Sitting in my car before walking into the first day of orientation, I wondered what the next nine weeks of my life would entail. I simultaneously experienced hope and fear wondering if I'd make new friends, whether my cohort would like me, and, honestly, if I deserved to be there. Coming in with a human biology background, I feared that my little knowledge of civic engagement would make me unfit for this internship. However, after walking into the office, meeting the welcoming staff and the extremely friendly interns, and participating in the various activities throughout week one, I knew these fears had quickly come to quits. Although I had never been in such a professional environment, I quickly learned that this space was made to foster opportunities for immense growth and learning while also allowing us to embrace the amount of knowledge we initially entered the room with.
CLA interns and CAUSE staff commemorate the last day of their orientation week retreat at CSULB
The activities that helped cultivate the most growth this week were Godfrey Plata's "Campaigns 101" and Executive Director, Nancy Yap's, talk on networking. Becoming educated about campaigns from Godfrey was special for me as a Filipino-American myself. In a space where the AAPI community fights to be represented, seeing someone like me run for office and lead his campaign was extremely empowering. One of the most significant takeaways from his lesson was that before designing a campaign, it's important to narrow down how you want to present yourself to the community. For Godfrey, he took a relatable approach by showing how integrated he is in the community, and how he faces the same challenges that he was advocating systemic change for. Another was about securing funds during a campaign. I discovered that when reaching out to our circle, we shouldn't make assumptions about whether a person would be willing to donate. This automatically takes away their agency and deprives them of an opportunity to feel good about helping another person. That perspective was one I had never thought of before, yet it made so much sense!
Former State Assembly Candidate Godfrey Plata informing interns on the ins and outs of campaigning
As for Nancy's lesson on networking, I gained numerous insights on how to make purposeful and meaningful connections in a professional setting. Personally, networking is a daunting task that I haven't mastered just yet. At the beginning of the week, I found myself struggling to initiate conversations in networking settings with the CAUSE board and alumni. However, through Nancy's lesson, I feel much more prepared to tackle networking situations at any level. I discovered how I want to present myself with my ninety-second pitch, how to engage in reflective and active listening, and strategies to use when first approaching someone in a room full of individuals. The skills and knowledge I developed this week will be crucial for this summer's mock campaign project. By utilizing the collaborative skills I've developed through my past experiences in group settings and pairing them with my newfound knowledge of campaigns and networking, I feel confident in helping my team achieve a successful campaign to secure the community's votes. Overall, I am eager to continue learning from the CAUSE community and growing alongside the other interns who I can gratefully say are thirteen new friends I've gained.
Interns Emma Tom and Malia Ferrer practicing their networking skills together
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 Malia Ferrer, Leadership Academy 2024 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.