ALISO VIEJO, Calif.— Nearly 700 future division members, parents and guests from the SoCal-Pacific Territory’s Quint Zones[1] gathered at Soka University of America (SUA) on June 14 for the annual territory-wide Soka Family Day, a celebration of family, friendship and Soka education. Attendance increased by more than 140 participants from last year, making this the largest gathering since the event returned following the COVID-19 pandemic. It drew 687 attendees, including 545 participants and 142 staff and support volunteers.
Launched in 2019, the Soka Family Day at SUA was created to introduce families—especially future division members—to the values of Soka education and provide opportunities for young people to envision their future at SUA.
The day began in the Soka Performing Arts Center with opening remarks by David Welch, university vice president and counsel, followed by an SUA promotional video, a student experience and encouragement from Monica Soto Ouchi, SGI-USA’s women’s leader.
Addressing the future division members, Soto Ouchi said: “The reason we all came today is to see you. You may not know it now, but you are all great bodhisattvas who share the same mission with Ikeda Sensei to bring about a peaceful world that respects the dignity of life.”
After the morning session, participants broke into age-based groups across campus:
• Elementary school division members explored academic buildings while learning about Marie Curie, Mahatma Gandhi, Wangari Maathai and Linus Pauling.
• Middle school members gathered at the Soka Recreation Center for sports and friendship-building activities.
• High school students toured the Soka Heritage Hall before participating in a Q&A session and group discussion at the Athenaeum.
• Parents attended an SUA information session featuring experiences from SUA alumnus Julie Matsumoto and parent Norma Luna, followed by encouragement on parenting toward “One Youth. Infinite Hope.”
Soto Ouchi also introduced the youth-led #SummerChallenge, a nationwide 100-day effort to encourage members to share Buddhism with young people and foster capable successors.
The event concluded with a picnic on the campus green and a future division talent show. One highlight came when approximately 50 future division members performed the song “Runners for Justice,” drawing enthusiastic applause from their families and friends. SUA also provided gift bags for all future division participants.
Many youth said afterward that they now dream of attending SUA one day, while parents visiting the campus for the first time expressed a renewed determination to support their children’s educational aspirations. Organizers also expressed appreciation to the SUA staff, alumni and current students whose efforts helped make the gathering a success.
—Prepared by the World Tribune staff
July 3, 2026 World Tribune, p. 9
References
- The SoCal-Pacific Territory Quint Zones are: LA North Coast Lion’s Roar, LA Sunshine, LA Pan-Pacific, Southern California and Southern California Mojave zones. ↩︎
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