SAN DIEGO STANDOUTS SERIES Some leaders begin with capital, connections, and a carefully mapped career path. Aaron Zulu began with curiosity, persistence, and a conviction that Zambia’s natural heritage should create opportunity for local communities without being sacrificed in the process. Raised near wildlife in Eastern Province, Zulu has transformed an early fascination with nature into a developing career that connects safari guiding, conservation education, cultural exchange, community service, and entrepreneurship. His path has not been easy, but each obstacle has strengthened his determination to build Flycatcher Safari Adventure into a company capable of creating employment while helping travelers understand…
Author: Bogdan “Bogey” Matuszynski
Bogdan “Bogey” Matuszynski
Some contributors analyze issues. Bogdan “Bogey” Matuszynski has spent years working through them worldwide. Bogdan was born and raised in America's Finest City, San Diego, as a first generation Polish Mexican American, Bogdan grew up shaped by stories of his family rebuilding from the ground up. His family history led him to learn languages, study different cultures, and develop a fascination with geopolitics and how to become a more engaged member of the community. That curiosity evolved into a career centered on diplomacy, conflict transformation, and community social impact and resilience. Bogdan earned his undergraduate degree in International Security and Conflict Resolution, along with minors in Islamic and Arabic Studies and Latin American Studies from San Diego State University before receiving a Fulbright Grant from the U.S. Department of State to teach and develop community initiatives in Spain. He was later selected and awarded a Rotary Peace Fellowship and learned and conducted field studies in Asia. His travels to over 60 countries, including places where most people shy away, have brought him face to face with the realities of conflict and post conflict recovery. From the chaos of war zones and post conflict environments to the heart of diverse cultures, he has listened to personal stories of hardship, healing, and hope. Those experiences deepened his understanding of resiliency, peacebuilding, and the art of restoring trust in fractured communities. Bogdan is the Founder of iSERVE, International Service Education Research Vision Empowerment, www.iserveinternational.com. Through iSERVE, he supports students and professionals pursuing scholarships, fellowships, university admissions, grants, and international opportunities. He teaches diplomacy skills, international project development, and the craft of designing competitive applications rooted in preparation and authenticity. He has organized educational initiatives in the United States, Mexico, Egypt, Syria, Spain, Indonesia, Afghanistan, and online for participants around the world. Bogdan has supported cross sector violence prevention conversations and projects, contributed to disaster and housing relief during the 2024 San Diego flood response, and in 2025 was appointed to the City of Chula Vista Homelessness and Housing Commission . He serves as Peace Chair of the San Diego Coastal Rotary Club and contributes to regional mental health initiatives. He is also an Ambassador for the Institute of Economics and Peace. An internationally recognized award recipient, including The President’s Lifetime Achievement Award and Rotary’s Paul Harris Fellow distinction for merit, Bogdan remains committed to service to others. Having once navigated complex systems without clear guidance himself, he is passionate about helping others access opportunities they may not see as possible. He is a connector and educator who bridges stakeholders across sectors to advance peacebuilding, community safety, and conflict transformation. He brings together volunteers, educators, civic leaders, business professionals, and international partners to design solutions that make communities safer and more resilient. Bogdan lives by the philosophy of “Conquering with Kindness,” helping others unlock their potential and purpose through service. For him, kindness is disciplined leadership based on a combination of courage, humility, and accountability.
