Our internship is highly selective and each intern is selected based on their demonstrated academic and personal excellence, demonstrated leadership capabilities, and a commitment to serving their community.

Malia Ferrer

Rising Third-Year, Stanford University

Internship Placement: Office of California Senate Majority Leader Lena Gonzalez

Malia Ferrer is a rising third-year student at Stanford currently studying Human Biology and is exploring concentrations in Global Health and Health Policy. Born and raised in a strong Filipino community in San Diego, Malia is inspired to pursue opportunities where she can carry on the values instilled in her childhood: generosity, resilience, hard work, and respect.

Her interest in civic engagement sparked when she interned for the non-profit organization, International Network of Hearts (INH), a local San Diego organization that works to provide shelter for and restore the lives of human trafficking survivors across the Mexico border. While helping the organization seek financial partnerships with corporations across San Diego, she simultaneously discovered what it meant to take action and witness change to uplift the voices of those who were unable to advocate for themselves.
On campus, Malia is currently interning at the Stanford Center for Clinical Research and works at the Asian American Activities Center. At the Asian American Activities Center, she is a coordinator for the first-year student mentorship program, AASib (Asian American Sibling), where she helps match freshmen to upper-class mentors and plan social events to foster strong bonds among sibling families. Through this role, she has been able to discover the importance of cultivating a welcoming environment for freshmen to be familiarized with Asian community members who share similar interests, experiences, and identities to ease their transition into college. Malia is also involved in the Pilipinx American Student Union as a community service committee intern and participates in the annual Pilipinx Cultural Night.

In the future, she hopes to find a meaningful intersection that combines her passions for healthcare and the AAPI community, whether at a policy level or working with her patients as a Physician Assistant. Malia is looking forward to the CAUSE Leadership Academy this summer to increase her knowledge of the injustices that the AAPI community faces in Southern California, gain wisdom from her mentors and peers, and engage in experiences that will allow her to serve her community on a larger scale.

Eliana Kim

Recent Graduate, University of California, Berkeley

Internship Placement: Office of Los Angeles Councilwoman Heather Hutt

Eliana Kim (she/her) is a recent graduate from the University of California, Berkeley, earning a B.A. in Political Science and Media Studies. Born and raised for the most part in South Korea, she values cultural nuance and strives to serve AAPI communities who have had profound impacts in her transition to living in the US. Her interests lie primarily in the intersections between advocacy, policy, and media representations.

As an undergraduate, she has been involved in a variety of activities. She was involved in community-based advocacy working for the Asian Pacific Islander Legal Outreach, a non-profit legal organization which strives to provide culturally specific and linguistically appropriate legal and social services. She was also involved in her campus community matters by actively engaging with various internal-facing roles in the Associated Students of the University of California, the independent student government of UC Berkeley, working for the Berkeley Law School in the Department of Alumni relations, hosting a night market for 45+ Bay Area small businesses, among others.

Eliana is always eager to utilize her deep interest in media representations, traditional and new, as well as her cultural and linguistic abilities in all of her endeavors. Through CAUSE and working in the LA Council District 10 in the Office of Councilwoman Heather Hutt, she hopes to gain a deeper understanding and lived experiences of grassroots civic advocacy and nurturing relationships with community members and groups.

Haley Ku

Rising Third-Year, University of Southern California

Internship Placement: Office of U.S. Congressman Adam Schiff

Haley Ku is a rising third-year at the University of Southern California double majoring in International Relations and Public Relations. Raised in Virginia, Haley found her interest in politics and civic engagement by working with local elected officials and volunteering at election polls. From her experiences living in a predominately White county, Haley aspires to promote Asian American involvement in local governments all across the country.

At USC, Haley is a Team Lead for the Near Crisis Project, a research program that examines near-crises that have occurred over the last 100 years. Additionally, she serves as the Vice President of the USC Helenes, the university’s oldest service and spirit organization on campus. Her pride for her school does not stop there, as she also works as a Student Ambassador (tour guide) for the university.

In the future, Haley hopes to merge her interests in foreign affairs and communications to lead public relations for humanitarian organizations. Through the CAUSE Leadership Academy, she hopes to acquire the skills necessary to get one step closer to that goal. She is ecstatic to join the CLA cohort and eager to begin this summer.

Shiwani Lata

Recent Graduate, San Diego State University

Internship Placement: California Governor's Office of External Affairs

Shiwani graduated from San Diego State University this spring with a B.A. in Public Administration. Originally from Merced CA, she has always been involved in various forms of civic engagement & implementing ways to give back to different communities. Shiwani has always shown a passion for leadership positions whether it was serving on youth council boards in her hometown or holding several positions on the executive board of her service organization, Alpha Phi Omega. During her time at SDSU, she networked Alpha Phi Omega and hosted service events with other nonprofits such as Kupanda: Community for Refugee Children. Shiwani has also spent several summers back in her hometown, running a USTA Norcal-supported city tennis program for the children in her community. During her last semester, she interned as the Intake/Outreach at Center for Employment Opportunities, working with formerly incarcerated individuals to connect back to the workforce. Shiwani is looking forward to enhancing her passion for change and advocacy by having the opportunity to flourish through the CLA program and everyone she meets throughout.

Robinson Lee

Rising Third-Year, Pitzer College

Internship Placement: Office of Assemblymember Mike Fong

Robinson Lee is a Korean Chinese American Christian and rising third-year at Pitzer College, where he is pursuing a combined major in Political Studies and History and a minor in Asian American Studies. Born and raised in the unceded Tongva-Kizh land of Arcadia, Robinson attended Arcadia High School while advocating against the erasure of the history of Japanese American incarceration at Santa Anita Park racetrack and helping organize efforts to provide necessities to Arcadia’s unhoused residents. Continuing his efforts in college, Robinson leads Pitzer’s Pacifika Asian Student Union as the Political Organizing Chair, connecting API students with political organizing and local community resources, advocating for API political interests at Pitzer’s Student Senate, and by leading educational events on API politics, history, and collective memory. In addition, Robinson represents the Mixed Identity eXchange affinity group at Pitzer’s Identity Board, competes as a general member of Pomona College’s Model United Nations team, and has worked for Pitzer’s Sociology Field Group as an Undergraduate Research Assistant.

Robinson seeks to accomplish meaningful interdisciplinary work reconciling histories of injustice and devastation with the contemporary needs of everyday people through civic empowerment, grassroots advocacy, and community organizing. Therefore, social justice, material equity, and militant love are at the core of Robinson’s efforts as he works towards a career in public interest law. Robinson believes that representation and diversity efforts are benign yet necessary steps to further community decision-making and addressing systemic issues and looks forward to envisioning these aspirations through the opportunities that CAUSE provides.

Samantha Leong

Rising Second-Year, University of California, Los Angeles

Internship Placement: Office of Senator Ben Allen

Samantha Leong (she/her) is a rising second-year at UCLA, double majoring in Asian American Studies and Political Science. Originally from the Bay Area in Northern California, she has advocated in various spaces in her community, including interning for State Assemblymember Evan Low and assisting in nearby campaigns at the state and local levels, which has encouraged her interest in policymaking and government. As a fourth-generation Chinese American, her family’s long history in the United States inspires her passion for AAPI advocacy.

As an undergraduate, Samantha is involved with CAUSE, contributing to its mission of voter engagement in API spaces. As a lead intern for Jessica Caloza’s campaign for State Assembly in California’s AD-52, she has had the opportunity to directly engage with voters. She is also a member of LCC Theatre Company, UCLA’s premiere Asian American theatre company, whose mission is to give a voice to the voiceless, and has acted and directed in many of their productions. She is excited to be a part of CLA and gain hands-on experience in advocacy and civic engagement!

grant Li

Rising Second-Year, University of California, Los Angeles

Internship Placement: Office of Congressman Ted Lieu

Grant Li is a rising second-year at UCLA majoring in Applied Linguistics and minoring in Asian American Studies. He was raised in the San Gabriel Valley and currently lives in Irvine. Growing up in an area with a high diversity of languages, he has always been passionate about the importance of heritage languages in their communities. In high school, he interned with the Endangered Languages Project, a nonprofit that works with indigenous communities around the world to preserve and record their languages and spent a good amount of time learning about the Osage language of Oklahoma and working remotely with their community leaders. At UCLA, he is an editor for the AAPI Undergraduate Law Journal and a member of the Southeast Asian Campus Learning Education and Retention (SEA CLEAR) project. With CLA’s 2024 cohort, he looks forward to learning more about public service and giving back to his community.

Sydney Pike

Recent Graduate, University of California, Los Angeles

Internship Placement: Office of United States Senator Alex Padilla

Sydney Pike is a recent graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a minor in Environmental Systems and Society. Her journey began in Orange County California, where she discovered her passion for advocacy and change-making at Cypress College, graduating with an Associate in Arts in Political Science. As a catalyst for change, Sydney's tenure in Cypress College's Student Government ignited her passion for public policy and organizing, propelling her through roles as Senator, Executive Vice President, and ultimately, President of the Cypress College Associated Students.

As a transfer student at UCLA, Sydney was deeply engaged in campus life, serving on the board of UCLA’s Pacific Islands’ Student Association (PISA) and holding pivotal roles, including as Higher Education Awareness Coordinator for the Pacific Islander Education and Retention project (PIER), and Native and Pasifika Peer Advisor for UCLA’s Center for Community College Partnerships (CCCP). Additionally, she coordinated the UC Students Enacting Environmental Defense campaign on UCLA’s campus and was one of the leaders of UCLA’s Mauna Kea Protectors Campaign where she advocated for divestment from the Thirty Meter Telescope Project. Sydney's academic pursuits converge on themes of Native Hawaiian identity, environmental justice, sovereignty politics, and Indigenous epistemologies and law. She has actively participated in research endeavors, delving into Asian American and Pacific Islander civic engagement in Los Angeles County, and authoring an undergraduate thesis on Native Hawaiian blood quantum politics.

Driven by a profound commitment to environmental justice and the preservation of sacred Indigenous cultural sites, Sydney aspires to further her education by obtaining a Master in Public Policy or Environment and Sustainability, followed by a Juris Doctorate. Her ultimate goal is to return to her roots in Hawai’i, leveraging her expertise to advocate ardently for Native Hawaiian land and water rights, forging a path towards a more equitable and sustainable future for her community and beyond.

Gabrielle Shen

Rising Fourth-Year, University of California, Riverside

Internship Placement: Office of Congresswoman Judy Chu

Gabrielle Shen (she/her) is a rising fourth-year at the University of California, Riverside, and she is currently majoring in Environmental Sciences. Born and raised in the San Gabriel Valley, Gabrielle has been passionate about the environment for as long as she can remember—her intent to positively impact her community through sustainable outlets has inspired her to pursue environmental policy in the future.

At UC Riverside, Gabrielle serves as the Secretary/Treasurer of SEEDS (Strategies for Ecology Education, Diversity, and Sustainability). Through SEEDS, she seeks to provide accessible scientific opportunities by organizing no-cost field trips, hosting educational events, and assisting with undergraduate, student-led research. Gabrielle is also a co-chair of the Center for Conservation Biology (CCB)-SEEDS Mentorship Program, where she advocates for undergraduates of all backgrounds to form meaningful connections with graduate students. In addition, she recently served as a Sustainable Transportation and Communities Division Intern with the California Air Resources Board. There, she witnessed the inner workings of a governmental agency, performing literature reviews and gathering input to assist in future greenhouse gas amendment rulemaking.

Ultimately, Gabrielle wants to better understand the connection between environmental justice/policy and the APIDA community. She is incredibly excited to join the CLA this summer and is looking forward to learning more about APIDA causes as an aspiring young professional.

