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Testimonies
President
Vice President of Adminstrative Affairs
Vice President of Programming
Vice President of Finance
Vice President of Advocacy
Vice President of External Affairs
Vice President of Internal Affairs
Working for an Asian American Studies Program (WAASP) Chair
Asian American Sisters: Pride, Integrity, Respect, and Empowerment (AASPIRE) Chair
PublicAsian Liaison
Community Service Chair
Yuri Kochiyama Awards Program Chair
President
My responsibilities as the President of AASU was keeping the organization on track with its mission and fulfilling the vision the executive board sets for the year. Creating agendas, delegating tasks, and basically managing the operations of AASU all fall part of the position. Another responsibility is thinking and planning ahead for all the things that need to happen in terms of meetings, events, and any initiatives for the organization. As president, I served as the figurehead/spokesperson outside of the organization, so I dealt a lot with emails and contacts with students, staff, faculty, and administrators. In addition to the executive board responsibilities, I oversaw the Freshman Council and development of the future leaders of the community.
What you should expect from this position is a time commitment about 10 - 15 hours a week. Sometimes the time commitment increases when big events approaches or during the beginning of each semester to plan out what needs to be done. Sometimes I view being president of this organization in itself as a part-time job. It definitely is a demanding position, but at the same time a very rewarding position. You have the ability to set initiatives for the APA community to make changes in the APA community on campus. You definitely need to be flexible with your time and being accessible through email or phone to keep communications with the board. Time management is important to deal with all of AASU things and school work. It’s really easy to get wrapped up in doing things for AASU and losing track of your school work (that’s because it’s such meaningful and important work!).
Taking on the position as president has developed me into a leader that I have never expected. I have learned to effectively communicate with students, faculty, staff and especially administrators. Delegating and keeping people accountable for tasks are skills I developed through this year as well as dealing with different personalities and making it work for the group. Also, I learned to handle all sorts of situations with conflict and disagreement throughout all of my experiences. I think these experiences have made me a better decision maker when it comes to groups.
In addition, I have learned so many skills from event planning to public speaking to educating others. This experience this year has been the most rewarding thing I have done at the University of Maryland. I feel proud to be leader of an organization that has an amazing legacy on this campus. I can see the real difference in the impact the organization has made in the community through my leadership and that is the most rewarding part of serving, representing, and advocating for the APA community.
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Vice President of Administrative Affairs
As Vice President of Administrative Affairs, my duties primarily consisted of taking minutes during board meetings, archiving documents, taking pictures during AASU events, and keeping my fellow board members up-to-date on upcoming meetings and events. In addition, if for whatever reason the President cannot serve or perform his/her duties, it would up to the Vice President of Administrative Affairs to step up at this time.
As a board member, you are expected to attend the weekly board meetings, and to help plan and attend AASU sponsored events. Time commitment for Vice President of Administrative Affairs-only duties are usually 1-2 hours per week. However, jobs such as archiving and pictures are a year round job. During peak times such as FUEL and Heritage Month, time commitment is at least 6-10 a week depending how involved you are.
I have gained invaluable skills and experience through AASU. I have learned how to communicate and work in groups effectively. In addition, I've learned how to manage my time better as I balance my personal life along with AASU and academics. Finally, my social consciousness continues to broaden as a result of being in AASU. Working alongside with other students passionate about APA issues will truly become an unforgettable college experience.
back to top
Vice President of Programming
People see and hear the title Vice President of Programming and they start yelling and run away as if Godzilla were chasing them. Okay maybe I'm over-exaggerating.. just a little bit.
BUT TRUST ME, ITS NOT ALL THAT BAD.
I've had so much fun and have gained indescribable experience as my time as vice president of programming. Learning to work with others, collaborating, meeting new friends, networking, adapting to sticky situations, and really finding a passion and purpose for the advocacy for Asian Pacific Americans in this country were just some of the experiences I faced.