Read More
BY BOGDAN MATUSZYNSKI As part of our San Diego Weekly San Diego Standouts Cali-Baja series exploring The Tijuana Renaissance: A City Reintroducing Itself Through Culture, Food, Entertainment, Medical Tourism, and Innovation, we continue highlighting the people, places, and experiences that show Tijuana through a fresh and meaningful lens. This series is about looking beyond old assumptions and seeing the city for what it continues to become: creative, flavorful, innovative, welcoming, and full of stories worth experiencing. From food and entertainment to culture, tourism, and community pride, Tijuana continues to show visitors that there is always more to discover. Como parte…
A San Diego Weekly Standouts feature recognizing individuals whose leadership, service, and community impact are helping shape San Diego, California, the Cali-Baja region, and communities connected to the region around the world. SAN DIEGO, Calif. — At 15 years old, Sacha Connesson-Robic moved to England without speaking English. Years later, that same instinct to adapt, work, learn, and keep showing up is helping shape his work from San Diego, California to Afghanistan, where he is supporting educational pathways for women and girls facing some of the world’s most difficult barriers. Sacha’s story does not begin with a perfectly polished résumé…
BY BOGDAN “BOGEY” MATUSZYNSKI TIJUANA, Baja California, Mexico — Some cities change slowly. Tijuana moves with rhythm, urgency, flavor, creativity, and a confidence that feels impossible to ignore once you are here. This is a city shaped by adaptation. By international influence. By people who understand how to create opportunity, build community, and make things work even when the path is not always easy. That energy is part of what makes Tijuana so compelling. It is not trying to become someone else’s version of a great city. It is becoming more fully itself. El Renacimiento de Tijuana: Una Ciudad que…
Recognized as part of the March 2026 San Diego Weekly Standouts Series honoring leaders shaping San Diego, California and the Cali-Baja region. San Diego Weekly Standouts | March 2026 Honoree Marge Cole’s impact cannot be captured by one role, one title, or one chapter of service. Her story moves from classrooms to Rotary clubs, from San Diego community life to international service, and from personal perseverance to a lifelong commitment to helping others understand what service can make possible. SAN DIEGO, Calif. — Some lives are shaped by a single teacher who says the right thing at the right time.…
Recognized as part of the March 2026 San Diego Weekly Standouts Series honoring leaders shaping San Diego, California, the Cali-Baja region, and communities connected to the region around the world. San Diego Weekly Standouts | March 2026 Honoree As Director of the International Security and Conflict Resolution program (ISCOR) at San Diego State University (SDSU), Dr. Cheryl O’Brien has dedicated her career to helping students better understand complex global issues and develop the skills needed to engage thoughtfully, analytically, and responsibly in an interconnected world. Some programs teach knowledge. This one prepares people to walk into the world’s most complex…
No Solo Viste a las Personas. Cynthia Arriola Blanco (es.tee.lo) Les Ayuda a Alcanzar su Máximo Potencial a Través de la Identidad, la Confianza y la Cultura | Homenajeada de Marzo 2026 This recognition is part of the March 2026 San Diego Weekly Standouts Series honoring leaders shaping San Diego, California, the Cali-Baja region, and communities connected to the region around the world. Este reconocimiento forma parte de la serie San Diego Weekly Standouts de marzo de 2026, que honra a líderes que están dando forma a San Diego, California, la región Cali-Baja y comunidades conectadas alrededor del mundo. San…
Recognized as part of the March 2026 San Diego Weekly Standouts Series honoring leaders shaping San Diego, California, the Cali-Baja region, and communities connected to the region around the world. San Diego Weekly Standouts | March 2026 Honoree History was not meant to be forgotten. Sandra Scheller has made it her life’s work to ensure it never is. As the founder of RUTH: Remember Us The Holocaust, a San Diego-based nonprofit dedicated to preserving survivor testimony, she has created a space where the past is no longer distant or abstract, but something people come face to face with. In a…
Recognized as part of the March 2026 San Diego Weekly Standouts Series honoring leaders shaping San Diego, California, the Cali-Baja region, and communities connected to the region around the world. San Diego Weekly Standouts | March 2026 Honoree Through her work at the San Diego College of Continuing Education, Dr. Kirsten Lollis is helping students facing real-life barriers not only continue their education, but begin to see new possibilities for themselves. SAN DIEGO, Calif. For many students, education is not the hardest part. Life is. For some, it shows up as a job that leaves little time or energy to…
Recognized as part of the March 2026 San Diego Weekly Standouts Series honoring leaders shaping San Diego, California, the Cali-Baja region, and communities connected to the region around the world. San Diego Weekly Standouts | March 2026 Honoree As Executive Director of HandsOn San Diego, Jessie is not simply leading an organization. She is helping reshape how an entire region understands service, transforming volunteerism from a one-time act into a deeply interconnected system of belonging, civic engagement, and collective impact that reaches across San Diego County. SAN DIEGO, Calif. Where It Started: A Moment That Quietly Changed Everything Jessie’s story…