Anais Sornkatetin

Rising Second-Year, University of California, Berkeley

Internship Placement: California Attorney General Rob Bonta’s Office of External Affairs

Anais Sornkatetin (any pronouns) is a rising sophomore at the University of California, Berkeley, pursuing a Political Science major and a Public Policy minor. Growing up low-income and the child of immigrants in a predominantly Asian city, they developed a strong passion for advocating for marginalized communities. This foundation has driven them to address many concerns, including the interlocking systems of oppression that APA and LGBTQ+ communities face. Before college, Anais was active in community engagement through their work as a Youth Ambassador for the Youth Mentoring Action Network, a nonprofit organization focused on empowering youth. At UC Berkeley, they gained experience in grassroots mobilizing through their involvement in planning peaceful demonstrations for Justice4Ivonne, a student coalition dedicated to supporting a Berkeley Latinx professor who was a victim of sexual assault and retaliation. Currently, Anais is interning at REACH!, a student-led recruitment and retention center at Berkeley that empowers low-income, immigrant, and refugee Asians and Asian Americans by promoting post-secondary pathways and community retention. In their role within the Political Advocacy program, Anais hosts free events and incorporates their love for art into political education. A recent highlight was an art gallery event focused on queer trans-APA intersectionality, a topic deeply personal to them as a QT APA individual. Looking ahead, Anais aspires to become a public interest lawyer who can serve their communities' direct needs while enacting widespread policy initiatives. They are excited to expand their understanding of APA issues, gain more experience in the professional world, and are eager to contribute to broader societal change through their internship with CAUSE.

Emma Tom

Rising Third-Year, Pomona College

Internship Placement: Center for Asian Americans United for Self Empowerment (CAUSE)

Emma Tom is a rising junior at Pomona College double majoring in Asian Studies and Politics. Emma was born and raised in New York City where she spent multiple summers volunteering and working with children in Chinatown, teaching them multiple styles of dance. As an avid dancer herself, she is curious about how the arts can be used for social cohesion and political activism. She also hopes to advocate for quality accessible education for all young individuals, especially API immigrant children, giving them the same opportunities to pursue higher education without burdening their parents. At Pomona, she works for the dance department organizing and directing student-choreographed showcases, disseminating her love for the arts with the rest of the consortium. She also volunteers for Pomona’s Saturday Tongan Education Program where she tutors and befriends the local indigenous Tongan children. Her other hobbies include boba-making, graphic design, and video editing. Her next research project, in collaboration with her professor Bilal Nasir from Pomona College’s Asian American Studies Department, is developing a short video documentary on the work that lion dance organizations do for the youth in New York City’s Chinatown. She is ecstatic to be a part of this year’s CLA cohort and looks forward to learning how to further engage in API advocacy work.

Nathan Yeung

Rising Second-Year, University of California, Irvine

Internship Placement: Office of California State Senator Susan Rubio

Nathan Yeung is a rising sophomore at the University of California, Irvine, double majoring in Asian American Studies and International Studies. Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Nathan’s upbringing has been shaped by the cultural immersion of his Hongkonger/Chinese heritage and the cultural diversity of the Bay Area. Growing up in this environment led to a unique passion for celebrating and appreciating not only his own culture, but also the many diverse cultures found all over the world.

Nathan’s passion for culture, music, and dance has driven his involvement in his community both during high school and college through performing arts. Notably, he was a proud member of Stanford’s Baipu Chinese Music Ensemble for two years, where he broadened his network through Chinese music, playing alongside Stanford undergraduate and graduate students. His commitment to performance continues in college, where he is active in UCI’s Traditional Vietnamese/Vpop dance team (Trance UCI), Jianxi Chinese Orchestra, and formerly with UCI’s Kpop dance team (Kkap UCI), participating in cultural showcases at his school and surrounding areas like the annual UVSA Tết Festival in Orange County.

Nathan’s leadership roles and social advocacy are strongly shaped by his outspokenness on the 2019 Hong Kong protests, as well as his involvement in local initiatives such as the Black Lives Matter and Stop Asian Hate movements back in 2020-21, which all served as the foundation for his role in social justice and activism. His notable leadership positions included being one of the founding officers of his high school’s Chinese Culture Club, which he led for three years, and commissioning the Diversity and Social Justice Committee in his high school’s student leadership. Nathan aims to further explore his aspirations in leadership, social advocacy, and civic engagement through his participation in the Cause Leadership Academy this summer.

Our internship is highly selective and each intern is selected based on their demonstrated academic and personal excellence, demonstrated leadership capabilities, and a commitment to serving their community.

william chao

Rising Fourth-Year, University of California, Los Angeles

Internship Placement: Office of California Senator Ben Allen

William Chao is a rising senior at UCLA majoring in political science. Originally from the East Bay, he attended Ohlone Community College where he worked as a tutor and assistant in The Lytton Center for History and Public Good. As the son of first generation immigrants from China and Taiwan, born and raised in Fremont, a predominately Asian-American community, William has advocated for AAPI issues at the state and local level. Working with the Teresa Kang campaign for state assembly, he campaigned and advocated for Asian political representation in the California state legislature. As an undergraduate, he is involved with Hunger Project at UCLA, a service and advocacy organization at UCLA that fights for students and community members who face food and housing insecurity. Additionally, he works alongside the Student Labor Advocacy Project, where they fight alongside Unions like AFSCME 3299, which politically agitate for university workers and student workers to receive higher wages in order to combat inflation. As a CLA intern, he hopes to combat the Asian model minority myth in the Asian American and Pacific Islander community community, where AAPI are often viewed as a monolith, when in reality elders, immigrants and certain Asian populations face deep educational and wealth disparities. He's planning on pursuing a masters in public policy and fighting for both material and cultural issues in the AAPI community.

Liam Chia

Rising Second-Year, University of Chicago

Internship Placement: Office of U.S. Congresswoman Judy Chu

Liam is a rising second-year student at the University of Chicago after transferring from the University of California, Los Angeles. He will be majoring in public policy studies as well as data science. Liam grew up in Pasadena, California, and attended Flintridge Preparatory School in La Cañada where he discovered his passion for advocacy and student leadership. Thanks to his mom and older brother, who is dually diagnosed with Down syndrome and autism, Liam was exposed early on to what it means to stand up for your communities and loved ones. As a member of the USAC Office of the External Vice President at UCLA, Liam lobbied on bills and budget matters at the California state capitol, advocating for student needs across the University of California system. As the UCLA coordinator for the University of California Student Association's ACQUIRE campaign, he also worked to make UCLA a more inclusive and equitable campus by writing a resolution in support of increased funding for disability specialists at the UC and working with UCLA's Center for Accessible Education to expand digital resources for students in need of academic accommodations. He also wrote for UCLA’s Business, Law, and Investing Society’s law review, where he studied topics such as antitrust and entertainment law. Growing up amongst a strong Asian-American community in the San Gabriel Valley, Liam has always seen a need for greater representation of Asians in politics. Through CLA, he hopes to gain congressional office experience and develop the skills necessary to become a leader for his community. Throughout this summer and far beyond, Liam hopes to grow into a life-changing advocate and leave behind a legacy of equity and passion.

Olivia diaz anderson

Recent Graduate, University of California, Los Angeles

Internship Placement: Empowering Pacific Islander Communities (EPIC)

Olivia Diaz Anderson is a recent graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles with a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology and a minor in Asian American Studies. Originally from San Francisco, California, she has always been passionate about sustainability, serving her community, and creating art and music. She is Chamoru (indigenous to Guam and the Mariana Islands) and is very interested in the cultural, environmental, and political issues in Guam as well as other U.S. Pacific territories. She is committed to learning her native language, which is endangered, and revitalizing it through her family’s Chamoru language organization I Sakman I Fino’-Ta–which she creates graphics and photos for, runs the social media account, and curates projects for. At UCLA she was the Transfer Yield Coordinator on the board for the Pacific Islands’ Student Association (PISA) where she put together the Pacific Islander Admit Weekend and organized Chamoru cultural performances and educational activities for the association as well. She hopes to continue organizing and helping her Pacific Islander community by using her skills in various mediums of art, design, and photography to be a voice for the islands. She is looking forward to the CLA program this summer to build her professional skill set, learn valuable lessons from elected officials and her fellow student organizers, and experience working with organizations that have great impact in the AAPI community.

naya dukkipati

Rising Second-Year, University of Southern California

Internship Placement: California Governor's Office of External Affairs

Naya Dukkipati, a rising sophomore at the University of Southern California, is pursuing a dual degree in Cybersecurity and Public Policy with the goal of practicing Antitrust law after working in security engineering or digital forensics. Alongside her academic pursuits, Naya is actively involved in various organizations at USC, including serving as the Director of Community Outreach for her dorm's community council and as the poetry editor for Palaver Literary Magazine. She is also a member of the CYBORG organization and intends to join the debate team in the upcoming fall.
Furthermore, Naya has established her own non-profit organization called Fade Into Hue, which aims to help female writers and address barriers in female education. Through her organization, she has partnered with Chirag School to donate $3700 towards supporting underserved elementary school girls in India. Naya's passion for writing and reading is reflected in her poetry work, which addresses APA issues and her personal experiences. She finds the process of sharing her experiences through writing challenging yet fulfilling. In addition, Naya mentors high school students who aspire to be poets to assist them in their creative journey.
Naya is thrilled to be joining CLA and collaborating with her peers in the APA community to explore and learn how to best serve the community.

Kenny Lê

Rising Third-Year, Pitzer College

Internship Placement: Office of California Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon

Kenny Lê (he/him) is a rising junior from Pitzer College of the Claremont Colleges consortium, hoping to major in a Political Studies & Asian American Studies. His political views are shaped by an experience raised in what is currently known as Garden Grove on unceded Gabrielino/Tongva land by two Vietnamese refugee parents. In conversation with the dark histories and unjust present conditions that shape an Asian/American identity, Kenny involves himself with affinity-based organizations at his campus. As the president of the Asian Pacific American Coalition (APAC), the Vietnamese Student Association (VSA), and the student manager of the Center for Asian Pacific American Students, he has a critical vantage on community. Thus, he leads to cultivate reciprocal, caring, and accountable relationships, creating abolitionist spaces as his mode of organizing against White Supremacy. Currently, Kenny is excited to work with the United Farm Workers in the first re-emergent collegiate student support groups and is organizing an intercollegiate racial justice coalition at his colleges. His hobbies include cooking, running a food blog (@scootingfood on Instagram) and reading.

PO HOUA LEE

Recent Graduate, California State University, Fresno

Internship Placement: Office of California Assemblymember Mike Fong

Pa Houa Lee (she/ her) graduated from California State University, Fresno, in 2023, with a Major in Sociology, a Minor in Hmong, and Certificates in Social Justice and Social Change, Cultural Competency, and Southeast Asian Studies. She was born in the Thailand Internment Camp and immigrated to the United States at three years old. She grew up in Fresno, California, and was the first in her family to graduate from a four-year college. During her undergraduate years, she served in the Hmong Student Association (HmSA) as the Culture Chair in 2021-23 and Judiciary in 2022-23. HmSA is a non-profit, student-led organization on college campuses that aims to promote higher education, leadership, collaboration, community services, Hmong cultures, and adjusting all incoming students to the college life. Besides her leadership in HmSA, she helped gather 100-plus students and advocate for more Asian professors at Fresno State. Currently, she is an Ambassador for California Environmental Voters Education Fund, aiming to build power to solve the climate crisis, specifically in the Central Valley and Inland Empire. During her free time, she enjoys traveling to new places, self-care, and making new friends. Within this program, she hopes to connect with as many people as possible, enhance her professional and leadership skills, understand more about the issues Asian Americans face, and learn how to make changes for the better.

ANDREA MAC

Rising Fourth-Year Pomona College

Internship Placement: Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California

Andrea Mac is a rising Senior at Pomona College majoring in Public Policy Analysis with a concentration in Economics. Born and raised in a low-income immigrant family from Los Angeles, California, Andrea is passionate about education, community-centered engagement, and advancing equity, justice, and opportunity for all APIDA communities. One issue that particularly holds great importance to Andrea is enhancing equitable services and access to reliable information, programs, and resources (such as CalFresh) for underserved minority communities. At Pomona College, Andrea was a part of affinity groups such as the First-Generation Low-Income (FGLI) and Asian American Mentoring Program (AAMP). Before college, Andrea was an active member of the Asian American community located in Los Angeles taking up volunteer roles and responsibilities with the Chinatown Business Improvement District, Chinatown Service Center, and Los Angeles Chinatown Youth Center. With these organizations, Andrea contributed to several projects such as: coordinating large-scale cultural events, tutoring Chinese English-learning students, and participating in phone-banking events catered to Chinatown residents. More recently, Andrea conducted research with Pomona College’s Department of Politics under Sara Sadhwani, in which she co-led several qualitative interviews discussing topics of Asian American political representation, voter outreach, and voter turnout with AAPI politicians and community leaders from California, Georgia, and Texas. As part of her research, Andrea also monitored the outcomes of California’s Congressional elections and assessed the kinds of campaign strategies candidates used to garner support from diverse APIDA communities. Andrea is always seeking opportunities that will allow her to wield her academic learnings and personal lived experience to real-world applications. With CAUSE, Andrea is looking forward to expanding her awareness of civic issues faced by the APIDA community and equipping a stronger skillset to become a better advocate for her communities.