Spending so much of your time revolved around AASU, you learn to break past barriers and learn to work with people you normally wouldn't associate yourself with. It definitely makes you a better person all around, and a better human being in the process; opening your mind and just becoming more aware of the issues facing us.
Organizing and planning for events like FUEL, APA1, APAHM are just some of the activities you have to accomplish as programming but it's really fun too. You meet great people, life-long friends, gain leadership skills DEFINITELY, and really get to put your input into how things are run.
Vice President of Programming allows you to branch out and bring new flavor and life to the heritage month. This year, I was fortunate and lucky enough to get to bring WONG FU PRODUCTIONS to UMD and that's one thing I'll always remember from my college experience.
HEED WARNING: Vice President of Programming definitely has a lot of work and it's not for the weak of heart. I would strongly recommend the candidate running for this position to have excellent time management skills and able to cope with stress/pressure.
If there is ONE thing, just one thing a Vice President of Programming would need to be an efficient member of the executive board, it would be TIME COMMITMENT. Take on this position as a part-time job or like an internship. Time is a crucial part to this position. Make note that you'll most likely have anywhere from 1-8 meetings/events in a week with various people, committee meetings, or programs going on.
Seriously though, Vice President of Programming had its rough patches but it's an experience I wouldn't trade for. It's definitely given me invaluable experience and definitely helped me have better time management =P.
Best of luck to the next Vice President of Programming and I'll be here to help you in transition and also throughout the upcoming school year.
AASU Exec Board gets each other's backs. It's how we do.
-Isaac
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." -Margaret Mead
back to top
Vice President of Finance
My responsibility as the Vice President of Finance was to be in control of all monetary matters. The most important was to prepare and submit Secondary (Fall semester) and Primary (Spring semester) Budgets to the SGA for funding. This is where AASU gets most of its money and therefore is the most important responsibility of the VP of Finance.
Another matter is to work with the other officers and chairs to help them pay for events. For example, for FUEL, you have to pay using SGA money for the space rental, audio/visual items, and printing and copying. This can be easily done by transferring money to specific departments using an online site. For small events, such as meetings, you have to help pay for food. You can do this by making a purchase order at the Accounts office in the Student Involvement Suite. This is also a simple process.
You have to keep track of all of the expenses that AASU makes and be sure that everything is paid for on time, and a record is kept for these expenses. There are also other sources of funding and it will be your job to apply for more money from these sources (Pepsi, SEE,…), if needed.
It is a straightforward position, but AASU does have many events and you will have to be very organized. I was always on top of things and got things done quickly, and therefore was able to help out with a lot of other things that AASU was working on. Time commitment is only 3-5 hours a week.
You will learn a lot about how finance works at the university student groups level. You will connect with a lot of administrators and other student leaders. You will work closely with other board members to see that all financial matters are taken care of. It is a very rewarding experience and you will learn a lot about responsibility and working with others.
back to top
Vice President of Advocacy
Being a VP of Advocacy is constantly being defined and redifined. I was told this when I joined last year, and it was totally true. Despite being 14 percent of the population, the Asian Pacific American presense on the campus, in terms of visibility, for the most part feels almost invisible. In order to change this, I spoke out as a member of AASU on behalf of APAs in support and solidarity for other minority groups on campus, as well as tp educate others on important challenges and struggles we as APAs face here too. As an advocate and representative for the APA community, it's vital to hear and gain perspectives of as many varied APA groups on campus, as we are quite diverse ourselves. The really beautiful part about advocacy is collaboration and dialogue with other students groups, staff, faculty and administration about everything from discrimination to campus climate.
The time commitment is quite extensive. There are a lot of meetings, forums or events that need an APA presense. The work load also comes in waves, ranging from writing press releases to speaking, to keeping consistent communication. This year in particular involved helping to create events targeted towards shaking up the apathy in our communities. However, the involvement as VP of Advocacy can be a lot of fun and rewarding. I was supported by my colleagues and peers on the executive board and in the campus advocacy community at large.
It was amazing this year being part of a well-organized, committed, and hardworking executive board. I really learned a lot about the University, the Asian Pacific Americans on campus, and also about APA issues nationwide.
