If you are, or were, a student at Cal Poly Pomona’s College of Business Administration, chances are the United Business Student Senate (UBSS) is part of your story.
The student run hub serves as the academic council for more than 20 business student organizations, from discipline-based clubs in finance, marketing, and CIS, to cultural, professional, and special-interest groups. UBSS connects student leaders with faculty and staff, aligns goals across the college, and helps ensure that every event, workshop and networking night contributes to a larger mission: student success. For many Broncos, it’s where leadership begins.
This Women’s History Month, we are spotlighting the student leader behind this critical organization: Nawapat “Miumiu” Bussarakornsirivit (BSBA, ’27).
As an international student from Thailand, Bussarakornsirivit arrived at CPP determined to grow beyond her comfort zone. “I did not initially have a strong community, and I was much more introverted during my freshman year,” she says. Rather than retreat, she leaned in, beginning as an executive aide to the vice president of events, later serving as vice president of events herself, and now as UBSS president.
In her current role, she oversees more than 20 student organizations while coordinating among faculty, staff, and student leaders. “There is constant communication, and sometimes it feels like ongoing coordination among multiple groups at once,” she explains. “At the same time, it has shown me how powerful collaboration can be.” Even with different clubs focused on their own priorities, she emphasizes that “we all share the same goal of supporting student success and creating valuable opportunities.”
That perspective has shaped a leadership style she describes as “empathetic, detail-oriented, and proactive.” It’s also strengthened her confidence in ways the classroom alone could not. “Each role pushed me to grow personally and professionally,” she reflects. Through UBSS, she gained hands-on experience, mentorship, and exposure to alumni and faculty, developing “communication skills, leadership presence, adaptability, and confidence beyond what I learned in the classroom.” Looking back at her first year, she sees “tremendous growth” — and credits the people who encouraged her along the way.
For Bussarakornsirivit, Women’s History Month is a reminder that leadership and representation matter. “Women empowerment means creating space for women to lead confidently, while also being recognized for their contributions,” she says. “Representation matters.” In her service, she prioritizes acknowledging others’ contributions and encouraging women to step into leadership roles, fostering an environment where they feel confident to “grow, speak up, and lead boldly.”
“Service gives me a way to turn my big picture ideas into meaningful action, while creating something positive, not just for myself, but for the entire community."
— Nawapat “Miumiu” Bussarakornsirivit (BSBA, ’27)
It’s advice she wishes she had fully embraced sooner herself. “You do not need to have everything figured out before stepping into leadership,” she says. “You truly learn by stepping into the role or opportunity, asking questions, and continuing to seek knowledge.” Now, she shares that message with younger students, reminding them that stepping outside their comfort zone is already an accomplishment, and that confidence follows action.
Beyond graduation, Bussarakornsirivit plans to return to Thailand to launch her own event planning company — a goal rooted in the same spirit of service that defines her presidency. As vice president of events, she helped plan major programs such as CBARN, the CBA Recognition Night, developing creative concepts, coordinating vendors, managing logistics, and ensuring every detail aligned with the overall vision. “Event planning is a service-based business,” she says, “which resonates with me because service has always been at the center of my leadership.”
From a self-described introverted freshman to the president connecting an entire college community, Bussarakornsirivit’s journey is a testament to growth through service, and to the impact of women who lead with empathy, intention, and courage.
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