Meghna nair

Rising Second-Year, University of California, Los Angeles

Internship Placement: Office of California Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi

Meghna Nair (she/her) is a rising second-year at the University of California, Los Angeles where she is double-majoring in Public Affairs and Economics. She was originally born in Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu, in India, but her family immigrated to Southern California, where she’s spent the majority of her life, when she was very young. With a life-long love of creative writing and a passion for public speaking rooted in seven years of Mock Trial experience, Meghna aspires to attend law school in the future. Due to her experiences caring for and nurturing the young children of her hometown community, Oak Park, California, as an Assistant Extended Care Mentor for Club Oak Park, a local after school club program, she absolutely adores working with children. As such, she is especially passionate about children’s experiences with the law, particularly with regard to the juvenile justice system, and hopes to advocate on their behalf in her professional career. In college, her love of story-telling and interest in law has translated into participation in several on- and off-campus organizations: she is a member of UCLA’s AAPI Pre-Law Society where she’s currently revising an article for the AAPI Undergraduate Law Journal, she’s an avid writer for the UCLA chapter of Dear Asian Youth where she’s authored research articles on Asian representation in Disney and the South Asian perspective on menstruation, and she’s a new co-host for Dear Asian Girl, a podcast dedicated to uplifting and positively representing Asian women around the world. Through the CAUSE Leadership Academy, Meghna hopes to further hone the public speaking and interpersonal skills she’s developed through her participation in these organizations in order to become the best public servant she can be.

coby nguyen

Recent Graduate, University of California, Berkeley

Internship Placement: Office of U.S. Congressman Adam Schiff

Coby graduated from UC Berkeley this Spring with a B.A. in Political Science and a minor in Data Science. He was born and raised in Houston, Texas, and he is interested in the how the arts and entertainment can be used for activism, civic engagement, and community-building. During his time at UC Berkeley, he was the producer of a $50,000+ cultural show, he choreographed dances and acted for multiple student-led productions, he organized cultural festivals on campus, and he encouraged and facilitated partnerships between dance teams and organizations across the Bay Area.

Phong Nguyen

Rising Third-Year, Stanford University

Office of Attorney General Rob Bonta, External Affairs

Phong Nguyen (he/him) is a rising junior at Stanford University majoring in Asian American Studies and minoring in Human Rights. He was born in Vietnam but has spent most of his life in Chicago. As a passionate humanitarian, Phong has extensive experience in government policy and human rights advocacy. Before college, he was a youth advocate at Asian Americans Advancing Justice Chicago and HANA Center, a Chicago organization working to meet the critical needs of Asian American and multi-ethnic immigrant communities. Through his work of organizing and overseeing meetings with Asian American activists and members of the Illinois Senate and House of Representatives during the peak of anti-Asian hate, Phong advocated for and successfully helped pass the Teaching Equitable Asian American Community History (TEAACH) Act, making Illinois the first state to require the teaching of Asian American history. After the TEAACH Act’s passage, Phong was invited by the Illinois Asian American Caucus and the Association for Asian American Studies to speak on the future of Asian American Studies in PK-12 education and its potential to foster communities centered around care and understanding. Phong continues channeling his passion for social justice on campus through several avenues. He is a managing editor for the Stanford Journal of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, a performing artist for the Stanford Asian American Theater Project, and an Affirmative Action Ambassador (part of the Asian Americans Advancing Justice cohort). Post-college, Phong plans to get his master’s degree in Asian American Studies and then attend law school. He is confident that these concentrations would guide him in developing better immigration, education, and social justice policies for the Asian American community. Phong is thrilled to participate in the CLA program and looks forward to being in a space that cultivates the next generation of leaders and activists.

Olivia sieve

Rising Third-Year, University of California, Los Angeles

Internship Placement: Pilipino Workers Center of Southern California

Olivia Sieve is a rising third-year student studying Psychology at the University of California, Los Angeles. During her time there, she has worked as internal director of the UCLA Planned Parenthood Generation Action chapter, delivering presentations on sexual health, engaging potential volunteers, and organizing on-campus events such as guest speaker workshops to educate students on exercising their civic power to promote reproductive justice. As an outreach committee member of IGNITE, a women’s political advocacy organization, she plans fundraisers to garner support for better sexual assault forensic exam accessibility near her campus. Moreover, she has worked for the past year as a general intern on the Sudan team of Project Expedite Justice, an international legal nonprofit dedicated to educating survivors of human rights abuses on how to pursue prosecution against their abusers. On this team, she writes research drafts on the efficacy of Sudanese anti-corruption efforts and revises project frameworks and other documents written by non-native English speakers. Growing up with a Filipino mother and white father, Olivia witnessed the disparity between the lives of her Asian family members and those of her white family members, from education and professional development to social expectations. She looks forward to integrating her experiences as a multiracial woman with her community engagement background through the 2023 cohort of CAUSE Leadership Academy.

Angel yuan

Rising Third-Year, Pomona College

Internship Placement: Office of U.S. Congressman Jimmy Gomez

Angel Yuan is a rising junior at Pomona College majoring in International Relations and minoring in French. She was born and raised in Vancouver, Canada and is a second-generation Chinese-Canadian. Growing up, Angel acted as her mom’s personal translator, which illuminated a need for increasing language accessibility. As a result, she founded her high school’s Student Translator Initiative, which allowed students to practice their language skills outside the classroom while also providing translated materials to the greater school community. During her recent internship with the Alliance for Children’s Rights, she was one of the only Chinese-speaking staff members, which further emphasized the need to increase language accessibility to crucial resources for those in need.

At Pomona, Angel is currently the Secretary-General of the Pomona College Model United Nations team, which has helped her improve her public speaking and leadership skills. She is also a Tour Guide and an Admissions Intern at the Pomona Admissions Office, where she not only introduces the College to prospective families but also works with the Office to increase access to higher education for marginalized communities. Furthermore, she is a mentor for the International Student Mentorship Program, helping incoming international students transition to college. Outside of school, she is an Associate Member of the Chinese American Citizens Alliance, which introduced her to APA advocacy and furthered her desire to become a leader within her communities. Angel is a passionate language learner and is currently learning her fifth language, Arabic.

Angel hopes to attend law school after college and eventually pursue public interest law. She is looking forward to expanding her knowledge about APA issues and taking on a greater leadership role within her communities through the CAUSE Leadership Academy. She is incredibly grateful for this opportunity and looking forward to a summer of growth and learning!

Our internship is highly selective and each intern is selected based on their demonstrated academic and personal excellence, demonstrated leadership capabilities, and a commitment to serving their community.

Arali Weeranarayana Seneviratne

Recent Graduate, University of California, Los Angeles

Arali (she/her) graduated summa cum laude from the University of California, Los Angeles in 2021, majoring in philosophy. Studying philosophy allowed her to gain a deeper appreciation for the many varied approaches that can be taken when aiming to get at a more objective truth. In turn, this understanding of the need to recognize individual bias informs how she thinks about the ways political opinions and policy ideas can be more effectively and persuasively communicated to the public. She is originally from Northridge, California. As a daughter of Sri Lankan immigrants and a first-generation college student, Arali is interested in looking to build stronger policy solutions to the issues that uniquely impact Asian Americans and immigrants that come to the United States looking to build a better life. Furthermore, Arali’s prior experiences as an after-school coach working and bringing resources to underprivileged students in the San Fernando Valley have informed her strong commitment to bringing wide-ranging policy solutions to issue areas impacting the education system. After graduating, Arali also served as a congressional intern in Congressman Adam Schiff’s district office in Burbank, California where she cemented her desire to pursue civic work. She deeply appreciated and enjoyed the opportunity to work with the public to point them in the direction of much-needed resources and hopes to do similar work on a larger scale throughout her career. In the future, Arali hopes to attend law school and do the legal work needed to make progress in education policy, immigration policy, and voting rights, among other areas. Arali looks forward to advancing her understanding of how to better enact impactful change and serve her community by participating in the 2022 CAUSE Leadership Academy.

CARISSA CHENG

Rising 2nd Year, Stanford University

Carissa Cheng is a rising sophomore at Stanford University. She looks forward to combining her interests in behavioral economics, racial inequality, and philosophy to reimagine more equitable, human-centered markets. At Stanford, she is a member of the Taiwanese Culture Society, Christian fellowship MakeNew, and English tutoring group Habla. Carissa began to critically think about her Asian American identity when she encountered a vibrant Asian American Affinity Group at the NAIS Student Diversity Leadership Conference. There, she heard her life experiences put into words: the model minority myth, the perpetual foreigner, the rampant homophobia in Asian communities. She realized she was not alone in experiencing them, that in fact, these issues were part of a bigger system of oppression and division. Inspired, she created her high school’s Asian Pacific Islander Desi American (APIDA) Affinity Group, providing a place for identity-based self-discovery and cross-cultural discussions about sociopolitical topics. Some of her fondest memories include organizing schoolwide festivities showcasing the rich diversity of the APIDA diaspora, as well as speaking at faculty trainings about the need for greater APIDA visibility in school curricula. As a student filmmaker and avid reader, Carissa also reflects on how art empowers her community. Works she found deeply impactful include On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong, “Unspoken” by Patrick G. Lee, and “Family Portrait” by Jingqiu Guan. During Carissa’s senior year in high school, she co-curated a virtual gallery of Asian American student art from across the country, and compiled interviews with those artists into a documentary showcasing their stories. The gallery and documentary can be found here: youthnity.art Carissa is thrilled to be part of CLA because she looks forward to building a network of fellow youth activists and growing under the guidance of mentors who have dedicated their lives to the Asian American community.

Charlize domingo ott

Rising Masters of Science student at the University of Southern California

Charlize Ott graduated from the University of California, Berkeley this spring with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a minor in Journalism. She grew up in Half Moon Bay, California and attended high school at Saint Ignatius in San Francisco, where she danced competitively and participated in her school's plays and musicals. Her passion for performance led her to join CalTV, UC Berkeley's student-run media organization, in the beginning of her first semester of college. Charlize's experiences as a journalist for both the news and entertainment sectors of CalTV inspired her to take an interest in journalism and multimedia. She is captivated by newer technology and sees platforms like Tik Tok and Snapchat as mediums in which future generations consume the news. This fall, Charlize will attend the University of Southern California as a graduate student to pursue a Master of Science degree in Digital Social Media. Through her courses at Berkeley, Charlize has developed an interest in learning about how media representations of minorities impact our society. She understands how harmful depictions in the media can be, with specific regards to members of the AAPI community. Her mother’s experiences in the states as an immigrant from the Philippines has inspired her to use media as a powerful tool to foster empathy through sharing stories in an increasingly polarized world. With social media and technology becoming more accessible and popular each day, Charlize hopes to contribute to making platforms a safe and healthy space for users of all ages, sexes, races and genders. She desires to master an effective way to deliver current events and important news to the youth, while keeping the content equally as entertaining as it is educational. Charlize is so grateful to be a CLA intern in order to discern how media can be a useful tool for political advocacy and to learn more about the individual experiences within the 2022 cohort!