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Vice President of External Affairs
Testimonial will be posted soon!
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Vice President of Internal Affairs
Testimonial will be posted soon!
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Working for an Asian American Studies Program (WAASP) Chair
My responsibilities as the WAASP Chair were mostly to keep an open line of communication with the AAST department and to be in charge of the WAASP committee. Bobby (president of AASU) and I made a bi-weekly schedule with Lynne and Larry (coordinator & program director of AAST). This allowed the WAASP Committee and AASU to be on top of AAST's goals/events and vice versa. Some of the tasks that WAASP Committee have done were multiple visits to AAST classes to either promote an AASU event or to do a survey; assisted in the AAST faculty search and the AAST scholarships; offered ideas about courses students would like to see in the future; "Save AAST" campaign; etc.
My expectations of this position were basically to make and maintain the WAASP Committee. Fortunately, I had several members who were dedicated and helpful which made things easier for me. It is manageable with school and with a part-time job but being an officer of a different organization on campus, things piled up. I wasn’t as active on AASU's events as I would have liked to be but I was able to manage everything including my academics.
Time commitment for this position is about 4 - 6 hours a week. When AASU has events, the time commitment increases but not by too much and if your academic workload starts piling up, you can always take some time off of AASU.
From my experience of being involved in AASU, I have learned and developed several skills. First, I learned how to work in a group environment. With the executive board consisting of 10+ members, I learned how to build relationships with others and I learned how to make meetings more efficient by paying attention and by not fooling around. I also learned not to throw snowballs at people who just woke up from a nap. Second, I learned how to become more professional in meetings (with Larry & Lynne). As a new experience for many including myself, it can be intimidating to talk to "important" people but after a couple of meetings, I had my confidence built up. Lastly, I learned how to become a leader. Being in charge of a committee developed my leadership skills. It gave me the responsibilities to direct and lead the WAASP Committee to where my vision and goals were met. Overall, I enjoyed the whole experience. I've networked and built numerous friendships through AASU and its events. It doesn't hurt to have many Facebook pictures/videos to capture those moments. Mad love to AASU.
back to top
Asian American Sisters: Pride, Integrity, Respect, and Empowerment (AASPIRE) Chair
When I first became chair of the Asian American Sisters Pride Integrity Respect and Empowerment Committee, I was enthralled by the amount of room for me to be creative and develop my own plans for the committee. My duties as AASPIRE chair included forming a committee, being the go to person on APA women's issues, and also informing and educating the community on the wide variety of issues that face APA women. I was able to host a few meetings each semester on a variety of issues, but sometimes getting a good committee or people who were interested was hard. I also hosted a film screening and collaborated on various events pertaining to domestic violence.
The time commitment for this position is really as much as you are willing to give it. You have to keep in mind that you are also a member of the board, so you have to go to board meetings and take on some of the work load for the major AASU events during the year.
I feel that this position has opened my eyes to so many injustices that APA women face in our society. I now know a vast variety of knowledge on issues such as domestic violence, human trafficking, and cervical cancer. In addition to the APA women's movement, I have learned SO much about the APA movement and what it means to give back to your community. I have met so many amazing people through being AASPIRE chair, not just on campus, but also outside by developing a relationship with the many APA non-profits in DC. The bonds that you create with your fellow board members and the feeling of being with other like minded individuals, who want to make a difference, is something that you will take with you beyond college. You will love the feeling that you get from realizing that you are part of something so much bigger than yourself.
back to top
PublicAsian Liaison
Testimonial will be posted soon!
