By Jada Sirivisut, 2026 CLA Intern
Coming into my first day of the CAUSE Leadership Academy, I felt my heart pounding with anticipation and eagerness for the upcoming summer. While my excitement was apparent, the overwhelming imposter syndrome and anxiety of the unknown burdened me. Yet when I walked into the room of Asian Pacific Islander advocates and passionate leaders with much more in common with me than I could have ever imagined, my worries were instantly alleviated. In defining civic engagement and community, I was enlightened with the inspiring realization that with CLA, I was for the first time in my life able to express myself, my values, and my overarching goals in a setting of individuals who shared mutual drives and, to a certain extent, were surprisingly similar to me. Seeing myself in the successful leadership guiding the program and my determined colleagues was vital. The clear opportunity presented to each and every one of us to foster our own personal and professional growth, broaden our horizons, and develop our intellect was invaluable.
Such purposes became especially clear to me when we embarked on the Capitol Summit only a mere two days after meeting the CAUSE staff and fellow interns. Despite being surrounded by what some might expect to feel like awkward strangers, I was unexpectedly thrilled at the sense of belonging and community that prevailed throughout the rest of our trip and I am sure will persist for the remainder of the summer. These memories, ranging the spectrum from legislative settings such as being able to witness preparation for a Juneteenth Celebration at the Assembly floor to more unstructured fun in visiting retro diners followed by exploring the city in the evening, will remain with me infinitely. From these moments, it is not just the notes I jotted down or souvenirs I bought that I carry into the future, but also the joyous reminder that I am now part of an everlasting, family-like matrix of interconnected people who support one another and collaborate with endless unity.
As I move forward into the summer with the CAUSE Leadership Academy, the initial worries of not having enough experiences stacked on my resume or being too introverted to make any friends within my cohort no longer remain. In their place is a newfound enthusiasm at continuing to expand my professional and personal landscapes and cultivate a vibrant future marked by the promise of a thriving civic culture in a better tomorrow.