Transcript
2013 Intern Profiles Jonathan Chen Tanya Edmilao Chee “Danny” Kwan Katrina Lei Lauren Richardson Mengyuan “Christine" Sun Jimmy Tran Edward Truong Kim Yamasaki
Generously sponsored by: Mr. Peter Woo Mr. Nelson Tan
Jonathan Chen 陈予喆 Office of California State Senator Lou Correa University of California, San Diego Incoming Freshman
Jonathan is a rising freshman at the University of California, San Diego, where he will be studying political science with a focus on public law. Jonathan was born in Eastern China, where he grew up and attended elementary school. At the age of 12, he immigrated to Los Angeles. School was not easy—at least not in the beginning. Due to his inability to communicate in English, Jonathan often struggled with his classes at school and learning the English language. However, as soon as he was able to communicate fluently in English, he took a step further to improve his public speaking and diplomacy skills by joining his school’s Model United Nations team. Embarrassment and initial predicament only hardened his will to continue the program. Jonathan improved his public speaking skills through MUN and became aware of the problems of contemporary-world poverty, discrimination, education, and many others. Jonathan has also developed special interests in international affairs, law, as well as pan-Asian American affairs through MUN. For Jonathan, fluent English not only meant academic opportunities, it also represented an enriched and exciting life. In school, Jonathan joined Key Club and the California Scholarship Federation to seek a more active role in the community when it comes to “giving back to society.” Furthermore, he took part in ANTIDOTE events where he wrote letters to world leaders advocating for democracy and human rights. Outside of school, Jonathan has had two years of volunteering/internship experience at Blind Star of America/California Education Center; he considers this his first work experience outside of school. As an Eagle Scout, Jonathan consistently worked to improve his leadership skills in the belief of giving service to the world. Growing up Jonathan witnessed many social injustices in China as the result of a centralized political system. That experience became the root that motivated him to pursue law and social justice. Jonathan is working towards a degree in law as well as a career that will help enhance the wellbeing of community. Last but not least, Jonathan believes that introspective learning and working habits must be balanced with an extrovert life style. He loves outdoor activities such as backpacking and mountaineering, and if given the opportunity, he would skydive as well!
Page 2 of 10
Tanya Edmilao University of Southern California Office of California State Assemblymember Jimmy Gomez Rising Senior
Tanya Edmilao is a compassionate junior at the University of Southern California, where she is studying History with a concentration in colonialism. Tanya was born in Bellflower, California and has lived throughout Southern California. Living with her single mother and two younger siblings, Tanya is no stranger to maintaining a balance between school, work and family. Her role model is her youngest brother, Joseph Glass, who has great strength and optimism despite his disabilities and recent kidney transplant. The support from her family has motivated Tanya to fight for her aspirations. At Norwalk High, her academic interests led her to criticize the political framework that allowed a lack of accountability, which resulted in the subprime mortgage loan crisis. Tanya’s curiosity of power structures was ignited when she witnessed her friends losing their homes, giving her insight into the relationship of industrial lobbying. Through this experience she presented a research project that argued for a national ban on industrial lobbying, and won the award for Best Senior Research Project. During her first years at Cerritos College, Tanya discovered a love for history. As a sophomore, Tanya joined the People’s History Association, where she thrived as a Secretary. Along with her officer responsibilities, Tanya was provided with the opportunity to present her Scholars’ Honors project on “Women in Sikhism.” The research involved diving into the intersectionality of gender, religion and nationalism, which inspired Tanya to further her studies of the East. At USC, Tanya has continued her studies in History and gained an understanding of cultural identity with programs coordinated by the Asian Pacific American Student Services (APASS). After participating in CIRCLE, which was a leadership development program that discusses issues of race, class, leadership and education; Tanya was asked to coordinate a new program called APASS Downloads. As coordinator, Tanya developed the curriculum and facilitated a discussion on CIRCLE topics centering around Asian American issues. Currently, Tanya is in suspenseful excitement for the immeasurable opportunities that await her participation in CAUSE Leadership Academy.