back to top
Community Service Chair
As the Community Service Chair, my role was to lead a student-based committee which planned and participated in community service events. My goals for the year was to have a diverse range of different projects, which would appeal to everyone's different views of service, from building houses to working with kids. My main responsibilities were researching and planning these various events, which involved contacting different people and holding committee meetings. I enjoyed holding this position, because of the freedom it gave me to choose my own events and to plan for them. Leading my committee and being able to spend time with them serving the community was also very fulfilling. In addition to being the Community Service Chair, being on the AASU Exec Board is a consuming position. There are weekly meetings, as well as supporting and planning different events and functions for the year. However, it has been a very worthwhile experience for me. I feel as though I have learned alot - leadership, time management, communication, responsibility, and many other valuable skills. In addition, I have significantly increased my awareness of APA issues and the general state of the APA community. I've met alot of new people, from working with APA leaders, students, committee members, and bonding with my fellow AASU board members. Being an AASU exec is an inspiring and empowering experience, and an opportunity which should not be passed-up.
back to top
Yuri Kochiyama Awards Program Chair
As the Yuri Kochiyama Award Program Chair, my main responsibility was the recruitment of students and facilitation of an award program targeting high school students of the APA community. This award program consisted of 7-8 days of workshops educating students on issues regarding the APA community as well as background history. After workshops have concluded, an award ceremony honoring the students is held. Students who have taken an AAST200 or 201 courses may be well familiar with some of the topics covered in these workshops. The high school students are highly motivated and involved and will undoubtedly become future leaders in their community. Since last year, the popularity of the program has nearly tripled, and this year's attendance has been over thirty students. Co-facilitation has been a key success to these workshops and offers other members of the community the opportunity to acquire valuable leadership skills. Furthermore, my experiences in this position have allowed me to refresh and enhance my knowledge on issues concerning the APA community.
This position is ideal for members who are seeking an interactive position as well as building leadership and communication skills. Aside from the above mentioned responsibilities, there are additional obligations required as an executive board member. These include weekly meetings as well as AASU sponsored events. Time commitment typically ranges from 5-7 hours a week and increases as important events approach.
My experience in this position has been exciting and fulfilling. I have acquired many leadership and communication skills that my position entailed. Time management becomes essential as future members become more accustomed to work efficiency. Furthermore, the prospect of networking with future APA community leaders is quite motivating and assuming the position as a mentor has its own self-gratification.
back to top
President
Vice President of Adminstrative Affairs
Vice President of Programming
Vice President of Finance
Vice President of Advocacy
Vice President of External Affairs
Vice President of Internal Affairs
Working for an Asian American Studies Program (WAASP) Chair
Asian American Sisters: Pride, Integrity, Respect, and Empowerment (AASPIRE) Chair
PublicAsian Liaison
Community Service Chair
Yuri Kochiyama Awards Program Chair
President
My responsibilities as the President of AASU was keeping the organization on track with its mission and fulfilling the vision the executive board sets for the year. Creating agendas, delegating tasks, and basically managing the operations of AASU all fall part of the position. Another responsibility is thinking and planning ahead for all the things that need to happen in terms of meetings, events, and any initiatives for the organization. As president, I served as the figurehead/spokesperson outside of the organization, so I dealt a lot with emails and contacts with students, staff, faculty, and administrators. In addition to the executive board responsibilities, I oversaw the Freshman Council and development of the future leaders of the community.
What you should expect from this position is a time commitment about 10 - 15 hours a week. Sometimes the time commitment increases when big events approaches or during the beginning of each semester to plan out what needs to be done. Sometimes I view being president of this organization in itself as a part-time job. It definitely is a demanding position, but at the same time a very rewarding position. You have the ability to set initiatives for the APA community to make changes in the APA community on campus. You definitely need to be flexible with your time and being accessible through email or phone to keep communications with the board. Time management is important to deal with all of AASU things and school work. It’s really easy to get wrapped up in doing things for AASU and losing track of your school work (that’s because it’s such meaningful and important work!).
Taking on the position as president has developed me into a leader that I have never expected. I have learned to effectively communicate with students, faculty, staff and especially administrators. Delegating and keeping people accountable for tasks are skills I developed through this year as well as dealing with different personalities and making it work for the group. Also, I learned to handle all sorts of situations with conflict and disagreement throughout all of my experiences. I think these experiences have made me a better decision maker when it comes to groups.
