Picture Caption: Thank you to my host site supervisor, Erick, as well as my parents for helping me through this program. I couldn’t have been able to do this without your help.
The chilly conditioned air nipped my skin as it swept through my grandpa’s blue barong adorned with a red and white lei around my neck, sharing conversations with family, other interns, mentors, non-profit chairs, and elected officials dressed equally sharp while trying to tell myself that I am not cold. Although it was a wholly foreign environment to me, I felt strangely comfortable among the festivities. I understood that through my participation in the Leadership Academy, I found my place with like-minded people. Through the blur of camera flashes, business cards, and conversations on Asian representation, I found myself enamored with the collective atmosphere of the CAUSE Summer Soiree. Where I was comfortable to be myself despite the presence of elected officials and donors. I was eager to speak with them about my experiences and how they helped me understand the nature of power and community.
I think this excited unease feels like an apt comparison to the CAUSE Leadership Academy as a whole. I was continually pulled out of my comfort zone to experience things I never imagined myself doing. From going on a plane to Sacramento and sitting in a committee member chair, to running a store for children in a dress shirt and tie, to serving downtown Los Angeles in the District Office of Congressman Gomez; I was able to experience new things every day. These experiences opened my eyes to new possibilities of how to help other people and that I am capable of achieving great things. With applying my Sociology skills to analyze demographics, and feeling at ease in local non-profits and museums where I first experienced serving my community, I found comfort within the familiar, finding stable ground in the city I call home. Through these moments of familiarity, I learned that my experiences and services in the past were just as significant as holding elected office. Although they are different, their dedication to the community is the same.
Although CLA taught me that I was capable of serving the community in countless ways, the Summer Soiree taught me that no person is alone on an island. Where I have been finding my own way through community service, there are many more people than I thought that are interested in the same things I am. By their mere presence at the event they are saying, “Our representation is something I care about, and it is something I fully support.” I found a lot in common with the people I spoke to at the Soiree, despite being in different stages of life and career. However, we all agreed that issues that face the AAPI community matter.
In all, being a part of the CAUSE Leadership Academy is like joining a community of people who want to see you succeed. Some mentor you ensuring you are being the best version of yourself, some are the peaks of what being a leader and community activist is, and some work alongside you to push the boundary of what is possible. Before joining CAUSE I was working on my own, but now I feel connected to a larger family working toward the same goal: making sure our voices are heard. But I think it is important to drop the introspection that comes with writing these blogs and just plainly say:Thank you to everyone that I have met! The same goes to those who have helped me find this wonderful community. It has told me we are certainly grounded in making all of our voices heard. Thank you to CAUSE for teaching me that despite the arduous task of forging a path for all of us, that we can still find time to pull others up to join. Thank you to my host office for being kind to me even if I was still learning the ropes. Thank you to my family for giving me the confidence to wake everyday ready for a new challenge, and also letting me borrow your clothes. Last but not least, thank you to the CLA Cohort of 2022 for joining me in this journey, and allowing me the space to explore how my arts background can fit amongst you future lawyers, academics, and hopefully future politicians!
With all of your help I can say that I have grown in my own self confidence with new ideas on how I can serve my community and re-ignited my passions for making our world a better place for everyone.
Photo Caption: This is what power looks like: thirteen young leaders making antiquated spaces our own by our very presence.