Isalys Mendoza De La Rosa

Rising 3rd Year, University of California, Irvine

Isalys Mendoza De La Rosa is a rising junior at the University of California, Irvine double majoring in Political Science and Sociology. She was born in the Philippines and immigrated to America at the age of 5. She grew up in Moreno Valley and is the first person in her family to go to college. During her time at UCI, she has been involved with CALPIRG and the Southeast Asian Student Association (SASA). CALPIRG is a student-led, non-profit organization, on college campuses that work to tackle a variety of social issues through grassroots efforts. As co-tactical coordinator, she helped gather over 2,000 signatures for a renewable energy campaign. She has also been involved with SASA for two years, in her first year, she was a mentor for a high school outreach program, Southeast Asian Leaders (SEAL) and in her second year, she became the program coordinator. SEAL is a high school mentorship program that encourages high school students to pursue higher education through an emphasis on cultural awareness, mental health, and personal development. Through this program, she has been able to give back to her community by uplifting and encouraging high school students to make positive changes within their communities. As a first-generation college student, she did not have much assistance in applying to college. So having the opportunity to help high schoolers who are in the same position as her is something she holds close to her heart. In her free time, she enjoys thrifting, cooking, baking, and working out. She also enjoys being outdoors and going on long walks. Mental health and self-care are something she always tries to prioritize and she often emphasizes the importance of it in her work. During the CLA this summer she hopes to further expand her leadership skills and learn more about the issues the AAPI community faces. She hopes she can utilize the skills she learns in the academy to bring more positive changes to her community.

JEREME LUA

Rising 5th Year, California State University, Channel Islands

Jereme Lua is rising Senior at California State University: Channel Islands majoring in Sociology and minoring in English. Jereme is also an aspiring community organizer and arts educator living in Historic Filipinotown eager to apply his creative and research practice into community-centered efforts to preserve the histories of ethnic enclaves in Los Angeles and fight for their futures in the midst of rising gentrification and housing crisis. Jereme has worked in multi-disciplinary institutions where arts and education intersect, including museums such as the Kidspace Museum in Pasadena and the Museum of Neon Art in Glendale, where he engaged visitors and researched the value of museums as an alternative political space that brings different communities together. Most recently, he conducted original research on an almost-forgotten neon sign for a butcher shop in the Grand Central Market in Downtown LA, which had significant ties to the Filipino community before it was replaced by other storefronts. As an emerging artist, Jereme acts and writes poetry as a way to raise awareness to vital issues like colorblind racial ideologies and mental health stigma. At Cal-state Channel Islands, he is leading initiatives that champion the success and well-being of men of color on campus, partnering with administrators and other students to increase retention rates in academic and professional spaces. He is also developing educational programming for Filipino youth on how to unpack inter generational trauma and adopt mental health practices. Jereme is excited to intern with CAUSE as a way to elevate his experience in the art and academic fields, bridging them with advocacy and policy-making strategies. By doing so, he hopes to gain a holistic approach in his research, activism, and art-making, such that they can make an impact in personal-, community-, and governmental-levels.

LUCY PAN

Rising 3rd Year, Pomona College

Lucy Pan is a rising junior at Pomona College double majoring in Cognitive Science and Asian American Studies. She is originally from the Bronx, New York, and lived there her entire life before starting college. Lucy's interests include mental health awareness for APIDA youth, educational access, and social + environmental justice in low-income communities of color. Born and raised in a low-income immigrant family in New York, one issue that had always been important to Lucy was educational access for students from underserved communities. Before starting college, she began volunteering with A Better Chance, an educational equity organization, and later worked there as an intern for two consecutive summers (2020 & 2021). Lucy led workshops with students in A Better Chance's summer academies, which connected youth of color with independent schools around the country. Currently, at Pomona, Lucy served as a mentor for AAMP (Asian American Mentor Program), where she hosted weekly dinners with a group of first-year mentees and helped support them in their transition to college. She was also part of AAMP's Mental Wealth Committee, which planned wellness-related events throughout the year and compiled resources for APIDA students at the Claremont Colleges. Additionally, Lucy currently does research in a cognitive neuroscience lab on campus that focuses on bilingual cognition. As someone who grew up speaking three languages, she is interested in learning more about the cognitive processes behind language learning and its ties to cultural identity. Lucy is incredibly grateful to be part of the CAUSE Leadership Academy this summer and is excited to meet the cohort! As an ethnic studies major, she hopes to learn more about issues within the APIDA community and ways to support community members through organizing and political advocacy.

NICOLE IWAMASA

Rising 3rd Year, University of Southern California

Nicole Iwamasa is a rising junior studying Political Science with a minor in Law and Social Justice at the University of Southern California. Nicole hopes to center an intersectional approach to justice and equity within AAPI communities. During her previous role as a paraprofessional educator with the Hawaii Department of Education, she realized how much race and disability could intersect, and the extent to which language barriers and a lack of culturally competent outreach could prevent families from interacting with the Medicaid Reimbursement Program. Language access thus became a large part of her current work at California’s Department of Fair Housing and Employment, where she works on the expansion of language access programs as well as the inclusion of culturally competent resources through community-based organizations for communities that have suffered civil rights violations. Last year, through the Thematic Honors Writing Program, took a look at the villainization of Asian mothers, presenting her findings at a conference on their role as seen through gender and race through a reading of Ocean Vuong’s On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous. At USC, Nicole is the Assistant Director of External Affairs for Model United Nations, a member of the Mock Trial Program, and an advocate in Agents of Change, the nation’s first undergraduate civil rights clinic. From the Rules of Procedure in a General Assembly Committee to the Federal Rules of Evidence to grassroots methods of organizing, she has had the opportunity to develop knowledge of many legal frameworks that she hopes will help her advocate for marginalized communities in the future. In the future, Nicole plans on attending law school and working as an attorney for an AAPI advocacy network. This summer Nicole hopes to become a more engaged and effective advocate for long-term AAPI justice.

NICOLE LU

Rising 2nd Year, New York University

Nicole Lu is a rising sophomore at New York University majoring in Public Policy and Global Liberal Studies, concentrating in Politics, Rights, and Development, with a minor in Public Health. She was born and raised in Los Angeles, California and is passionate about immigration and education policies and analyzing human rights through an intersectional lens, as well as promoting AAPI representation and civic awareness. At NYU, she has been involved with Washington Square News, the university’s independent newspaper. She has served as a News Desk writer reporting on issues ranging from graduate labor union strikes to newfound scientific research on the Sun. Her philosophy that centers her interest in journalism is her passion to pay attention to and be active in the range of issues impacting the community she is in. Building on her value for activism, she has served as an English Language Teaching Assistant at Brooklyn International High School where she has worked with immigrant youths to understand assignments and reading and writing fluency, using Spanish when necessary to explain academic concepts. Outside of college, she has served as a volunteer teacher for the past six years under Teaching and Sharing Skills to Enrich Lives (TASSEL) where she currently works one-on-one with a TASSEL teacher to help build pronunciation, reading, writing, and conversational English fluency. In the past, she has also led phonics lessons and corrected essays for underprivileged Cambodian youth. She became involved with the organization during high school where she previously served as the President of the South Pasadena chapter. In her free time, Nicole enjoys exploring new sites in New York as a flaneur or biking around the city. She spends much of her time with her cats when back home and collecting all-things cats when away.

OLIVIA FRENKEL

Rising 4th Year, Willamette University

Olivia Frenkel is a rising senior with one last semester at Willamette University majoring in Civic Communication and Media. As a multiracial Asian American in a predominantly white institution, she became particularly interested in communication theory relating to liminality and identity formation. After working with Asian American professors in this space, she realized the importance of representation in education and hopes to pursue a career in academics. Though Olivia’s time on Willamette’s campus was limited, she held a variety of positions over those few semesters. In her first two years, she swam on the Varsity Women’s team while holding a position as both a writer for the on-campus newspaper and a freelance journalist for a local magazine in the Bay Area. Olivia also worked for Global Partners for Student Success where she tutored and mentored refugee students from Afghanistan. Additionally, she was commissioned by two professors for two zines; one regarding The Kitchen Table: Women of Color Press and the other containing an autoethnographic collection of poems and essays regarding multiraciality and Asian American stereotyping. In the spring of 2022, Olivia enjoyed studying abroad in Rome at John Cabot University where she interned as a research assistant. She co-wrote an article focused on bridging sustainability with media literacy and specifically on algorithms and their effect on climate misinformation and disinformation. As a result, Olivia’s new perspective on mis/disinformation has catalyzed interest in the subject. In her last semester at Willamette, she is co-teaching an introductory class on media, technology, and society centered on project-based learning techniques. Olivia Frenkel is a Chinese, Filipino, Jewish, German, and Spanish first-generation student from the Bay Area. She is excited to call Los Angeles her home and to bring her identity and knowledge to the 2022 CAUSE Leadership Academy while growing as an individual and as a civically engaged Asian American.

PANHIA VANG

Rising 4th Year, Lawrence University

PaNhia Vang is a first-generation rising senior at Lawrence University. She is majoring in political science and minoring in gender studies. PaNhia was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota and is the oldest daughter out of seven siblings. She is a proud Hmong-American and has a strong commitment to advocacy work. During her senior year of high school, PaNhia worked as an intern under the League of Women Voters (LWV) and the Asian American Organizing Project (AAOP). Through these internships, she learned how to become a better advocate for her community, as well as other communities in Minnesota. She also learned how to effectively research, door knock, phone bank, and build trust among community members. Later, she interned for the OCA Asian Pacific American Advocates (OCA) and the Asian & Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote). She also gained similar skills in her internships in LWV and AAOP. On the other hand, PaNhia was the president of the Pan-Asian Organization (PAO which aims to promote awareness and empowerment in the AAPI community on-campus. Furthermore, she was also the co-chair of the Committee On Diversity Affairs (CODA) which aims to assist diversity organizations and the BIPOC community on-campus. After college, she hopes to work in a non-profit organization before going to either graduate or law school. Eventually, her dream goal is to run for office one day and be sworn into Congress. PaNhia is very excited to meet the rest of the CLA internship cohort and staff members, as well as explore LA with new friends!

PISITH KEO

Recent 4th Year, University of California, Berkeley

Pisith Keo is a rising senior at the University of California-Berkeley, studying Business Administration with an interest in developing integrating skills in marketing and finance. Being an international student from Cambodia, he was initially challenged by the cultural differences in both living conditions and learning environment in the US, but these later became the empowering tools that inspire him to grow and take pride in his identity.

Before transferring to UC Berkeley, Pisith started his journey at Cañada College in San Mateo County. There, he established the Cambodian Student Association which aims to promote a diverse learning environment and represent the voices of Cambodian students on campus. Pisith’s involvement with many college activities led him to be elected as a Senator in the Student Government where he got a chance to push the Multicultural Initiative to the administrators, which was then endorsed and approved by the college’s Vice President, in a mission to support students with culturally diverse backgrounds, one of which is the AAPI community.

Coming to UC Berkeley, Pisith continues his engagement in mentorship and student leadership by volunteering for the Envision Haas program which builds a supportive system for prospective transferring students who need assistance and guidance to enhance their UC application, especially for the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley.

This summer, Pisith is looking forward to broadening his knowledge of social engagement and empowerment through CAUSE within the CLA program as he hopes to work alongside great individuals with shared values of advocating for the voice of the AAPI community while learning more about the surrounding issues as well as exploring tactically effective solutions.

The Internship

Prior to 2020, this program was a full-time summer commitment and interns were placed in various offices in Los Angeles and expected to complete a group project. This year, interns will work on a joint project through CAUSE as part of their internship which will be part-time (approx. 18 hours a week.)

The 2021 CLA cohort focused on energy conservation through an APA community lens for Energy Upgrade Calfiornia. The interns produced a multi-platform, multi-media campaign raising awareness and exploring ways the APA community is involved in energy conservation efforts. As a part of this campaign, the interns virtually interviewed community elders, wrote blogs, and created collateral in the form of graphics and short-form videos. See more below.

COMMUNITY IMPACT PROJECT

Each intern cohort develops a civic-based project to empower the larger community. Students learn the importance of and develop greater experience with community organizing. Students gain professional experience in achieving their project goals with guidance from CAUSE staff. Project results are presented at the conclusion of the program. Students learn the importance of community organizing as well as the work that goes into it.

The 2021 CLA cohort focused on the 2022 Los Angeles Mayoral Race as well as issues critical to the APAs of Los Angeles. Through workshops, discussions, and research, the interns developed a communications plan with accompanying collateral to engage the Los Angeles community and future mayoral candidates on current issues affecting the APA community.

Our internship is highly selective and each intern is selected based on their demonstrated academic and personal excellence, demonstrated leadership capabilities, and a commitment to serving their community.

