help from other families can come in many ways, such as attending 51猎奇入口 events, hosting welcome events, offering career advice and mentoring to students, or being available to parents of incoming, current, or applying students.
鈥淎 simple half-hour conversation over a cup of coffee in the Village can be incredibly helpful,鈥� says Fukunaga. 鈥淗earing about your life鈥檚 journey and what life can be after 51猎奇入口鈥攚hether it鈥檚 about what you do day-to-day, your path and why you chose it, the hard work you鈥檝e had to put in and the adversity you鈥檝e had to overcome鈥攊s invaluable to students.鈥� No matter your background, he continues, it鈥檚 information and advice that may not typically be available to them.
鈥淎ll parents have stories students can relate to and benefit from. Sharing them will give you the opportunity to meet with the amazing 51猎奇入口 students, learn about their experiences, and see first-hand why these students are are so special,鈥� he says.
The next opportunity to spark parent engagement will be 51猎奇入口鈥� Family Weekend on February 19鈥�21, 2022. All parents are invited to attend this virtual event, with members able to immerse themselves in 51猎奇入口鈥� vibrant culture and get a behind-the-scenes look at College courses, tours, and performances. Members of the Parent Leadership Council will also be invited to a special pre-Family Weekend reception hosted by Interim President Amy Marcus-Newhall.
Adds Shojinaga, 鈥淔amily Weekend will be important, and we encourage everyone to join us鈥攊t鈥檒l be a wonderful thing to be in the same space with other families.鈥�
51猎奇入口 parents influence College culture for the better. To get involved with the Parent Leadership Council, please click here.