About Us - Enigma at UCLA

Our Mission

From casual game nights to tournament-style competitions, from learning the basics of Dungeons & Dragons to exploring the streets of LA, Enigma provides a community for you to participate in a gaming and social experience while making lifelong friends along the way. We include everyone from undergrads to graduate students and alumni. If you're interested in board games, tabletop games, or anything nerdy (even just a bit), you're always welcome with us. There is no formal membership, so drop by any time! Students, staff, faculty, and local community members are all welcome!

Our mission is to create an inclusive space where players of all experience levels can gather, learn, and grow together. We believe that the best games happen when diverse perspectives come together around the table, creating memorable experiences that extend far beyond the final score.

Meet the Officers

Hover over each officer to learn more about them! ↓

Kevin Nguyen

President

About Kevin Nguyen

Position: President

Year: Senior

Field: Business Economics major, Statistics and Data Science major, Math of Computation major, Accounting minor

Bio: Kevin streams his Dungeons & Dragons games online and enjoys rock climbing sandstone cliffs in Nevada, hiking Yosemite's peaks, and skiing Tahoe's slopes. As a triple major with an accounting minor, he finds time for board games like Root and Catan, piano playing, speedcubing, and cardistry.

Kaiwen Xiao

Vice President

About Kaiwen Xiao

Position: Vice President

Year: Junior

Field: Mathematics major, Philosophy major

Bio: Kaiwen found Enigma during their first-year EAF and enjoys playing Catan and Root with friends. Born in Germany and having resided in four different countries, they love deep nighttime conversations while taking long walks around campus.

Sreyan Sarkar

Vice President

About Sreyan Sarkar

Position: Vice President

Year: Junior

Field: MCDB major, Neuroscience minor

Bio: Sreyan spends time in the lab, behind the keyboard, in the kitchen, or watching sunsets. He has traveled to every continent including Antarctica, and enjoys Rocket League esports, culinary adventures, and media like the Lord of the Rings trilogy and Cyberpunk Edgerunners.

Kabron Ayalsew

Event Planner

About Kabron Ayalsew

Position: Event Planner

Year: Senior

Field: Political Science major, Public Affairs minor

Bio: Kabron enjoys video games, reading manga like Attack on Titan, taking walks, and playing basketball. He appreciates shows like Veep, books like The Catcher in the Rye, and songs like Night Train by Milena.

Arya Gothoskar

Event Planner

About Arya Gothoskar

Position: Event Planner

Year: Sophomore

Field: Biology

Bio: Arya enjoys reading books, watching Star Wars, and playing Escape From the Aliens in Outer Space, Talisman, and Monopoly. He has a third-degree black belt in Taekwondo, plays the flute, and has been part of Enigma for his entire time at UCLA.

Tiara Ryan

Social Chair

About Tiara Ryan

Position: Social Chair

Year: Junior

Field: English major, Film Television and Digital Media minor

Bio: Tiara is a third year English major and Film, Television, and Digital Media minor. In her free time she enjoys yapping about movies, going to concerts, and spewing out made-up expressions. When she isn’t at Enigma, you might find her throwing all-nighters in Powell Library or chugging a bottle of kombucha outside Kaplan Hall.

Maeve Howell

Librarian

About Maeve Howell

Position: Librarian

Year: Sophomore

Field: Biochemistry

Bio: Maeve loves being outside, and can sometimes been seen studying by Kuruvungna Steps. Despite the sun's persistent efforts to turn Maeve into a lobster, Maeve has managed to remain human and has a blast taking advantage of opposable thumbs to play board games, read books, and participate in the minimum wage job market. Maeve looks forward to reading lots of cool books and seeing many new faces at the book club this year.

Ben Navins

Treasurer

About Ben Navins

Position: Treasurer

Year: Junior

Field: Business Economics major, Geography major, Accounting minor

Bio: Ben enjoys board games such as Ticket to Ride, playing the flute and working on crosswords. He also enjoys TTRPGs, JRPGs and their music, GIS mapping, and Pokémon.

Jadon Zhu

Webmaster

About Jadon Zhu

Position: Webmaster

Year: Junior

Field: Applied Mathematics major, Data Science Engineering minor

Bio: Jadon enjoys running on campus, indoor bouldering, and coding. They love to meet new people and learn about their interests, whether it be through board games, yummy meals, or late night conversations! You can often find them on a run around campus or hanging out with friends!

Leil Cheng

Creative Director

About Leil Cheng

Position: Creative Director

Year: Junior

Field: Psychobiology

Bio: Leil loves art, traditional and digital, and frequently uses her creative powers for drawing silly girls in love and game jamming. You can often find her drinking boba, crocheting, or playing (losing at) Root. She loves meeting people and finding new hyperfxiations, so feel free to come talk to her!

Cole Adams

RPG Master

About Cole Adams

Position: RPG Master

Year: Senior

Field: Political Science major, Public Affairs minor

Bio: Cole starts each morning with coffee and enjoys Warhammer 40k, painting miniatures, reading fantasy, and watching House M.D. He plays D&D and TTRPGs, draws, enjoys Earl Grey tea, and is a huge fan of political theorist Thomas Hobbes.

Ruby Taylor

RPG Master

About Ruby Taylor

Position: RPG Master

Year: Sophomore

Field: Theater

Bio: Ruby loves writing, anything ttRPG, and theater (improv or not). She has run Curse of Strahd three times and enjoys discussing media, including Deltarune, Batman, The Holdovers, Arcane, and Breaking Bad.

Photos

Enigma members at their regular game table