Taking risks and finding her wings
Taking risks and finding her wings
- April 16, 2026
- Second year UC Irvine political science major Kiley Wielenga finds success embracing opportunities outside of her comfort zone
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When Kiley Wielenga took the stage this spring at the a cappella competition that
inspired Pitch Perfect, she sang about finding wings and taking flight. The message echoes advice Wielenga,
a second year political science major, offers her peers as a student ambassador for
the Social Sciences Academic Resource Center. It’s also advice she lives by.
“Don’t count yourself out,” Wielenga says. “What I try to tell other students – and what I'm trying to live out – is that you should apply, try a new thing, even if you think you’re not ready. All it takes is one opportunity, one door that opens, and suddenly you're on your way.”
Now halfway through her Anteater experience, Wielenga recognizes the defining moments have been those when she overcame fear or self-doubt to take a risk: like joining a brand new a cappella group that unexpectedly became one of the most successful in campus history, and applying to advise students navigating academic and career choices even while she’s figuring out those big questions for herself.
That willingness to stay open to unexpected opportunities continues to shape Wielenga’s path at UC Irvine.
“Don’t box yourself in”
As an Orange County native, Wielenga’s first choice was UC Irvine. She says, “I knew I didn’t want to live in LA – I like OC. When I toured UCI’s campus, it just felt right.”
Wielenga entered the School of Social Sciences as a political science major, aiming to deepen her understanding of the kinds of social justice issues that fueled her high school advocacy activities. But when she told people her major, she was surprised by their consistent refrain: you must want to become a lawyer. Actually, that was not her vision at all.
But at a welcome meeting during her first week Matthew Beckmann, professor of political science, said something that was music to Wielenga’s ears. Beckmann’s message to the incoming political science majors was this: “UC Irvine offers extraordinary opportunities for students to study in world-class programs with world-class professors. There’s so much you can do with political science besides law school. Don’t box yourself in.”
Wielenga took that advice to heart, selecting a variety of courses, getting involved on campus, and exploring career options. Her favorite course to date, “Israeli Politics and Society,” was taught by Daphne Inbar, a visiting professor from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The professor welcomed students from all perspectives and levels of knowledge about Israel into the class – her only stipulation was that they be respectful – as she offered a unique window into the social, governmental, historical and political elements fueling the war in Gaza.
During her first year, Wielenga attended a school event that opened her eyes to the range of career opportunities available to political science majors. It featured an alum with a bachelor’s in political science who went on to earn an MBA. That path sparked her interest, and now she is pursuing a minor in business administration and considering making it a double major.
Providing resources through SSARC
Another part of the event also caught Wielenga’s attention. After the presentation, the staff announced they were recruiting student ambassadors for the Social Sciences Academic Resource Center, which offers academic and career resources, one-on-one consultations, and organizes events like the one that introduced Wielenga to possible careers in business. The role interested Wielenga, but despite being naturally social and experienced with event planning, she hesitated to apply. With just one year on campus, she worried she did not have enough experience to advise other students. Fortunately, she overcame that fear, applied, and was selected as a 2025-26 student ambassador.
“Kiley has been such an important part of our team,” says Kristen Ahn, Ed.M., program director of Undergraduate Leadership and Community Programs. “Through her work on the SSARC social committee, she’s helped host some of our most successful events, and you can really feel the difference she makes. She has a way of making people feel welcomed, included, and like they truly belong.”
Wielenga thrived in organizing academic and social events, but it took extra effort to get comfortable advising her peers about internships, research opportunities, graduate school and career opportunities.
“That was hard to swallow because I felt like I didn’t know what I'm doing myself, so how could I answer these questions for others?” Wielenga says. “But ambassadors don't need to tell students what their dream career is or get them an internship. We’re giving them the tools to do it on their own, and we have lots of SSARC resources and guides to help them.”
Ultimately, connecting with other social sciences students became the most rewarding aspect of serving as a SSARC ambassador. Like the peers she advises, Wielenga has the resources and the attitude to thrive.
“With her leadership, empathy, and natural ability to bring people together, it’s easy to see she’s going to do amazing things after she earns her political science degree,” Ahn says.
Wings made to fly
Beyond politics, Wielenga always loved music. After participating in theater, choir and several vocal groups in high school, she knew she would continue singing at UC Irvine – she just wasn’t sure how. Once on campus, she discovered a vibrant a cappella community, with a handful of groups ranging from the longstanding United Voices to the all-men Circle of Fifths. But with heated competition for just a handful of openings in each group, many aspiring vocalists didn’t land spots, including Wielenga. So when an opportunity came to become a founding member of a new a cappella group that was forming, Morse Coda, she gave it a shot.
When they showed up to their first competition of International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella (ICCA) – the one that inspired Pitch Perfect – Morse Coda had been together for just four months, and much of that they spent struggling to find their distinct style and voice.
“We just decided to show up, sing and have a good time,” says Wielenga. “Part of our charm was that we were such underdogs, and we didn't know any of the other groups there.”
To nearly everyone’s surprise, Morse Coda won that first competition as well as the next one, earning a coveted berth at the 2025 regional semifinals in Northern California, where they took third place – higher in ICCA than any other UC Irvine a cappella group in history.
For the 2026 competition season, Morse Coda felt pressure to prove they were not one-hit wonders. They put together a new show titled Taking Flight. The 10-minute set, with musical arrangement and choreography created by UCI students, tells a story of the American Dream through five songs, from Frank Sinatra’s jazzy “Come Fly with Me” to the British pop girl group Little Mix’s “Wings.”
“The message of this set is a bit nuanced,” Wielenga says. “Through the music and emotion we display, we’re saying that even when your life isn’t what you expected, you make it your own, you find a way to survive and thrive, and you use your wings to take flight.”
The story wasn’t just inspirational, the performance was once again exceptional. The team advanced to 2026 semifinals in March, this time held in Scottsdale, Arizona, where they bested their previous record, finishing in second place with just one point separating them from the top-scoring group.
Finishing off the second competition season with Morse Coda, and looking ahead to the rest of her UCI journey, Wielenga’s reminder to other students like her might be captured in the lyrics by Little Mix: “These wings are made to fly.”
-Christine Byrd for UCI Social Sciences
-pictured: Kiley Wielenga and her a cappella group perform live, earn honors. Wielenga
with members of the social sciences undergraduate team at the annual Dean's Welcome
BBQ.
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Would you like to get more involved with the social sciences? Email us at communications@socsci.uci.edu to connect.
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