Andy Li

Rising Senior, University of California, Davis

Andy is a rising senior at UC Davis majoring in managerial economics and double minoring in accounting and technology management. Andy is interested in pursuing a career in venture capital, private equity, and entrepreneurship after graduation. He is passionate about supporting first-time founders from diverse backgrounds in helping them achieve their vision for their various business ventures. On campus, he is an Engagement Manager for Consult Your Community, a pro-bono consulting club that helps local small businesses survive business challenges with innovative and creative strategies. He is also the founder of Aggie Ventures, a student-led VC club that seeks to democratize access to venture capital for fellow students who are looking to pursue a career in the industry.

Andy has always been vocal about standing up for Asian American representation and visibility. He helped organize local rallies for the May 15th Unity Against Hate event calling for an end to anti-Asian violence in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. As an intern at Leadership Launchpad, sponsored by APAPA, Andy has had the opportunity to work with a team of undergraduate students to help raise awareness about challenges facing the Asian-American community.

Emily lam

Recent Graduate, Chapman University

Emily Lam is a recent graduate of Chapman University, double majoring in Political Science and Peace Studies. She is a first-generation college student and a San Francisco native. Her areas of interest include human rights, transformative justice, nonviolent social change, abolitionism, and decolonization.

At Chapman, Emily founded and served as the President of the Asian Pacific Political Alliance. As the President, she curated presentations and facilitated discussions surrounding AAPI history, issues and identity while working with other BIPOC student organizations to combat on-campus structural racism and political apathy.

Academically, Emily’s research has focused on international human rights law and international relations, especially in East Asia and the Middle East. Additionally, she has researched anti-Asian rhetoric during COVID-19 by American political leaders. Previously, she has participated in the Olive Tree Initiative and was an active member of Students for Justice in Palestine. Emily considers her academic work as an extension of her activism which is rooted in empathy.

Outside of academics and activism, Emily enjoys watching volleyball, reading, discovering new music, and learning about ongoing and past conflicts. She is a child of immigrants from Hong Kong and hopes to improve her reading and writing skills in Cantonese.

Emily is excited to participate in the 2020 CAUSE Leadership Academy. She hopes to deepen her understanding and knowledge of AAPI issues and to gain new tools for social change. Following the CAUSE Leadership Academy, she hopes to work with under-resourced students within her community and participate in community organizing.

fiona truong

Rising Junior, University of California, Irvine

Fiona Truong is an incoming Junior at the University of California, Irvine. At UCI, she majors in Criminology, Law, and Society and minors in Asian American Studies. Fiona is a first-generation college student from El Monte, California. She graduated from Arroyo High School in 2019.

Fiona’s interest in public speaking took off when she joined her high school’s Speech and Debate team. She rose to be one of the top competitors in the Southern California Debate League, qualifying to multiple state and national tournaments.

Fiona continued her passion for public speaking through the UCI Mock Trial team. UCI ranks as one of the best Mock Trial teams in the country. Fiona plays the role of a closing attorney which is tasked with one of the most difficult speeches. She has taken a step further in Mock Trial as a team captain leading junior members in familiarizing themselves to the tropes of competing as attorneys and witnesses. Her love for Mock Trial is one of the many reasons as to why she hopes to pursue a career as an attorney.

This past year, Fiona has been studying the Korean language. She intends to continue to learn the new language by studying abroad at Yonsei University next spring. In Korea, she also hopes to gain a deeper understanding about Korea’s legal systems and politics. Fiona wants to use this experience to expand her knowledge about various fields of law such as international law and criminal law.

Fiona is excited to begin the 2021 CAUSE Leadership Program to learn more about Asian American issues. Fiona seeks to apply her skill set to the CAUSE mission and take away a meaningful experience that will be used to advance her future as well as the impact she intends to make in her own community.

Jenn galinato

Rising Junior, Sacramento City Community College

Jenn Galinato is a junior at Sacramento City Community College, where she is triple majoring in business administration and management, communications and marketing, and pre-law while minoring in Asian-American studies and the performing arts.

Born in Sacramento to immigrants from the Philippines, her passion for pursuing law and politics was inspired by her mother, who encouraged her to take on a four-year civic academy and run for a position in student government when entering high school. By being a part of both during her time in high school, it sparked a lifelong interest in ensuring students were well-represented in the classroom, but also in the curriculum, while getting the chance to truly lead the way for change. With her high school experiences in mind as she proceeded further in her education, it cemented her choice in wishing to become a lawyer to represent those who have been historically underrepresented and underserved for their right to justice.

Currently, Jenn serves in a multitude of positions within her community. She is serving on both the local and statewide levels throughout the California community college system in different roles, where she has tirelessly- yet fearlessly- advocated on a multitude of matters, ranging from addressing basic needs to increasing financial aid for her fellow peers. Notably, she is best known for her work surrounding bettering mental health resources for students, continuing the implementation of diversity, equity, and inclusion on campus, and ethnic and gender studies. Outside of her involvement within her college campus and district, she works closely within the Filipinx community through Sinag-tala Filipino Theater and Performing Arts Association (SFTPAA) and Philippine National Day Association (PNDA), two non-proft Filipinx organizations that she joined years prior and credits both in helping her understand her community’s culture better. Through her involvement in both organizations, she has been able to serve as a board member for Sinag-tala and college counselor then mentor for PNDA’s programs.

This year, she was also given the opportunity to work on several campaigns during the most recent election season, having gotten the chance to serve in the capacity as a campaign manager on one while participating as a part of the statewide digital team for another. Following the conclusion of all of her races, she interned with the University of California, Davis, through the Carlos Bulosan Center for Filipinx Studies on the policy team. In her role with the policy team, she worked closely with Leadership, Education, Activism, and Dialogue (LEAD) Filipino and the Filipinx Igniting Engagement for Reimagining Collective Em(POWER)ment (FIERCE) Coalition to help with the annual policy symposium by identifying crucial legislative efforts that were later turned into lobbying efforts during LEAD’s annual Advocacy Day, where many Filipinx non-profit organizations throughout the state lobbied on key issues pertaining to the Filipinx community. In addition to lobby visits, the team helped with The Silicon Valley Workers Stories Project- an initiative overseen by the Santa Clara County Wage Theft Coalition- to retell the stories of harsh realities faced by immigrants during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and additional efforts to seek justice following the unjust murder of Angelo Quinto.

While she is incredibly honored and excited to be a part of the CAUSE Leadership Academy, she aspires to create change by continuing to keep fighting the good fight alongside the other members of this year’s cohort. She wishes that with her work done through CAUSE and beyond will motivate others to speak up then take action by taking the lead and doing so confidently with their heart. Jenn hopes that she can truly be a part of the change (that "something bigger out there" as she always says) for the benefit of all- today, tomorrow, and always- through proudly giving back in service to those who encouraged her to do so and inspiring the next generation of leaders through empowerment within the APIA community.

lena rhie

Rising Sophomore, Northwestern University

Lena Rhie is a rising sophomore at Northwestern University majoring in Asian American Studies and pursuing a Leadership certificate. Born and raised in Boston, MA, her interests focus on mental health awareness in the AAPI community and improving the experiences of AAPI youth in the education system.

Lena spent her freshman year at Wellesley College where she was on the executive board of Wellesley Asian Alliance, a student organization that promotes institutional change at Wellesley and seeks to advance justice for AAPIs in broader society. She represented the interests of the AAPI community as a College Government senator, working with the President’s cabinet on shaping school policy. Lena was also an active member in the Korean Student Association and the Taiwanese Cultural Organization.

Outside of school, Lena interned with the Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center and has worked with Kundiman, an NYC-based group that supports AAPI writers. This past spring, she served as one of the inaugural interns for the Pan Asian Wellness Initiative Network where she focused on initiatives to improve the experience of AAPI students in independent schools. Lena is excited to continue advocacy work through the CAUSE Leadership Academy this summer and is especially looking forward to working with the other cohort members.

Meiyi ye

Rising Sophomore, Antelope Valley College

Hey Everyone! My name is Meiyi Ye and I am a rising sophomore at Antelope Valley College. I immigrated from China in 2012 so I can speak Mandarin and Cantonese fluently. I had my ups and downs throughout my English learning journey but the adversities on the way have never discouraged me. In high school I was part of clubs and took leadership positions in a few of them. I was also part of a small group of only 25 students who did the International Baccalaureate program. The IB program required its students to take high college-level courses, perform many hours of community service, as well as demonstrate leadership inside and outside the school environment. Now in college, I am in the honors program and actually had the opportunity to start my own non-profit organization during this pandemic. The mission of the organization is to help the residents of Antelope Valley book their COVID-19 vaccine appointments locally. So far my organization AV Get Vaccinated has helped over 150 residents get vaccinated. The program also has formed a sub-division in Riverside in a recent collaboration with another college student from there. Our Riverside division has gotten just short of 50 residents vaccinated. I miss being part of a group that worked together towards a common goal that made our society a better place. I believe this internship with the CAUSE organization is a great opportunity where I can continue to fulfill this passion in life. Plus, being an Asian in America who has lived the immigrant experience, I feel that I will be able to provide comprehensive insight into many of the issues that the APA community faces, especially today. I am ready and excited for this opportunity to be able to work with and learn from CAUSE.

Patrick Fang

Rising Senior, University of Southern California

Patrick Fang is a rising senior at the University of Southern California double majoring in Law, History, Culture, and Psychology with a minor in English. He hails from San Jose, California, and is passionate about Asian American literature and understanding cultural identity in diasporic contexts, AAPI representation, as well as promoting broader awareness and destigmatization of AAPI mental health.

At USC, Patrick served as the Co-Executive Director for the Asian Pacific American Student Assembly, an extension of student government that serves the Asian Pacific Islander Desi American undergraduate population through programming, advocacy initiatives, and other projects. He is involved as a Research Assistant in the Race, Disparities, and Intervention Lab on campus, where he assists a graduate student with investigating cultural mechanisms behind Asian American mental health disparities. Building on his time in the lab, he has since launched his own Honors project exploring how forms of stigma differentially affect Asian-American health-seeking. Patrick also writes for the USC chapter of Dear Asian Youth, where he has helped produce posts spotlighting AAPI issues. Patrick has previously served as a volunteer in Advancing Justice LA’s weekly citizenship clinics and as student teacher to inmates through the Prison Education Project. He is eager to dive deeper into how nonprofits advance the AAPI interest through policy work and community action this summer.

In his free time, Patrick likes to cook, exercise, make smoothies, and read fantasy books. He spent much of quarantine making boba runs with his sister and taking pictures of his cats.

Sasha Hussain

Rising Sophomore, University of Southern California

Sasha is a rising sophomore studying biomedical engineering with a minor in Health Policy. Sasha’s interests like within the intersectionality of medicine and government.

This last school year, she was the Political Director of the Trojan Democrats at USC and helped with many initiatives that benefited minority communities like writing a Uyghur Resolution, creating an anti-oppression training for members, and debating in bipartisan debates.

She is also part of the organization Sunrise helping fight for a Green New Deal. She has attended many event with the organization across the country like a POC training in Durham and a youth march in DC.

Sasha hopes to bring her experiences and ideas. to this cohort and benefit AAPI communities in the CA area. She hopes to learn more from her peers and apply those skills to her future endeavors.

JOhn (SEan) lee

Rising Sophomore, George Washington University

My name is John (Sean) Lee, but I go by Sean and most people know me by Sean and call me by this name. I am a rising sophomore at the George Washington University (GWU) majoring in political science and journalism and a possible minor in business.

Currently at GWU, I have been involved with GWTV (student-run tv station) as the interviewer, political news anchor, and now the Director of Programs. What I do in GWTV is basically how other media outlets function, which includes political debates, interviews with peers and faculty, creating content based on current events, and sometimes town halls. Throughout being with GWTV for a year I have gained important values and tactics you have to know as being a journalist and what mainstream media is capable of. Through journalism is how I was also able to connect political science into my major since many of the political topics we discuss in GWTV coincided with politics. Therefore, this is how I was able to expand my knowledge in both studies since the two majors required similar work. In addition, I was also involved with Agape Mission (Christian organization) since I am a Christian myself and wanted to spread God’s word by helping others.

Before entering college, I was passionate about politics and the community I lived in. That is why I decided to get involved with state and federal elected officials in order to gain a deeper understanding. Furthermore, I interned with the California State Assemblymember Richard Bloom and with Rep. Jimmy Gomez. Throughout these experiences I was able to learn what the district went through and the central issues constituents were going through. Alongside working with govt leaders, I was also involved with CAUSE for the past 2 years by volunteering at their events and helping the office out during the summer with voting-related inquiries for the API community.