Page 3 of 10
Chee “Danny” Kwan 关志恒 Office of U.S. Congressmember Grace Napolitano University of California, Irvine Rising Junior
Chee was born in Malaysia and immigrated to the United States when he was three years old. Although he and his mother came to the United States with nothing but four hundred dollars and the clothes on their backs, they were able to eventually gain American citizenship. As a high school student, Chee actively participated in his high school’s speech and debate team. During his four years on the team, he won over two dozen awards, including two league championships and placements at the state and national level. At the end of his senior year, the head coach presented him with the Top Eagle award for inspirational leadership and devotion to the team. Following his high school graduation, Chee enlisted into the United States Marine Corps as an infantryman. During his four years of active service, he deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan in support of the Global War on Terrorism. While serving in Afghanistan, Chee was awarded a Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal with Combat Distinguishing Device for his valor in combat. Being a combat veteran, Chee has witnessed the tragic realities of war. Although he has been able to overcome the post-traumatic stress that often accompanies the return home from war, many of his friends have not. In the four years since he has left the military, Chee has lost six friends to suicide. In honor of their memory, Chee recently completed his Associates Degree in behavioral sciences at Pasadena City College and will attend the University of California, Irvine, this fall to complete his Bachelor Degree in Sociology.
Page 4 of 10
Katrina Lei 雷達麗 Office of U.S. Congressmember Ed Royce University of California, Los Angeles Rising Senior
Katrina is a rising senior at the University of California Los Angeles, where she is studying International Development and Public Policy. Katrina was born in Dallas, Texas but moved to Southern California when she was three years old and has been residing in the city of Rancho Cucamonga ever since. She was born into a Christian family who placed heavy emphasis on serving the community through the local church. Katrina has had the opportunity to reach out to the community by participating in multiple mission trips to China, Mexico, and the greater Los Angeles area. These experiences opened her eyes to the community outside of her own immediate suburban home. Katrina graduated from Los Osos High School in 2010 with honors. At Los Osos High School, she was part of the National Honor Society, Key Club, and Lowercase People. All of these clubs emphasized the importance of community service and civil leadership. Through these many clubs she sharpened her leadership skills by planning and attending volunteer events that bettered the community. She also attended Pomona Valley Chinese School on the weekends to stay connected to her Asian heritage. At UCLA, Katrina still remains active in the community. She is a part of Asian American Christian Fellowship at the Los Angeles campus and has taken on various leadership roles. She is also a member of a non-profit, IRS-sponsored organization called VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance). This organization serves to provide income tax return assistance and education to those in need. Through volunteering with VITA, Katrina has seen the value of the government in an individual’s life and the importance of assisting low-income individuals in proper civic engagement. Other on-campus organizations Katrina is involved in are Ascend Pan-Asian Leaders and Rotaract. Katrina previously interned with, Gensun Casual Living, which does large-scale international business. It was here that her passion for international policy as well as civic public policy solidified. In addition, Katrina conducted legal research and drafted policy memorandums as an intern. She is currently employed at Charles E. Young Research Library as a student assistant and continues to assist students and academics with their research. She is eager to learn through CAUSE Leadership Academy the in’s and out’s of civic engagement and public service. Lastly, this summer Katrina is excited to step into a new environment and meet different highly influential government officials from all across California through the CAUSE organization.
Page 5 of 10
Lauren Richardson Office of California State Senator Ted Lieu University of Southern California Rising Junior
Lauren is a rising junior at the University of Southern California where she is studying Political Science and International Relations, Global Business. Lauren was born in Los Angeles, California and grew up in the Baldwin Hills neighborhood. She graduated from Windward School in 2011and was on the Service Honor Society having earned over one hundred hours of community service. She was also the Vice President of the Tri-M Music Honor Society and captain of the girls’ volleyball team. Lauren has maintained a strong commitment to community service and extra-curricular campus involvement at the University of Southern California (USC). During her first semester at USC, Lauren joined the Black Student Assembly and was quickly elected to a leadership position on the executive board. Lauren began as the Director of Public Relations but will take on even more responsibility within the organization in the fall. With two years under her belt, Lauren has taken classes that have helped shape her interest in raising local and global humanitarian concerns. It was in the fall of her sophomore year that she realized her passion for contributing to the improvement of the world around her. Lauren began to understand that the things that unite people—such as the importance of having clean water, access to education, a basic level of security, and a voice in their community—is far greater than anything that separates them. She believed that power is increased when people come together to reach international goals. During the spring of her sophomore year Lauren landed an internship with the League of Women Voters of Los Angeles. Through this internship, Lauren got a chance to attend events on the League’s behalf and actually witnessed their endeavors to educate others. On Thursday April 11, 2013 The League of Women Voters of Los Angeles held the “Running and Winning Forum” at the Tom Bradley Room and Observation in LA City Hall. The Forum provides high school students in Los Angeles the opportunity to converse with elected officials in their communities. She strongly believes that if people are able to better understand what they value and why they value it, they might be more inclined to take the necessary steps to create real progress. This is why, Lauren says she is so passionate about learning and providing service to others. Lauren plans to study abroad in either Europe or South America to further explore her desire to come up with solutions to challenges that many nations face today. By working in government or with NGO’s, Lauren believes that she will be able to positively change her own life and the lives of others.
