Intern Nathan Yeung shakes Former Assembly District 52 Candidate Mia Livas Porter’s hand after mock endorsement panel
The stark contrast between Monday of Week 6 and my previous four days spent in Sacramento and Kcon LA came as a complete shock and reality check to me as I walked into the CAUSE headquarters. The vibe of the room was felt throughout the interns and myself, completely burnt out, but trying their hardest to pull ourselves together after our resourceful trip. Despite the energy, we still pulled through, as we had our eyes set on an even higher peak to ascend on this mountain that is our CLA journey— the mock campaign and the culmination of this major project, that is, CAUSE’s Summer Soirée. We were not going to give up now, the end is within reach and we had to finish strong.
Campaign Team A pose for a photo at Summer Soirée
In the final two weeks and three sessions together leading up to the Soirée, both our teams ramped up the preparations for the election. My team specifically had a couple things on our minds: merchandise, graphics, and outreach, which included our campaigning strategies. In the midst of the home stretch however, stressors and many roadblocks came up, leading to many points where I wanted to give up, especially when I felt like I wasn’t fulfilling my role to how I had originally envisioned myself to. But throughout it all, the support my teammates gave me and to each other really gave me a chance to take a breath during such a tense time. Despite the hardships, there were many good opportunities and moments where I felt the spirit of teamwork really shine, which included, but were not limited to: an extremely positive result after the endorsement panel interviews, my social media outreach ideas gaining praise across the board, and having our merchandise items arrive on time! Because of the continued support of my team and mini-victories, I suddenly felt the motivation and strength I needed to push through all the way to the end.
Graphics from mock candidate Ryan Horio’s campaign Instagram
Ultimately, our hard work and preparation led us to the day of Soirée, where our team fearlessly canvassed in person to all the guests, impressing them with all the efforts we put into this campaign. All this led to the 14 interns standing on stage behind Assemblymember Mike Fong, as he proclaimed, “the next Assemblymember for District 49 is…”
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 Nathan Yeung, 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.