With someone who has a strong interest in politics for major change, I am looking forward to the 2021 CAUSE Leadership Academy and hope to learn practical skills that can be applicable for the future!

Sean Tan

Rising Senior, Williams College

Hello! My name is Sean Tan, and I am from Livingston, NJ. I am a rising senior at Williams College majoring in economics. At Williams, I am a member of the Men’s Swimming & Diving varsity team, as well as a videographer and editor for the school’s Sports Information Department. I am also on the Williams Records’ business board and a member of the Law Society.

Of the many amazing experiences I have had at Williams, the most impactful was the time I spent interning at the Center for Learning in Action. There, I was able to speak with many leaders in the non – profit sector in the Berkshire area and learned how strengthen my communities as well as develop leadership skills to inspire others to do the same.

I am really excited and humbled to be a part of the CLA program this summer. I am eager to gain a deeper understanding and awareness of the civic issues the APA community faces. I cannot wait to meet so many bright and passionate people and listen to their thoughts and opinions. This is truly a unique experience that only CAUSE can offer and I am thrilled to be a part of it.

Shanahan Europa

Recent Graduate, University of California, Los Angeles

Shanahan Europa is a recent graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles with a Bachelor of Arts in English and a minor in Classical Civilizations. Her current areas of interest are the destigmatization of mental health in Asian and Asian American communities and the intersectionality between AAPI and LGBTQ+ identities.

Shanahan is a proud writer and the entertainment section editor of FEM Newsmagazine, the longest-running feminist newsmagazine on a U.S. college campus. She helps create and develop pitches about the representation of BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and other marginalized identities in TV, film, and media. This past summer, she restarted the LGBTQ+ Ministry Cornerstone at UCLA’s University Catholic Center. As Cornerstone’s president, she has organized socials and workshops for queer Catholics to socialize, dialogue, and heal. Shanahan is also an Outreach and Education Committee Member for API Equality-LA, where she assists with increasing access to LGBTQ+ affirming and culturally responsive mental healthcare through their Transforming Community Care campaign.

In the future, Shanahan plans to pursue a Master’s and Ph.D. in Asian American Studies and eventually become an Asian American Studies professor. She hopes to empower the next generation of AAPI scholars and contribute to critical research regarding QTAAPI. She is very grateful to be a member of the 2021 CAUSE Leadership Academy and is excited to learn more about social justice advocacy and policy for AAPI civic issues.

Alongside her extracurricular involvements, Shanahan is a self-taught pianist of eleven years — her repertoire is mostly Broadway musicals and video game soundtracks. Her favorite genres to read are YA science fiction and fantasy and literary fiction. She loves to cook and is currently learning staple Filipino recipes from her mom and dad.

Suki Zhao

Rising Senior, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

Suki Zhao is a rising senior at the University of Michigan triple majoring in Ethnic Studies, Political Science, and International Studies. Prior to college, Suki has always been interested in pursuing a degree in Political Science and/or International Studies, but as she took several courses centered around different minority groups within the United States, particularly the AAPI community, she realized the importance, significance, and influence of cultures and backgrounds in shaping the United States. As a result, she pursued a degree in Ethnic Studies as well to give herself an even more interdisciplinary education.

At the university, Suki is involved in numerous extracurriculars to educate herself and to support others. She has been an Elected Representative on the LSA Student Government for two years because she wanted to speak up for those who’ve always felt silenced and ignored. She is also currently the Academic Affairs Committee Vice Chair.

Aside from the University of Michigan, Suki has interned with both Debbie Dingell and Human Rights First this past year. During her internship with Debbie Dingell, Suki gained first-hand experience in communicating effectively with adult constituents. She also contacted and assisted voters with the current voting regulations as there were many questions and concerns due to the pandemic. Suki began her internship with Human Rights First in January 2021 and supported the staff in their daily operations. She attended several weekly meetings, organized documents, and assisted with the management of their social media presence.

This summer, Suki is excited to further her knowledge of the AAPI community and learn how she can best support them through the CLA. She hopes to build upon her knowledge and gain the skills to become someone that can help others find their voice.

Our internship is highly selective and each intern is selected based on their demonstrated academic and personal excellence, demonstrated leadership capabilities, and a commitment to serving their community.

Hyeyoon (Alyssa) Choi 최혜윤

Rising Junior at the University of California, Los Angeles

Alyssa Choi is a rising junior at University of California, Los Angeles double majoring in Political Science and Communications. At UCLA, Alyssa reports for the City and Crime beat in the Daily Bruin and has written for Enterprise, Daily Bruin’s long-term investigative section.

Alyssa is an international student from Seoul, South Korea. Her passion for journalism began in high school, where she served as a News Editor for two years. Outside of school, she published her first piece featuring the parent of a famous long-term missing child on Korea Exposé, a South Korean news and culture magazine. Alyssa was also actively involved in community service, advocacy on civil rights, and social action. For a year, she engaged in close mentorship with two North Korean defectors from Nehemiah Korea Daum School, teaching them English and helping them adjust to life in South Korea. On multiple occasions, she spoke to thousands of forced diasporas as a speaker of the Korean diaspora mission conference. After the Sewol Ferry disaster, Alyssa called for social justice against government corruption by collecting signatures for a petition to assist afflicted families.

Currently, Alyssa is the Program Coordinator at Koreatown Youth and Community Center (KYCC), spearheading a community storytelling/journalism program that promotes intergenerational tolerance and fosters journalistic interest in high school students. In the past, Alyssa has worked at Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) Board of Education President Mónica García’s office as a Policy and Strategic Analysis intern, advocating for the passage of the Everyone Counts: Increasing Equity for All of Our AANHPI AMEMSA Students and Employees resolution, which disaggregated demographic data to reveal educational disparities among different ethnic groups.

In a world muddied by partisan polarization, Alyssa plans to continue her journey as a journalist to pursue truth above all else. From exposing hidden structural inequity to seeking social justice, Alyssa desires to be an advocate for disadvantaged groups. From her unique perspective as an international student interested in US constitutional law, Alyssa hopes that she can make positive, tangible changes in the communities that she serves. Alyssa is particularly excited to join the CAUSE Leadership Academy and learn more about the issues surrounding the APA community.

ASHLEY LIN

Rising Junior at the University of California, Los Angeles

Ashley Lin is a rising third year student studying Cognitive Science and Education at University of California, Los Angeles. Ashley’s first interest in culturally competent education was sparked by her work with indigenous based curriculum in Taiwan and the Philippines. After seeing students learn in an environment that accepted and celebrated their heritage, she hopes to channel that lens to bilingual education for immigrants.

At UCLA, Ashley enjoys exploring the intersectionality of psychology, education and language as they inform culture. She is a research assistant at BEAR Lab and uses new mobile EEG technology to measure student attention in the classroom setting. Her previous research projects include indigenous Taiwanese history, child self-regulation and emotional regulation, and neuronal mechanisms. Outside of the classroom, she tutors elementary/middle school students in Watts and is Seminar Director of Project Literacy, where she is responsible for organizing workshops that strengthen the tutoring community. Ashley also serves her UCLA community as a peer mental health coach under Resilience Peer Network, which is research-based modularized therapy that aims to increase student therapy accessibility.

Ashley is passionate about equitable education, educator development, and enriching communication across research, policy, and community. In the future, she hopes to pursue a career in educational policy where she can continue to serve immigrant, low-income, and/or minority groups.

This summer, Ashley is very excited to meet AAPI leaders and learn more about how cultural heritage impacts political space. Through CAUSE, she specifically hopes to learn how to empower current and future generations of the AAPI community.

LAUREN TANKEH

Rising Junior, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo

Lauren Tankeh is a Junior at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. She is majoring in Political Science with a concentration in Pre-Law and a minor in Women’s and Gender Studies. Lauren is originally from the Bay Area, and is a graduate of Saint Francis High School in Mountain View.

At Cal Poly she serves as the President of the Cal Poly Undergraduate Law Association and Recruitment Chair of the coed pre-law fraternity, Phi Alpha Delta. She is also a proud member of Pilipino Cultural Exchange. Lauren conducts research at the Cal Poly Political Science Department on how historical narratives are influencing racism against Asian Americans due to COVID-19, and how COVID-19 is shaping emerging patterns of racism against Asian Americans.

During the school year, Lauren interns at California Rural Legal Assistance (CRLA), a non-profit law firm that provides free legal services for low-income Californians. At CRLA, Lauren works directly with clients and conducts legal research and advocacy projects on behalf of the most exploited communities in California. Through her work at CRLA, Lauren has become passionate about housing justice and labor law.

Previously, Lauren has done research at Stanford University on the effectiveness of counterterrorism methods, worked on Ash Kalra’s campaign for State Assembly, completed the Girls Who Code Summer Immersion Program, promoted literacy initiatives while working at an independent bookstore, and managed the social media presence of several start-ups.

In the future, Lauren plans to attend law school and practice labor law. She is interested in the dynamic relationship between social movement activism and landmark legal decisions. Her ultimate goal is to use the legal system to effectively advocate for marginalized communities.

Lauren is excited to participate in the 2020 CAUSE Leadership Academy. She hopes to grow as a leader, a professional, and a civically engaged Asian American.

MATTHEW VU

Associate’s Degree Candidate at Los Angeles Trade-Technical College

Matthew Vu is a candidate for an Associate’s Degree in Community Planning and Economic Development at the Los Angeles Trade-Technical College. His current areas of interest are capacity building and leadership development, alternative land ownership models, and the democratization of the land use process. While some may get lost in these abstract ideas, Matthew considers himself a scholar-activist and thrives in the theoretical.

Being a scholar-activist means that it is Matthew’s job to link theory to praxis so that our thoughts can change our world. To do this, Matthew “translates” these complicated ideas into easily-understood terms for others so that we may act intentionally together. In the past eight years, Matthew has helped translate the significance and power of civic engagement to disenfranchised Black and brown communities through voter registration, outreach, and mobilization. In his previous capacity as Campaign Coordinator at Power California, Matthew built and led outreach teams in support of Yes on 10 (2018) to repeal Costa-Hawkins and Yes on Measure EE (2019) a parcel tax to help meet the UTLA strike demands. Through these campaigns, Matthew learned how critical it is in every organization and movement to build leadership in others. That is why he is so excited to be part of the CAUSE Leadership Academy 2020.

Matthew Vu is the first born, queer son of Vietnamese refugees. In his free time, Matthew likes to cook, discover new music, and explore the city. He is a new plant papa and recently picked up bicycling on the streets of Los Angeles which may or may not be an extreme sport. Originally hailing from the San Francisco Bay Area, he now has the privilege to call South Central home where he has lived for the past 5 years

MELODY SATELE

Rising Junior at the University of California, Los Angeles

Melody Satele is an incoming Junior at the University of California Los Angeles, double majoring in Geography/Environmental Studies and Sociology. She is a first-generation college student born of Samoan descent, and was raised in San Bernardino, California. Melody attended Cajon High School in her hometown, where her achievements earned her the title of Valedictorian and International Baccalaureate Diploma Recipient.

Melody’s passions meet at an intersection between her identity as an indigenous student, and her awareness of Asian-Pacific American issues. While at UCLA, Melody worked for two years with the Pacific Islander Education and Retention (PIER) outreach project as the Academic Success Coordinator, and the Peer Advisor. Melody made herself a resource for Pacific Islander students at local high schools twice a week, providing tutoring, facilitating workshops, and hosting events at UCLA and in the greater LA area. She also coordinated I.M.U.A., a youth conference intended to address the lack of educational opportunities and culturally relevant resources available for Pacific Islander students.

In the future, Melody plans on pursuing a career in Environmental Law so she can ensure that diverse voices are included in environmental policy at the federal level. Melody has high hopes for policies that are inclusive of indigenous knowledge, and recognize the impact of climate change on island nations. Melody is inspired by and involved in environmental activism through movements such as Protect Mauna Kea. By bringing visibility to Pacific Islander issues, Melody will be advocating for stronger structural support and relevant resources to be funded to underserved communities.

