This week, my field supervisor was absent. Excitedly, she took time off to volunteer at a band camp, and this was the first time that she had taken time off since she started working at the office. And, that left me with a lot of new exploration and adventures in my host office this week.
During the middle of the week, I went to a couple of community events. Even the drive to these events always gets me excited. I’m not from the district, so it’s interesting seeing cities that I had never ventured into before. My first stop for this community trip was at Maywood’s City Hall. Their City Hall had a lot of interesting artwork up on the walls from students. In fact, the entire City Hall was decorated in a very organic, creative way. It was a stark contrast from Long Beach City Hall’s high-tech urban feel, which the cohort had previously traveled to. After meeting the Mayor and a couple of City staff members, I started listening in on the event, which was a celebration of the city’s Youth Corp program. In a roundtable, high school and college students started recounting their journey through the Youth Corp. The Youth Corp is a new California program meant to equip youth with educational and vocational knowledge. Many of the youth described their build-up in confidence. This program allowed them their first job, and naturally, it led to them being more open and risk-taking. It was nice seeing a government program that directly impacted these youth. Recognizing their experience navigating through difficult economic situations, programs like these clearly impacted them in a positive way.
Afterward, we went to the local Rotary Club meeting, a volunteering group. The Rotary Club was a tight-knit group of people who volunteer at different events, and it was clear to me that every member was really passionate about their club. People recounted international conferences, pledges to different charities, and other activities that fit into the club’s mission of volunteerism. As an active volunteer with Key Club in high school, it reminded me of the many different Kiwanis club meetings I used to attend. In fact, I got to meet a former Kiwanis member who reviewed a Kiwanis scholarship I applied for and received as a high school senior! It was a great way to reflect on my personal journey navigating through community service and now into public service.
Overall, I was really happy to be involved in the community. Something I’ve been thinking of is the fact that I am not a part of this district’s community. Of course, I’ve lived in SoCal my entire life, but I didn’t know any of the cities in the district before interning at this office. I didn’t know the really unique histories of the cities. I frankly still don’t really know much about Los Angeles County politics, issues, or needs. That’s why, especially during these early weeks, I’m really grateful for how much space has been given to me to learn about the people who are living in the cities that I am working for. With humility, I’m excited to continue learning, growing, and working for my district’s constituents.
CLA Interns working on their Mock Campaign Project.
The views and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the author and do not reflect the views or positions of CAUSE or the CAUSE network.
Written by Kenny Lê , Leadership Academy 2023 Intern.
The CAUSE Leadership Academy (CLA) for students is a nine-week, paid, internship program that prepares college undergraduates to lead and advocate for the Asian Pacific Islander community on their campuses and beyond.