In addition, I have learned so many skills from event planning to public speaking to educating others. This experience this year has been the most rewarding thing I have done at the University of Maryland. I feel proud to be leader of an organization that has an amazing legacy on this campus. I can see the real difference in the impact the organization has made in the community through my leadership and that is the most rewarding part of serving, representing, and advocating for the APA community.
back to top
Vice President of Administrative Affairs
As Vice President of Administrative Affairs, my duties primarily consisted of taking minutes during board meetings, archiving documents, taking pictures during AASU events, and keeping my fellow board members up-to-date on upcoming meetings and events. In addition, if for whatever reason the President cannot serve or perform his/her duties, it would up to the Vice President of Administrative Affairs to step up at this time.
As a board member, you are expected to attend the weekly board meetings, and to help plan and attend AASU sponsored events. Time commitment for Vice President of Administrative Affairs-only duties are usually 1-2 hours per week. However, jobs such as archiving and pictures are a year round job. During peak times such as FUEL and Heritage Month, time commitment is at least 6-10 a week depending how involved you are.
I have gained invaluable skills and experience through AASU. I have learned how to communicate and work in groups effectively. In addition, I've learned how to manage my time better as I balance my personal life along with AASU and academics. Finally, my social consciousness continues to broaden as a result of being in AASU. Working alongside with other students passionate about APA issues will truly become an unforgettable college experience.
back to top
Vice President of Programming
People see and hear the title Vice President of Programming and they start yelling and run away as if Godzilla were chasing them. Okay maybe I'm over-exaggerating.. just a little bit.
BUT TRUST ME, ITS NOT ALL THAT BAD.
I've had so much fun and have gained indescribable experience as my time as vice president of programming. Learning to work with others, collaborating, meeting new friends, networking, adapting to sticky situations, and really finding a passion and purpose for the advocacy for Asian Pacific Americans in this country were just some of the experiences I faced.
Spending so much of your time revolved around AASU, you learn to break past barriers and learn to work with people you normally wouldn't associate yourself with. It definitely makes you a better person all around, and a better human being in the process; opening your mind and just becoming more aware of the issues facing us.
Organizing and planning for events like FUEL, APA1, APAHM are just some of the activities you have to accomplish as programming but it's really fun too. You meet great people, life-long friends, gain leadership skills DEFINITELY, and really get to put your input into how things are run.
Vice President of Programming allows you to branch out and bring new flavor and life to the heritage month. This year, I was fortunate and lucky enough to get to bring WONG FU PRODUCTIONS to UMD and that's one thing I'll always remember from my college experience.
HEED WARNING: Vice President of Programming definitely has a lot of work and it's not for the weak of heart. I would strongly recommend the candidate running for this position to have excellent time management skills and able to cope with stress/pressure.
If there is ONE thing, just one thing a Vice President of Programming would need to be an efficient member of the executive board, it would be TIME COMMITMENT. Take on this position as a part-time job or like an internship. Time is a crucial part to this position. Make note that you'll most likely have anywhere from 1-8 meetings/events in a week with various people, committee meetings, or programs going on.
Seriously though, Vice President of Programming had its rough patches but it's an experience I wouldn't trade for. It's definitely given me invaluable experience and definitely helped me have better time management =P.
Best of luck to the next Vice President of Programming and I'll be here to help you in transition and also throughout the upcoming school year.
AASU Exec Board gets each other's backs. It's how we do.
-Isaac
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." -Margaret Mead
back to top
Vice President of Finance
My responsibility as the Vice President of Finance was to be in control of all monetary matters. The most important was to prepare and submit Secondary (Fall semester) and Primary (Spring semester) Budgets to the SGA for funding. This is where AASU gets most of its money and therefore is the most important responsibility of the VP of Finance.
Another matter is to work with the other officers and chairs to help them pay for events. For example, for FUEL, you have to pay using SGA money for the space rental, audio/visual items, and printing and copying. This can be easily done by transferring money to specific departments using an online site. For small events, such as meetings, you have to help pay for food. You can do this by making a purchase order at the Accounts office in the Student Involvement Suite. This is also a simple process.
