2025-26 EXECUTIVE BOARD

ROBERT MCPHIE
PRESIDENT
Robert (dressed up in the photo above to tell some heroic tales) loves stories and loves sharing them with kids. A senior at Pacifica Christian High School, Robert’s year-long capstone project, Once Upon a Time, explores the timely—and timeless—wisdom of fairytales. Robert currently serves on the executive board and is the past president of Orange County’s Interfaith Youth Alliance, an organization dedicated to helping young people from different religious and cultural backgrounds share their stories and build understanding.

CONNOR CHAN
VOLUNTEER LEAD
Connor loves working with kids! He recently earned the Congressional Award Silver Medal for 200 hours of voluntary community service. As a senior at University High School, Connor is a three-year varsity golfer, and gives back to the community by coaching golf with First Tee in Orange County. He also serves on the boards of his high school’s Vietnamese Student Association, Investment Club and California Scholarship Federation. Connor is a proud HOBY Ambassador.

ARYANNA LEE
OPERATIONS MANAGER
Aryanna cares deeply about service and community, and has worked extensively to support thousands of people with memory disorders through art therapy. In the process, she has earned the President’s Volunteer Service Award (Gold) three times for her incredible 600 hours of community service! Aryanna represents her peers on the City of Irvine’s High School Youth Action Team. She is a senior at Northwood High School.

ADVISORSY BOARD

MILAN NARULA
Co-Founder & Senior Advisor for Outreach

Since she was in middle school, Milan Narula has been dedicated to improving the lives of disadvantaged children. In 2015, Milan began volunteering with special needs children and their siblings at Intervention Center for Early Childhood, at-risk youth at KidWorks in Santa Ana, and homeless children through School on Wheels. Milan has absolutely loved this work. She has earned numerous awards and accolades for her community service: Spectrum News profiled Milan’s extensive volunteer work in a 4-minute video here, and the Orange County Register named her to their list of Top 100 Most Influential People in Orange County. Milan spent the pandemic tutoring kids experiencing homelessness, including one student who has worked with Milan since the summer of 2018. Milan attends UCLA, and intends to become a teacher one day so she can continue her life's passion of helping kids.

JESSICA SHAW
Community Service Advisor

Jessica Shaw has been a dedicated volunteer with Open Sesame since 2017, bringing enthusiasm and a passion for service to the organization. Now studying Business Administration at UC Irvine, she continues to apply her leadership skills and commitment to helping others. In high school, Jessica was actively involved in track, Model United Nations, and orchestra, showcasing her diverse talents and drive. Outside of her academic and volunteer pursuits, she enjoys playing the guitar and staying active through regular workouts, balancing her busy life with creativity and fitness.

EMILY McPHIE
Senior Advisor for Communications Strategy

Emily McPhie is a dynamic leader in digital communications and community empowerment. As the Digital Communications Manager at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, she combines her passion for storytelling and design to drive impactful initiatives. A graduate of Washington University in St. Louis with degrees in communication design and writing, Emily honed her leadership skills as managing editor of the campus newspaper. Her dedication to using technology for social good began in 2015 when she founded Code Irvine, an initiative to make computer science more accessible to children. Recognized for her creativity and service, Emily was named Orange County Graphic Design Artist of the Year in 2018 and has received both the Prudential Spirit of Community Award and the Presidential Volunteer Service Award.

EMERITUS BOARD MEMBERS

Evie Jackson brings energy and heart to everything she does. A dedicated four-year volunteer with Open Sesame, she’s passionate about making a difference in young lives. A graduate of Mater Dei, Evie shines both on and off the field. In high school, she played for the girls' soccer and flag football teams and competed in the academic decathlon. Outside of school, her love for soccer continued as she played for the Irvine Pateadores. Evie's dedication to service and her community truly sets her apart.

Rye Mauhay volunteered with Open Sesame from 2021–2025 and now serves on the Emeritus Board. As vice president of Irvine High’s CyberPatriot Club, he helped lead his team to a Gold Tier finish in national cybersecurity competition. A dedicated violist, he performed with the Philharmonic Orchestra and the Irvine Unified School District Honors Orchestra. He is studying mathematics in college and remains passionate about computers and cybersecurity. In his free time, he still enjoys gaming and sharpening his security skills.

BRIAN LE
Brian Le is a graduate of Woodbridge High School in Irvine. He enjoys playing basketball, volunteering, and spending time with friends and family.

JADEN CHEN
Jaden Chen is an undergrad at Boston University. He plays water polo and teaches swimming. In his free time, Jaden likes to play basketball and go to the beach with friends when he’s back home in California.

DYLAN SOONG
Dylan Soong is a graudate of University High School, where he served as founder and co-president of the school’s Machine Learning Club, a member of the Computer Science Club, and played trombone in band. He is also a nationally ranked olympic recurve archer who has been shooting for nine years. In his free time, Dylan enjoys playing volleyball and piano. 

KAILI CHEN

Kaili Chen studies at Cal Poly SLO. In high school, he played soccer, served on Student Council, delivered meals through Irvine's Meals on Wheels program, and volunteered at the Second Harvest Food Bank. When he's not studying or volunteering, Kaili enjoys hanging out with friends to play soccer or video games. 

ETHAN JACKSON
Ethan is a graduate of Mater Dei High School, and enjoys water polo, surfing, and swimming.

KAYLEY CHAN
Kayley Chan is a graduate of University High School where she partcipated in Varsity Song, Student Council, and Girls Who Code. Kayley is a Kode with Klossy Scholar and a Girl Scouts Gold Award and Presidential Service Award winner. Outside of school, Kayley loves fashion, dancing, and baking.

CHIRAG SINGH
Chirag Singh studied CS/EE at UCLA. He has been coding since 6th grade and is excited to share this skill with others. In high school, he enjoyed debating for the Troy Speech and Debate Club, as well as teaching debate and judging middle school debate competitions. His also loves soccer, whether playing for his school and club teams, watching La Liga or playing FIFEA.

MONSIE PALABRICA
Monserrat Palabrica graduated in Computer Science from the University of California Irvine, and has returned to her beautiful home in the Bay Area, where she is a Bioscience Research Associate at SRI International. In her spare time, Monsie loves watching movies, going to concerts, and attending hackathons.

ARYAN MATHER
Aryan Mather studied at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He has competed on robotics teams at the national and international levels.  In addition to volunteering with Open Sesame, Aryan has served in the Technology Tutoring Program at the Lakeview Senior Center, using his enthusiasm for technology and related skills to improve the lives of senior citizens.  

EVELYN WU
Evelyn Wu is a graduate of UC Berkeley and Woodbridge High School, where she served as treasurer of the Girls Who Code club, and the Mu Captain for Mu Alpha Theta club. She also served as a programmer for STEAMpunks BRAVO, her school's robotics team.