Melody is incredibly excited to be a member of the 2020 CAUSE Cohort. She hopes to expand her knowledge of Asian-Pacific American issues, and how we can use policy to institute change. She looks forward to learning from community members, and being able to share her own ideas with everyone in such a unique space.  

SANDI KHINE

Rising Freshman at Stanford University

Sandi Khine (she/her) is a graduating senior from Arcadia High School and will be matriculating to Stanford University in Fall 2021, after a gap year. During this gap year, she plans to study Korean in Seoul through the State Department’s program National Security Language Initiative for Youth. At Stanford, she looks to double major in Urban Studies and Asian American Studies, as well as exploring East Asian Studies, Anthropology, History, and Sociology.

At Arcadia High, Sandi was involved in media and civic organizations. She served as Editor-in-Chief of The Apache Pow Wow, Student Managing Editor of the Arcadia Unified Digital Communications Internship Program, National Extemporaneous Captain of Speech and Debate Team, and Publicity Commissioner of student government. After interning for the Office of Congresswoman Judy Chu, Sandi was inspired to increase civic engagement among her peers, and organized and executed a voter pre-registration drive for her school community in November 2018 and 2019.

In addition to her extracurricular involvements, Sandi has participated in traditional Burmese dance for many years. She appreciates that traditional Burmese dance has given her a chance to embrace her cultural roots, connect with a thriving Burmese-American community, and find a creative outlet through dance.

In the future, Sandi hopes to continue exploring the intersections between media, information, technology, and public policy and seeks to bring political awareness to historically underrepresented Southeast Asian communities, especially Burmese American communities. Sandi is excited to participate in the CAUSE Leadership Academy this summer and looks forward to meeting new people and developing critical skills as she begins to navigate college.

Our internship is highly selective and each intern is selected based on their demonstrated academic and personal excellence, demonstrated leadership capabilities, and a commitment to serving their community.

Amber Chong

Intern at the Office of Assemblymember Ed Chau
Rising Sophomore at Scripps College

Amber Chong is currently undeclared and exploring her interests in Politics & Public Policy, Sociology, Psychology, and Media Studies. Amber attended Arcadia High School, where she served as Editor-in-Chief of The Apache Pow Wow, Publicity Commissioner for Gender Equity Movement, and Vice President of Peer Tutoring. She is very passionate about equity for people of all intersecting identities and hopes that by provoking thoughtful and constructive discourse, she can make the world a better place.

At Scripps she has maintained her interest in journalism by joining The Student Life newspaper: first as Copy Chief, editing articles that facilitate discussion within the Claremont Colleges, and currently as a TV columnist. Her work primarily focuses on critical media literacy, analyzing how television can transform perspectives on diversity, consent, masculinity, femininity, and more.

She also works part-time as a barista for the Motley Coffeehouse, a non-profit, student-run business that prides itself on social responsibility. As an active member of the team, Amber has participated in workplace inclusivity training and learned how to best perpetuate sustainable, ethical supply chains.

In the future, Amber hopes to combine her love of media (and its rapidly changing connection to local and global communities) with her wish to serve those underrepresented in government. She is curious to discover how infographics and captioned videos can be used to cross language barriers, even the dispersal of information, and make politics accessible to everyone.

Amber looks forward to interning at CAUSE Leadership Academy. She is very excited to learn about immigration policy, education reform, voter engagement, and other issues affecting the San Gabriel Valley. Most of all, she is grateful to share a space alongside future and current AAPI leaders, knowing inspiration will follow.

Angela Wang 王安琪

Intern at IW Group
Rising Senior at the University of Southern California

Angela Wang is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in International Relations and the Global Economy, with a minor in Web Technologies and Applications, and a master’s degree in Law Studies. She is a Presidential Scholar and Dean’s List member at USC. Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, she also lived for five years in Beijing, China and is fluent in Mandarin Chinese.

At school, Angela is a research associate in the USC Security and Political Economy Lab and participates in multiple research projects, such as analyzing online identity constructions for Facebook and compiling data on international diasporas. She is also the Managing Editor of US-China Today, a student-driven publication featuring topics on Sino-American trends, relations, and culture. Outside of her academic involvements, she is also a member of Chaotic 3, USC’s only competitive hip-hop dance team.

For the past semester, Angela has worked as a business development intern for Uma, a start-up company that aids women in transitioning back into the workforce after taking family-related career breaks. She helped increase the company’s social media presence and establish Uma’s branch in Los Angeles. The previous summer, Angela also interned in governmental communications in Taipei, Taiwan as a USC Global Fellow, where she gained valuable exposure to politics and public affairs in Eastern cultures.

In the future, Angela hopes to work in global education policy and communications. As someone who believes education is the most influential factor that can change a person’s life, she wants to increase opportunities and access to schooling across multiple levels. She is also passionate about and hopes to contribute to Asian American representation in media through her career endeavors.

Angela is incredibly excited to be participating in the CAUSE Leadership Academy this summer, and looks forward to gaining hands-on knowledge and experience about important issues facing the APA community.

Brandon Tabata

Intern at Transparent Arts
Incoming Freshman at the University of California, Riverside

Brandon Tabata is an incoming freshman at University of California, Riverside and a graduate of Troy High School in Fullerton, California. He will be majoring in Mechanical Engineering at the Bourns College of Engineering.

Brandon is the first of his siblings to attend college and has been honored academic, community, and musical awards including Principal Honor Roll, OC Spirit of Volunteerism, and the John Sousa Philip Award.

In addition to being a full-time student, Brandon currently serves as the Youth Advisor for Youth Leadership America, YLA, mentoring the youth board directors on professional development and the process of running leadership programs for high school students across Southern California. He previously served as one of the executive board directors and an associate of the YLA Program.

Outside of his work, Brandon enjoys passing time performing on the Trombone in music groups both in and out of school. He is most involved in Troy’s music program having founded the Troy Trombone Ensemble and served as the Trombone and Baritone Section Leader. 

In the future, Brandon plans on using his education in engineering to help innovate and invent solutions for worldwide issues. In addition, Brandon aspires to provide and inspire the youth in his own leadership program focused on community service.

Brandon is looking forward to the next nine weeks at the CAUSE Leadership Academy. He is most excited to meet his cohort and learn how his colleagues are tackling Asian Pacific American issues in their own communities.

Lena Nguyen

Intern at Southern California Gas Company
Rising Junior at the University of California, Los Angeles

Lena Nguyen is studying at the University of California, Los Angeles as a double major in Communications and Political Science. Lena is a first- generation student born in Saigon, Vietnam, and raised in Redlands, California.

In high school, she was the Captain of the Speech and Debate and Mock Trial programs. Through her passion for debate and world politics, she joined the Model United Nations team at UCLA, which is highly ranked on the national circuit. Lena was the Under-Secretary General for BruinMUN, UCLA’s annual high school conference with over a thousand students competing from all over the world.

At UCLA, Lena is also an Opinion Columnist for the Daily Bruin and a News Contributor for Campus Politics coverage. Lena is the Director of Networking Night for the Undergraduate Communications Association, where she plans career development panels and workshops for students in the department. She works as a Media Assistant for the Anderson School of Business in addition to being an intern for UCLA Federal Relations. Lena has also interned with the Gavin Newsom for Governor campaign in the past. Through learning about government at the local, state, and national level, she is interested in the dynamic between public policy and media. She plans on attending law school after her undergraduate degree to pursue Constitutional or media law.  Lena hopes to work towards further safeguarding our democracy through the protection of civil rights, liberties, and free speech in the United States.

Lena is thrilled to participate in the CAUSE Leadership Academy and is looking forward to learning about representation and political engagement in the Asian American community.

Maamaloa Finau

Intern at Los Angeles Walks
Rising Junior at Pierce College

Maamaloa Loumaile Finau is a junior at Pierce College and plans on majoring in Political Science. She is a first-generation college student. Her parents came from a small island in the South Pacific called Tonga. Maamaloa graduated with Honors from Monroe High school in the Law and Government Magnet Program. However, before high school, she struck interest in law from seeing her older sister compete in Mock trial and Speech and Debate. Once it was Maamaloa’s turn to enter high school, she joined both as well. Being in the Law and Government program gave her the basic information of law and how the government works, but being in Mock trial allowed her to put the information into practice and gave the opportunity to do a simulation of what actually happens in a real court of law for civil and criminal cases.  

At Pierce College, she participated as the Chairman of the Young Democrats Club and the Club Representative of the Communications Club. Along with being a student, she has volunteered with CAUSE in several events and continues to go back to her former high school to help coach students in both the Mock trial and Speech and Debate team. Maamaloa sees the importance of being active in local government and plans to continue to do so no matter what career change that may occur in her future.

Maamaloa is excited to join CAUSE for their internship this year. As a member of the Asian Pacific American (APA) community, but never growing up around many with the exception of her family, she is happy to be a part of a cohort that recognizes her. In being a part in this program she hopes to be an example for others, especially the Pacific Islander community, and learn how to reach out to those that do not believe that their voice matters or has any effect.         

Matthew Lee

Intern at the Office of Congresswoman Judy Chu
Rising Senior at the University of Southern California

Matthew is a rising senior at the University of Southern California with plans to get a B.A. in Communication at Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism, and a minor in Communication Design at Roski School of Art and Design. He also is a progressive degree student getting a Masters of Studies in Law at Gould School of Law. Matthew began his passion for service in high school as an active member in student government and as a Boy Scout where he eventually became an Eagle Scout.

At USC, Matthew acts as the Director of Media for Trojan Shelter – a nonprofit organization with a mission to house housing insecure college students – and as the Director of Media and Communication for Trojan Advocates for Political Progress. In both roles he is in charge of its social media, newsletters, blogs, graphics, videos, and any other media projects. Matthew is experienced in social and political graphic design. He intersects his knowledge of social issues with skills such as typography and hierarchy to create powerful messages.

Matthew has oriented his education around communicating complex social issues. As a communication scholar, he studies issues such as racism, sexism, homophobia, and whiteness in order to create effective multi-media messages to his target audience. He has written for publications like Inheritance Media and Annenberg Media – South Los Angeles.

His goals as a communicator and content creator in his roles and his education is to challenge his audiences to think critically, especially with topics, such as: criminal justice, homelessness, hate speech, and the wealth gap.

His dreams are to run the campaign for the first Asian American female US president, make a documentary about our current welfare system, and eventually move to DC where he is interested in doing communications for progressive think tanks.

He loves watching TV and movies and is always looking for social commentary when watching. In his free time, he practices design and calligraphy and loves cooking with friends.

Matthew is looking forward to his summer with CAUSE. It excites him to not only have experience in an internship, but to develop leadership skills and connections that will help catalyze social change within his community.

Maya Wong 楊小頌

Intern at East West Players
Rising Sophomore at the University of California, Merced

Born in Guilin, Guangxi, PRC, Maya Wong is a rising sophomore at the University of California, Merced currently majoring in Human Biology with a Natural Science Education Minor with Teaching Credentials (NSEC). She is the proud daughter of a single-mother, Chinese-American woman who has worked over four jobs simultaneously in her past simply to make ends meet. In the Fall of 2018, Maya founded the Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association (APAMSA) chapter at UCM; she hopes that within her term, she will be able to unify the Asian communities at UCM as well as support the Merced community through healthcare education events and advocacy efforts. In addition, she aims to initiate or establish an Asian Cultural Center within her college career.

Soon after starting her organization, Maya became very involved within her campus: as a Law Clerk for UCM’s Law Clinic as well as UC Relations and Marketing Committee member, Interclub Council (ICC) Delegate for ASUCM (Associated Student of UCM), ASUCM Campus Activity Board VIP, etc., she has participated in the many aspects of her university. Additionally, she is an intern for the Primary Care Institute at UCM, collecting information on local clinics and provider value props.

Outside of UCM, Maya is a proud member of the California Immigration Youth Justice Alliance (CIYJA) Central Valley Coalition; moreover, she is a committee member for APAMSA’s Annual Hepatitis B/C Conference, and is a part of the advocacy team for APAMSA’s Public Health Branch. Furthermore, she serves as an editor for Overachiever Magazine -- a digital magazine that highlights the Asian community and break down the stereotypes formed around us. Additionally, the Campus Leader for the University of California Advocacy Network, and aims to redefine what it means to be an advocate during her term.