You have to keep track of all of the expenses that AASU makes and be sure that everything is paid for on time, and a record is kept for these expenses. There are also other sources of funding and it will be your job to apply for more money from these sources (Pepsi, SEE,…), if needed.
It is a straightforward position, but AASU does have many events and you will have to be very organized. I was always on top of things and got things done quickly, and therefore was able to help out with a lot of other things that AASU was working on. Time commitment is only 3-5 hours a week.
You will learn a lot about how finance works at the university student groups level. You will connect with a lot of administrators and other student leaders. You will work closely with other board members to see that all financial matters are taken care of. It is a very rewarding experience and you will learn a lot about responsibility and working with others.
back to top
Vice President of Advocacy
Being a VP of Advocacy is constantly being defined and redifined. I was told this when I joined last year, and it was totally true. Despite being 14 percent of the population, the Asian Pacific American presense on the campus, in terms of visibility, for the most part feels almost invisible. In order to change this, I spoke out as a member of AASU on behalf of APAs in support and solidarity for other minority groups on campus, as well as tp educate others on important challenges and struggles we as APAs face here too. As an advocate and representative for the APA community, it's vital to hear and gain perspectives of as many varied APA groups on campus, as we are quite diverse ourselves. The really beautiful part about advocacy is collaboration and dialogue with other students groups, staff, faculty and administration about everything from discrimination to campus climate.
The time commitment is quite extensive. There are a lot of meetings, forums or events that need an APA presense. The work load also comes in waves, ranging from writing press releases to speaking, to keeping consistent communication. This year in particular involved helping to create events targeted towards shaking up the apathy in our communities. However, the involvement as VP of Advocacy can be a lot of fun and rewarding. I was supported by my colleagues and peers on the executive board and in the campus advocacy community at large.
It was amazing this year being part of a well-organized, committed, and hardworking executive board. I really learned a lot about the University, the Asian Pacific Americans on campus, and also about APA issues nationwide.
back to top
Vice President of External Affairs
Testimonial will be posted soon!
back to top
Vice President of Internal Affairs
Testimonial will be posted soon!
back to top
Working for an Asian American Studies Program (WAASP) Chair
My responsibilities as the WAASP Chair were mostly to keep an open line of communication with the AAST department and to be in charge of the WAASP committee. Bobby (president of AASU) and I made a bi-weekly schedule with Lynne and Larry (coordinator & program director of AAST). This allowed the WAASP Committee and AASU to be on top of AAST's goals/events and vice versa. Some of the tasks that WAASP Committee have done were multiple visits to AAST classes to either promote an AASU event or to do a survey; assisted in the AAST faculty search and the AAST scholarships; offered ideas about courses students would like to see in the future; "Save AAST" campaign; etc.
My expectations of this position were basically to make and maintain the WAASP Committee. Fortunately, I had several members who were dedicated and helpful which made things easier for me. It is manageable with school and with a part-time job but being an officer of a different organization on campus, things piled up. I wasn’t as active on AASU's events as I would have liked to be but I was able to manage everything including my academics.
Time commitment for this position is about 4 - 6 hours a week. When AASU has events, the time commitment increases but not by too much and if your academic workload starts piling up, you can always take some time off of AASU.
From my experience of being involved in AASU, I have learned and developed several skills. First, I learned how to work in a group environment. With the executive board consisting of 10+ members, I learned how to build relationships with others and I learned how to make meetings more efficient by paying attention and by not fooling around. I also learned not to throw snowballs at people who just woke up from a nap. Second, I learned how to become more professional in meetings (with Larry & Lynne). As a new experience for many including myself, it can be intimidating to talk to "important" people but after a couple of meetings, I had my confidence built up. Lastly, I learned how to become a leader. Being in charge of a committee developed my leadership skills. It gave me the responsibilities to direct and lead the WAASP Committee to where my vision and goals were met. Overall, I enjoyed the whole experience. I've networked and built numerous friendships through AASU and its events. It doesn't hurt to have many Facebook pictures/videos to capture those moments. Mad love to AASU.
