RECognition: Emily Wu, Fitness & Yoga

Recreation's monthly series to celebrate our staff

By Shawn Cyr
Assistant Marketing Director

Years from now, when Emily Wu thinks back on her time working for UC San Diego Recreation, one memory will likely spring right to mind.

“It would have to be the team retreat that I went on last year,” Emily says. “We all went to Outback Adventures for their ground-based Challenge Course and then got to know each other better through a fun slideshow game. It was nice being able to see my coworkers and supervisor in a non-work environment.”

When she is on the clock, Emily — a third-year in Earl Warren College — is one of the Program Assistant Leads for FitLife, handling employee relations for our instructors, trainers, and program assistants. She also co-leads FitLife’s team-member trainings and meetings, assists at yoga events, collaborates on program promotion, demonstrates enthusiastic customer service to our participants, and much more. Quite simply, she makes sure everything runs smoothly.

“Emily’s warmth, supportive nature, and creativity greatly influence the dynamic, student-centered experiences we provide to our campus,” says Tiffany Healy, Fitness & Wellness Program Director.

The role is a natural fit for Emily, who first came to REC because of the flexibility it offers for student staff and — having participated in signature events such as Meet the Beach and RecFest — “thought it would be fun to work for REC.” She was right, of course, and has become an integral part of the FitLife team since she came aboard in June of 2023.

“My favorite part about working in REC is how I get to meet so many amazing and dedicated people, such as my coworkers, supervisors, and instructors,” she says. “I love getting to know everyone and feeling supported every step of the way.”

When she’s not working, you can usually catch her at the mall “trying to only window shop,” she says, or at home binging her comfort shows such as “Gilmore Girls” and “Gossip Girl.” And when Emily needs to relax and de-stress a little bit, she knows just who to turn to: Bruno Mars, Benson Boone, and Rosé.

“When I’m feeling stressed and overwhelmed, I like to go on really long walks in nature while listening to my favorite songs,” Emily says. “It helps me clear my head and connect with nature calms me down.”

Emily — a communications major and marketing minor — is on track to graduate in December of 2025. She hopes to spend a little time traveling with her family before starting to build her career in corporate marketing.

“I would love to visit Taiwan again, China, Japan, South Korea,” she says, “and maybe somewhere in Europe too!”

Regardless of where she ends up, Emily will always have fond memories of her time with REC to look back on.

“I’m really grateful for my FitLife team as everyone is so supportive and understanding!” Emily says. “I feel like I can always talk to them about anything and I’m very happy I can work with them.”