Jimmy King
Associate Director of Admission

✉ jking@soka.edu
☏  +1 949-480-4019

Jimmy has been a part of the Soka recruitment staff since 2003. Jimmy was born and raised in Southern California, and graduated with his Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration. Jimmy is a die-hard Steelers fan, and he also loves to travel and eat (he knows all the best places to go!). Jimmy loves spending his spare time with his lovely wife and daughter.

Works with Students from:
California: Glendale/Pasadena, Santa Ana, Irvine, Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, Westminster, Tustin, East San Fernando Valley, East Los Angeles, West San Fernando Valley, Long Beach, and areas within.



Other States: New York, Arizona, Alaska, New Jersey, Washington, Oregon, Puerto Rico,

Chelsea Dugger
Assistant Director of Admission

✉ cdugger@soka.edu
☏  +1 949-480-4107

Chelsea became an admission counselor at Soka University of America in 2015 after graduating from SUA in 2014. She is from San Diego county and she enjoys picnicking, going to museums, and walking to the beach. She is particularly passionate about sustainability, public health, and creating a more compassionate and just global community which is why she studied Liberal Arts at SUA with a double concentration in Environmental Studies and International Studies. She had the opportunity to study abroad in Quito, Ecuador.

Works with Students from:
California: Chula Vista, Descanso, Alpine, Spring Valley, El Cajon, San Diego, La Jolla, Central Valley (South), Carlsbad, Murrietta, Temecula, Escondido, Solana Beach, Vista, Oceanside, Marin County, American Canyon, Birds Landing, Napa, Vallejo, Petaluma, Santa Rosa, Davis, Sonoma, Fairfield, Central Valley (North), Sacramento County, Hidden Valley Lake, Eurika, Bayside, Rio Del, Willow Creek, and areas within.



Other States: New Mexico, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, Wyoming, Utah, Hawaii, Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa,

Lindsey Laughlin
Admission Counselor

✉ llaughlin@soka.edu
☏  +1 949-480-4162

Lindsey has been a part of the Soka Admissions team since September 2022. She is originally from the San Francisco Bay Area—specifically Sunnyvale in the South Bay. Lindsey graduated from the University of Oregon with her Bachelor of Arts in English with minors in Creative Writing and Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. She is a strong advocate for educational accessibility and equity. She is very passionate about breaking systemic barriers for underrepresented students in higher education. Lindsey loves to read, write, and travel in her free time. She hopes to continue to see the world and document her experiences through written works and photographs.

Works with Students from:
California: Big Bear City, Barstow, Apple Valley, Salton Sea, Palm Springs, Palm Desert, Indio, Arroyo Grande, Pismo Beach, Carmel, Santa Cruz, Hollister, Monterey, Salinas, Whittier, La Habra, La Mirada, Fullerton, San Jose, Santa Barbara/West Ventura County, Covina/West Covina, Duarte, Monrovia, Walnut, Azusa, Claremont, Pomona, San Dimas, Santa Clara County, and areas within.

Texas: Del Rio, Uvalde Co, & Bexar Co, Dallas Co (w/o City of Dallas), Dallas, Fort Worth, West of Dallas/Ft. Worth Metroplex, San Antonio, Collin & Rockwall Co, Irving, Arlington, & Grand Prairie, and areas within.

Other States: South Carolina, Nevada, West Virginia, Alabama, District of Columbia, Delaware, Georgia, Maryland, Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky, North Carolina,

Jaimie Hsu
Admission & International Student Advisor

✉ InternationalAdmission@soka.edu
☏  +1 949-480-4145

Jaimie joined Soka University of America’s Office of International Student Services in Fall 2021. As a southern California native, she graduated from UC Irvine with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and with a double minor in Linguistics and Education. She is passionate about connecting with international students and cultivating a diverse cultural campus to foster global citizenship. Having participated in a study abroad program in the Netherlands, Jaimie loved being able to travel to nearby countries, meet locals, engage in new cultures, and try so many different types of food. Outside of work, her interests include immersing herself in nature, photography, and learning to live a more sustainable lifestyle. She also enjoys cooking, baking, and taking up artistic projects such as pottery and crocheting in her free time.

Works with Students from:
Outside the United States

Minami Smalheiser
Admission Counselor

✉ m.smalheiser@soka.edu
☏  +1 949-269-5539

Minami has been a part of the Soka University admissions team since the Summer of 2024 after graduating from SUA the same year with a Liberal Arts degree and concentration in Environmental Studies. She is originally from Pleasanton in the East Bay and lived in San Diego all through high school. As a student at Soka, she was an active member of the campus community--a student-athlete on the Track and Field team and member of multiple clubs. A few of her favorite clubs include “Jyuhwa,” a K-Pop dance club, and In-Sync, a self-choregraphed dance crew that explored modern, contemporary, and hip-hop styles. One of her favorite parts of her Soka experience was learning new languages--she enjoyed learning Spanish for two years and studying abroad in Salamanca, Spain, then continuing to build her Japanese skills during her senior year at Soka. Some of her hobbies include reading, cooking, going to concerts, learning new choreography, learning new languages, and spending time with friends and family. She is very excited to meet with students and their communities to support them on their journey to higher education.

Works with Students from:
California: Anaheim, Hollywood, Wilshire, West Los Angeles, West Beach, South Bay, South Los Angeles, South Central Los Angeles, and areas within.

Texas: Austin & Central Texas, Abilene & San Angelo, Beaumont & Port Arthur, Amarillo, Panhandle, & South Plains, Waco, Temple, & Killeen, El Paso, East Texas, Red River Area, Galveston, East Harris County, East Houston, Brazos & Trinity Valley, Nowrthwest Houston, Southwest Houston, Midland, Odessa, & Trans Pecos, South Texas Valley, Gulf Coast, Wharton, & Victoria Co, and areas within.

Other States: Maine, South Dakota, Ohio, Florida, Montana, New Hampshire, Idaho, North Dakota, Vermont, Pennsylvania,