Page 6 of 10
Mengyuan “Christine” Sun 孫萌遠 Office of California State Assemblymember Ed Chau University of Pennsylvania Incoming Freshman
Christine was born in a small town in China and moved to the United States when she was five years old. Since then, she has lived and grown up in a picturesque suburb known as Arcadia. This past June, Christine graduated from Arcadia High School, and she will be attending the University of Pennsylvania in the fall. Christine’s desire to enact change lies in her dedication and commitment to service. Since freshman year, she has been involved in the Methodist Hospital volunteer program as well as the Red Cross Club at school. As a Volunteer Leader, Christine interviewed and trained hundreds of candidates and helped design a new volunteer recruitment process. Over the last three years, she dedicated more than 400 hours of service to the hospital. At school, she was an active member of the Red Cross Club, and as Treasurer, spearheaded a fundraiser that raised $2,000 for the 2011 Japan disaster relief effort. In addition, being involved in student government sparked her interest in politics and government and she hopes to pursue similar roles in college. In her spare time, Christine enjoys learning new languages and traveling abroad. Besides studying Spanish in high school, she also speaks Chinese and is currently teaching herself Korean. Last summer, she interned at the Radio Beijing Corporation to improve her Chinese language skills and was also selected to attend a scholarship program in South Korea as part of the U.S.-Korea Youth Network. Before she graduates from college, it is her goal to fluently speak at least five languages. At the University of Pennsylvania, Christine plans to double major in Economics and International Relations and eventually pursue a career in diplomatic affairs. She hopes that her internship at CAUSE will give her greater insight into the APA political world as well as social change and public policy.
Page 7 of 10
Jimmy Tran Office of California State Assemblymember Ed Hernandez Pasadena City College Incoming Freshman
Jimmy is a rising freshman at Pasadena City College. He is working towards transferring to Claremont McKenna College as an Economics and Psychology double-major within the next two years. Jimmy was born in the small town of Monterey Park in the San Gabriel Valley of Southern California. Jimmy is a first generation Asian American born to a Chinese father and a Vietnamese mother, who both immigrated to the United States from Vietnam in the 1980s. As the middle child of his family, he was motivated to succeed like his brother, a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley. Jimmy attended Mark Keppel High School in the city of Alhambra and graduated in 2013. As Vice President of Mark Keppel’s Key Club chapter, he helped raise money for the Eliminate Project, an initiative spearheaded by Kiwanis International and UNICEF in support of the effort to vaccinate women and children in the world at risk for Material/Neonatal Tetanus (MNT). By his senior year, Jimmy continued to serve Key Club for his division as the Kiwanis Family Chair to facilitate communications and bonding between different members of the Kiwanis Family. Outside of Mark Keppel High School, Jimmy participates in the Arsalyn Youth Forums, an organization in the San Gabriel Valley that works to promote youth empowerment and voting engagement in local, state, and national issues. Through his participation in the Arsalyn Youth Forums for the past 4 years, Jimmy was introduced to a wide range of civil topics such as media bias and gun violence from professors, politicians, and journalists from different political backgrounds. Outside of his work in school and the community, Jimmy enjoys activities such dancing and playing the guitar. In his free time, he reads newspapers to stay updated on the most recent events and topics of the nation and the world.