Maya has been selected to be a part of UCDC Fall 2019 Program, which is a select group of UC and other University students who are given the opportunity to intern in Washington, D.C. to an institution of their choice while completing units and living at the UCDC Center. She also plans on studying abroad at Hong Kong University from January to May, focusing on learning more about Eastern Medicine. She is looking forward to helping tackle the healthcare issues and emphasizing the importance of activism from the APIA community.

In the future, she hopes to stay socially engaged within the political system while being either a family physician or chiropractor, educating her community on Eastern Medicine and the healthcare system. She hopes that throughout her lifetime, she will continue to see Chinatown as a place of safe haven for the Chinese community and the beginning of their American Dream.

Nina Long

Intern at EV Connect
Rising Junior at the University of California, Los Angeles

Nina Long is a member of the Class of 2021 at the University of California, Los Angeles. She is a major in Public Affairs in the Luskin School of Public Affairs and a minor in Asian American Studies. She is born and raised in Tustin, California, located in the heart of Orange County.

 At UCLA, Nina currently serves as the Internship Director of the Undergraduate Student Association Council’s Office of the External Vice President.

Previously, she served as a Fellow and Legislative Advocate in the Office of the External Vice President. In student government, Nina has gained experience in local, state, and federal organizing and advocacy for student interests.

Nina is a proud Vietnamese American and serves as an Outreach Coordinator for UCLA’s annual Southeast Asian Admit Weekend. As part of an community facing deep educational, health, and income disparities, she hopes to empower Southeast Asians and provide support and retention resources for incoming students. 

Outside of UCLA, Nina is a Planning and Field Intern for Los Angeles City Council District 11, representing the Westside. In this role, she has gained insight into the processes of city planning and the workings of local government. Nina has previously interned for Planned Parenthood Los Angeles in Outreach and Sex Education capacities.

Following graduation from UCLA, Nina hopes to earn a dual master’s degree in Public Health and Urban Planning. She is passionate about the intersections of environmental justice, housing, transportation, and health in marginalized communities and seeks to engage with these issues in a public service role in the future.

Nina is thrilled to be a part of the CAUSE Leadership Academy in Summer 2019. As a Southern California native, she is looking forward to innovating progressive policy solutions to the unique challenges we face in Los Angeles.

Olivia Dulai

Intern at the Office of Senator Ben Allen
Rising Sophomore at the University of California, Berkeley

Olivia Dulai is a rising sophomore at the University of California, Berkeley who intends to major in Political Science with a minor in Conservation and Resource Studies. She has been awarded the National Charity League Yellow Rosebud Award as well as the gold and bronze President’s Volunteer Service Award. Olivia attended Chadwick School where she got her start in activism and organizing as the founder of Creative Corner, a non-profit that aims to bridge the gap in arts education for youth who need it most.

At Berkeley, Olivia is currently working to expand her own skills and empower her community through on-campus organizations. Olivia is involved with UCB OWN IT, a club dedicated to bridging the gap between millennial women and the leaders they admire, and is currently organizing a summit on women’s empowerment for Berkeley students. She is also currently serving in the office of ASUC Senator Zach Carter, whose platforms including SVSH education and resources as well as advocating for students with disabilities. In addition to her work with Senator Carter, Olivia is working on campaigning for Senate candidate Rocky Gerosa. Olivia has previously worked in the YWCA Advocacy Internship where she garnered necessary skills for grassroots organizing and lobbying.

In the future, Olivia hopes to attend law school in the hope of pursuing a career in law or public service. Her passions for social justice and equity, the arts, and environmental justice will certainly influence the career path she chooses.

Olivia is thrilled to be joining the CAUSE Leadership Academy, and she is looking to work firsthand to enact change regarding the issues that affect the Asian American community.

Shekinah Deocares

Intern at Pilipino Workers Center (PWC)
Graduating Senior of California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo

Shekinah Deocares recently graduated from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo in March 2019 with a B.A. in Political Science, a concentration in Business Politics and Law, and a minor in Ethics, Public Policy, Science and Technology. Her studies at Cal Poly have developed and affirmed her interest in the intersection between law, technology, education, and social justice.

During her time at Cal Poly, Shekinah established herself as a leader in the pre-law community on campus. Shekinah is a founding member of the pre-law fraternity, Phi Alpha Delta, at Cal Poly and served as the marketing and philanthropy chair for two years. During her third year, she joined Cal Poly’s Mock Trial team with no prior experience and within one year became the captain of their most competitive team, A-Team, and a member of the executive board. Off campus, Shekinah pursued her interest in law by interning at Van Nuys Superior Court’s free legal aid clinic. There she was able to serve her local community by guiding self-represented litigants through legal processes concerning family law and evictions.

Shekinah has also been able to pursue her interest in education and technology while at Cal Poly. She has taken part of several marketing projects including creating the campaign website for Cal Poly’s current ASI President. She has also had the opportunity to mentor low-income and first-generation students that are new to Cal Poly to help them navigate their academic and personal life in college. This experience has been especially meaningful to Shekinah as a first-generation college student herself. Shekinah’s passion for education and increased opportunity for students from diverse backgrounds prompted her to work with elementary and middle school students in San Luis Obispo county after school to encourage the pursuit of their own interests and make futures in STEM more accessible.

Now that she has graduated, Shekinah is exploring her different areas of interest before attending law school in fall of 2020. She is motivated by her goal to use the law to better equip her community with resources to empower themselves and to better understand and solve societal issues. Shekinah is excited to be a part of the CAUSE Leadership Academy and see how this experience can help her in achieving her goal and supporting the Asian American community in her own city. 

Shumin He

Intern at the Office of State Treasurer Fiona Ma
Graduating Senior of Haverford College

ShuMin He is a recent graduate of Haverford College majoring in Anthropology. She is a first-generation college student who received the QuestBridge National College Match scholarship to attend college. Shu was born and raised in Fujian, China and immigrated to the United States at the age of 13. Her three younger siblings live with her parents in Queens, NY.

Shu’s academic interest centers around the marginalization of underrepresented communities, especially immigrants and low-income communities. Her senior thesis was inspired by the Chinese railroad workers who worked on the transcontinental railroad, that she felt did not get fair visibility in the United States’ history. Her thesis examines the spatial formation of the Tacoma Chinese Reconciliation Park by comparing it with other reconciliation parks and draws conclusions about the place of Chinese laborers in the United States’ history.

Her interest in the representation of the APA community started in high school when she was a mentee at the Apex for Youth’s mentoring program. Realizing the lack of space for APA students at Haverford’s campus, Shu joined a group of students in advocating for a space during freshman year in college. After successfully petitioning for the Pan Asian Resource Center at Haverford College, Shu was the co-president for the center for one year and as a senior, Shu served as a senior advisor.

Since last summer, Shu has been interning as a refugee resettlement intern at HIAS Pennsylvania, which provides legal, resettlement and supportive services to immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers at free or low cost. Shu enjoys helping refugees access resources and getting them culturally oriented in the U.S. In the future she plans on advocating for policies that aim to uplift underserved communities.

Shu looks forward to learning about policies that affect the APA community and getting to know CAUSE interns and staff who are passionate about the political representation of the community.

Thanh Mai

Intern at the Office of Congressmember Grace Napolitano
Incoming Freshman at the University of California, Los Angeles

Thanh Mai will be studying at the University of California, Los Angeles as a Psychology major. Thanh has spent the majority of her high school years involved with the Student Advocates for Voter Empowerment Club on campus. She previously served as Treasurer, and currently serves as Vice President, determined to teach students how to register to vote and educate them on current political issues.

Her endeavors to be civically engaged continued outside of school as well. Thanh was on the Executive Board of the Arsalyn Youth Forums for all four years of her high school life. With a mission to promote youth civic engagement, Thanh joined this non-profit organization in hopes to be more educated and involved, serving as a Delegate, Secretary, Deputy Governor, and climbing to her current position as the Executive Board Governor.

In addition to these activities, Thanh has been involved in Key Club International, a non-profit organization for high school students to participate in community service. Thanh has volunteered her time to support awareness walks and work with soup kitchens or wheelchair washes. She is also a dedicated singer in both her church and school choir. As a part of the advanced Rosemead Chamber Choir, she spends hours after school to rehearse both choral and pop music.

Thanh’s future plans include studying psychology and legal studies to continue her passion for promoting civic engagement in our society. She is eager to participate in the CAUSE Leadership Academy, hoping to meet new people and develop skills she can use as she begins college and enters a new chapter of her life. 

Yanqing Lei 雷艳卿

Intern at CAUSE
Incoming Freshman at Wellesley College 

Yanqing Lei will be studying at Wellesley College in the fall and intends to major in Political Science and Gender Studies. She is a first-generation college student.

Yanqing and her family came to the United States 5 years ago when she was 12 for better opportunities, yet it has been a struggle for her and her family. In order to support her family financially, Yanqing found a part-time job selling souvenirs and clothes to tourists in her neighborhood. At her part-time job, her employer looked down on her because of her limited English skills, but Yanqing did not let these obstacles strike her down, and was determined to find a better job after she has a good education.

Yanqing has witnessed and experienced new immigrants working insecure jobs and being underpaid. Her experiences drove her to study Public Policy and Political Science in college. She believed college will equip her with the power and knowledge needed to protect immigrants’ rights. She hopes to create laws and policies that protect immigrants’ working rights so that no immigrants will be paid under-waged and not have insurance.

Last summer, Yanqing worked as a summer intern at Munger Tolles and Olson. She met with lawyers who are changing people’s lives and she wants to be part of them. She believes becoming a lawyer will allow her to have a voice for the underrepresented people, like her mom.

Yanqing is extremely excited to be interning at the CAUSE Leadership Academy. She is looking forward to meeting with leaders, policymakers, and students who have the will of making a world a better place. She wants to learn how to create laws and policies to fight for better opportunities for underrepresented people.

27 Classes of Interns

Join a network of 27 years of intern classes. Graduates of this program have gone on to run for political office and become leaders in politics, business, and nonprofits.

Full-Time 9-week Internship

Each intern commits to and receives a full-time internship experience (minimum 40 hours per week) from June 15, 2020 – August 14, 2020. Additional hours to work on a group project will also be required.

Stipend

Each intern receives a $3,000 stipend upon satisfactory completion of the program to serve as reimbursement for expenses accrued throughout the program’s duration. Limited additional support is made available on a case-by-case basis.

Internship Experience

Participants are placed in an office in one of three tracks of internship placements in the public, private, or non-profit sectors to work with community and civic leaders of Southern California. Students gain firsthand working experience and learn more about the political and civic process. CLA participants work closely with professionals in their office to build strong community relations, and they may be given other responsibilities and projects that help shape current day policies.

Civic Leadership Workshops

Interns will participate in civic leadership workshops to develop a greater understanding of the APA community’s historical experience and insight into current political issues. The civic leadership workshops also help students develop key professional and leadership skills needed for future community leadership. Workshops are hosted at local organizations so that students can better connect with the community. Speakers include elected officials, political consultants and lobbyists, and corporate and non-profit leaders.

Civic engagement Project

Each intern cohort develops a civic based project to empower the larger community. Students learn the importance of and develop greater experience with community organizing. Students gain professional experience in achieving their project goals with guidance from CAUSE staff. Project results are presented to the CAUSE Board of Directors, community members, media, and the general public. Students learn the importance of community organizing as well as the work that goes into it.

Annual Capitol Summit

Students participate in an annual summit at the California State Capitol in Sacramento. During this two-day overnight trip, students meet with top legislators, staffers, and lobbyists within the CAUSE network to better understand the political process and their role in it.

• Explore how the public, private, and nonprofit sectors connect through civic leadership

• Develop the skills and mindsets to be effective in political advocacy and organizing

• Deepen their understanding of specific issues that impact the APA community

• Consider how their personal experiences and identity fit within an APA historical context

• Develop professional skills and leadership experience they can leverage in my long-term career

• Connect to a large and thriving professional network

Event

Application Opens

Application Closes

Decisions Announced

Orientation Week

Kickoff

Annual Capitol Summit

Graduation

Date

Monday, October 28, 2019

Sunday, January 12, 2020, 11:59PM PST

Early March

Monday, June 15, 2020 – Thursday, June 18, 2020

Friday, June 19, 2020

TBD

Friday, August 14, 2020