back to top
Asian American Sisters: Pride, Integrity, Respect, and Empowerment (AASPIRE) Chair
When I first became chair of the Asian American Sisters Pride Integrity Respect and Empowerment Committee, I was enthralled by the amount of room for me to be creative and develop my own plans for the committee. My duties as AASPIRE chair included forming a committee, being the go to person on APA women's issues, and also informing and educating the community on the wide variety of issues that face APA women. I was able to host a few meetings each semester on a variety of issues, but sometimes getting a good committee or people who were interested was hard. I also hosted a film screening and collaborated on various events pertaining to domestic violence.
The time commitment for this position is really as much as you are willing to give it. You have to keep in mind that you are also a member of the board, so you have to go to board meetings and take on some of the work load for the major AASU events during the year.
I feel that this position has opened my eyes to so many injustices that APA women face in our society. I now know a vast variety of knowledge on issues such as domestic violence, human trafficking, and cervical cancer. In addition to the APA women's movement, I have learned SO much about the APA movement and what it means to give back to your community. I have met so many amazing people through being AASPIRE chair, not just on campus, but also outside by developing a relationship with the many APA non-profits in DC. The bonds that you create with your fellow board members and the feeling of being with other like minded individuals, who want to make a difference, is something that you will take with you beyond college. You will love the feeling that you get from realizing that you are part of something so much bigger than yourself.
back to top
PublicAsian Liaison
Testimonial will be posted soon!
back to top
Community Service Chair
As the Community Service Chair, my role was to lead a student-based committee which planned and participated in community service events. My goals for the year was to have a diverse range of different projects, which would appeal to everyone's different views of service, from building houses to working with kids. My main responsibilities were researching and planning these various events, which involved contacting different people and holding committee meetings. I enjoyed holding this position, because of the freedom it gave me to choose my own events and to plan for them. Leading my committee and being able to spend time with them serving the community was also very fulfilling. In addition to being the Community Service Chair, being on the AASU Exec Board is a consuming position. There are weekly meetings, as well as supporting and planning different events and functions for the year. However, it has been a very worthwhile experience for me. I feel as though I have learned alot - leadership, time management, communication, responsibility, and many other valuable skills. In addition, I have significantly increased my awareness of APA issues and the general state of the APA community. I've met alot of new people, from working with APA leaders, students, committee members, and bonding with my fellow AASU board members. Being an AASU exec is an inspiring and empowering experience, and an opportunity which should not be passed-up.
back to top
Yuri Kochiyama Awards Program Chair
As the Yuri Kochiyama Award Program Chair, my main responsibility was the recruitment of students and facilitation of an award program targeting high school students of the APA community. This award program consisted of 7-8 days of workshops educating students on issues regarding the APA community as well as background history. After workshops have concluded, an award ceremony honoring the students is held. Students who have taken an AAST200 or 201 courses may be well familiar with some of the topics covered in these workshops. The high school students are highly motivated and involved and will undoubtedly become future leaders in their community. Since last year, the popularity of the program has nearly tripled, and this year's attendance has been over thirty students. Co-facilitation has been a key success to these workshops and offers other members of the community the opportunity to acquire valuable leadership skills. Furthermore, my experiences in this position have allowed me to refresh and enhance my knowledge on issues concerning the APA community.
This position is ideal for members who are seeking an interactive position as well as building leadership and communication skills. Aside from the above mentioned responsibilities, there are additional obligations required as an executive board member. These include weekly meetings as well as AASU sponsored events. Time commitment typically ranges from 5-7 hours a week and increases as important events approach.
My experience in this position has been exciting and fulfilling. I have acquired many leadership and communication skills that my position entailed. Time management becomes essential as future members become more accustomed to work efficiency. Furthermore, the prospect of networking with future APA community leaders is quite motivating and assuming the position as a mentor has its own self-gratification.
back to top