By Sarah Park, 2025 CLA Intern
Soirée was a successful and exciting journey for all of us! For the past 9 weeks, all fifteen of us prepared for endorsement and Soirée during and after hours to show the fruits of our efforts throughout those weeks. Throughout the event, we had a rare opportunity to network with amazing individuals even as we were taking time to give information regarding our campaign. As a marketing/communications director, hearing and seeing the guests look at our website, pamphlet, Instagram, and our fans that everyone worked tirelessly on really brought a smile to my face.
During our journey, I was so happy to see both teams have the best energy with the guests and each other. In a situation where healthy competition is placed, there could be a lot of emotions and thoughts, but we all were cheering each other on and allowing the guests to feel comfortable knowing that they aren't choosing one team over the other but rather supporting both teams and choosing freely. I was really moved by Team Mani and their marketing tactics such as the buttons on the tables, banners, and how their team strategized when talking with the guests. Although we could not talk to our guests for as long as we might have wanted, I was able to gain knowledge and see different perspectives from our guests and even the cohort members. One memorable part from the event was the amazing shoutout from Rep. Chu! Although I was shocked by the shoutout, I was so proud and happy that I was able to work for Rep. Chu and have the opportunity to work with the District Office staff, interns, and constituents.
All in all, seeing all the things everyone worked on during the Soirée was amazing and brought a warm feeling to me. Although it was tiring, I felt energized the entire time through the strength of the cohort members, our guests, and CAUSE staff. I wanted to thank everyone for coming and all the behind the scenes planning and execution from the CAUSE staff as well.
