Innovative•Driven•Assertive

I am a first generation, Asian-American, community organizer.

In the summer of 2012, I attended the Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC) Leadership and Advocacy Training (LAT) in Washington DC. There I learned that South East Asians have low levels of educational achievement and degree attainment. The low rates add to the social pressure these students feel at school. The conference placed me in a group that researched and urged the legislative aides of Senator Patty Murry (of Washington State), and Senator Mark Warner (of Virginia), for more programs and federal grants at universities to focus on this population of students.

Through this training, I realized that I want to empower first-generation students at universities to find their own voice and encourage them to advocate for themselves. Being a student with a diverse background at a predominately white institution was a challenge. I want to further advocate for this particular topic and empower others to find their voice. I know that the system will take a while to change, but the issue will not go away if we keep ignoring it.

I attended the 2014 National Conference on Race and Ethnicity in American Higher Education (NCORE) as a student scholar. What an eye-opening experience it was! I was able to be in a place where I could openly talk about my ethnicity and experience. I was able to hear the experiences of others all over the country, yet be able to connect with their experiences. Being at the conference, I was able to further think about who I am and how I self-identify.

I became a mentor with AALEAD (Asian American Youth Leadership Empowerment and Development) from 2015 - 2017. Starting in 2017 I became an active volunteer for NAKASEC (National Korean American American Service & Education Consortium) and later joined in as a member too. I am still active in this organization, but now work for them as a community organizer!

I created "Diversification Personalization" a blog that allows people to express who they are through words. I wish for it to be a place for anyone to share their story and how they self-identify. The struggle of how the “American Dream” did not work out, or how acculturation made them into a carbon copy. I want others to recognize that they have the power to make a difference and that their story may influence another.

This is just the beginning, but I hope that I will be able to influence and inspire others to break free and speak up.