Page 8 of 10
Edward Truong 張彥盛 Office of U.S. Congressmember Adam Schiff San Jose State University Rising Senior
Edward Truong is a junior at San Jose State University, majoring in History. Edward was born in Monterey Park, CA and grew up in Alhambra, CA, where his family’s struggles and experiences in the Los Angeles area shaped his life and interests. Born from a Vietnam War refugee father and a Chinese immigrant mother, Edward considers himself a product of Southern California’s rich and diverse culture. Edward’s passion for History is fueled by his passion for learning about diverse cultures, societies and people. Edward graduated from Alhambra High School in 2011. While in high school, he solidified his interest in history by taking AP classes in social science courses. In addition to school work, he participated in community service projects and services as part of the YMCA club, including Rebuilding Together, an organization specializing in rehabilitating housing for low income families. After high school, Edward selected San Jose State University to continue his education, where he is enrolled in the Humanities Honors Program. The Humanities Honors program is an interdisciplinary, globally inclusive, and collaborative four-semester program in the humanities. Edward has thrived under the program’s concentration on developing student’s speaking, writing and critical analysis abilities. Edward plans to obtain a Masters in Public Administration following graduation and gaining work experience. Currently, Edward is an intern for Assemblymember Paul Fong in Campbell, CA. At Assemblymember Fong’s office, Edward’s responsibilities include: constituent correspondence, creating certificates, participating in stakeholder meetings and attending events. Responding to constituent inquiries is his favorite part of interning with Assemblymember Fong because it involves communicating with the community, solving problems, and building relationships. This summer, Edward will be interning with Congressman Adam Schiff through CAUSE. He hopes to learn more about government, Asian Pacific Islander issues and public policy through this new opportunity. Outside from work and school, Edward has many hobbies, including experiencing new foods, attending cultural festivals, playing basketball, hiking and weightlifting.
Page 9 of 10
Kim Yamasaki 山崎 Office of U.S. Congressmember Judy Chu University of California, Los Angeles Rising Junior
Kim is a rising junior at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where she is studying Political Science with a concentration on International Relations and minoring in Korean. She hopes to eventually work for the State Department or the United Nations and would like to focus on East Asian relations, but is keeping her options open. Kim was born and raised in the heart of Los Angeles. She is a fourth-generation Chinese and Japanese American. Growing up with a bicultural background, her childhood was filled with Saturdays at Japanese school followed by basketball games at the Alpine Recreation Center in Chinatown. In high school Kim found her true passion for public service and civic engagement. While attending the Los Angeles Center for Enriched Studies, a public magnet school in West Los Angeles, she played a large role in her school’s Leadership program. Through organizing and facilitating school events and programs, she discovered the power of one’s voice and the capabilities of student activism. During her first year, she was a part of the publicity committee and honed the artistic skills needed to create banners and flyers. The following year, she was appointed to lead this committee as Committee Chairperson and the year after that she was elected Student Body President. After assuming this role, she worked tirelessly to bridge the gap between the student body and the leadership class—often leaving school late at night only to return early the next morning. Implementing new programs, she had the desire to bring about positive changes to her school environment. In high school, Kim was also in golf, cheerleading, National Honors Society, and Chinese Club among several other organizations. At UCLA, Kim’s work at the Asian American Studies Center cultivated an interest for the APA community. As an assistant for the center’s library and reading room, she not only shelved and processed books, she also worked with databases and archival collections. While curating archival collections, she was able to hold documents regarding WWII redress for Japanese Americans in her own hands. Seeing the process that Japanese American activists went through to achieve their aims, she became greatly inspired to take action herself. Last summer, Kim was awarded the Stanley Kwok Lau and Dora Wong Lau Endowed Undergraduate Research Scholarship. Her research project was focused on indexing articles depicting Chinese in mainstream Los Angeles based newspapers between 1850-1900. Her work for this project is still currently in process but should be available for all to use as a study tool in the future. This growing interest for APA affairs led her to apply for CAUSE’s program. She is very excited about the opportunity she has been given to work in Congresswoman Judy Chu’s office.
Page 10 of 10