“They were a vivid reminder that queerness can come with community, should you choose it, and that community can come with power.”

“Together, we meditated, took deep breaths, and reflected on our own experiences with activism.”

“As I carve out my values, I hope initiative will show at the center of my character, actions, and impact.”

“Bringing conversations of civic engagement to a range of events is not the easiest task, but it is a crucial one.”

“To me, community events are like immersive learning experiences — they have humanized the political issues we discuss at CAUSE and deepened my understanding of the needs and concerns of Southern Californian Asian Americans.”

“the key lesson is that engagement isn’t just about scale—it’s about creating real opportunities for people to connect, which starts with how a space is set up and who it’s made for.”

“Events like this one show how civic engagement in American society goes beyond voting; it’s about building relationships, amplifying voices, and translating local concerns into collective action.”

“If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair”

"From day one, I noticed how intentional and collaborative the [Assemblymember Sade Elhawary’s district] office environment is—everyone works with purpose to serve the community."

“My mother’s resilience and sacrifice gifted me the privilege of transforming my family’s history of service work into the fuel that empowers our hunger for liberation: public service.”

“I realized the importance of showing up. Standing up alongside my cohort, CAUSE, and CLA alumni was empowering and left a strong impression on the commissioners. Listening to the constituents voicing their opinions made me realize the importance of being present in one's local government.”

"After supporting [a press conference and community outreach in Little Tokyo and helping highlight a local small business], this day, to me, highlighted the core values and goals that CAUSE embodies as an organization: API leadership, API solidarity, and direct outreach to API communities that has historically been lacking among our elected officials."

“[CLA] and this cohort have consistently challenged me to become a more vocal and authentic leader. These past two weeks have expanded my understanding of civic engagement, transforming it from something passive and reflective into something active, intentional, and driven by initiative.”

“At the end of the day, we live in a society. We operate in the frameworks and institutions we inhabit, whether or not we agree with them conceptually, towards the goal of achieving the best tangible outcomes for our community.”

“Our communities should be included in decision-making, and if shut out, we must engage in the civic process of ‘making noise.’”

“We all shared a common goal of serving our communities and exploring what type of advocacy work aligns with our aspirations.”

“Good leadership is not just encouraging voters to cast a ballot– it is about maintaining promises.”

“Multiple experiences throughout orientation week inspired me and affirmed that my presence was not only welcomed; it was necessary.”

“This week has taught me to pay closer attention to when ‘knowing’ something becomes a stand-in for actually engaging with the present version of it.”

“The work we are doing challenges me to explore all the different forms of civic engagement because change is not singular nor immediate.”