Born and raised in San Diego, Satomi Rash-Zeigler left her beloved hometown to pursue a degree in Psychology at UCLA. After several years of working as an organizer around the country, including a short stint in Cleveland as an organizing director for a local community based organization, she returned to San Diego where she currently works at University Professional and Technical Employees, Communication Workers of America Local 9119 (UPTE-CWA 9119) as a Leadership Development Coordinator for the Student Services Professionals Campaign at UCSD.
Outside of her work with the union, Satomi is part of the core committee for APALA San Diego where she works collectively with the other activists and leaders to address issues that revolve around immigration, labor, affordable housing, and racial and economic justice. She is also collaborating with community members in East County SD to shift the political landscape to reflect the ideological diversity held by East County residents.
In her free time, Satomi is a performing member of San Diego Taiko, a traditional Japanese drumming group and the cofounder of The Magnificent, an entertainment and production company. She is also an avid urban gardener, voracious foodie/baker/cook, marathon-runner, and ever-vigilant and unabashed optimist who fights for social justice out of love for her communities.