Asian Student Organization (ASO)
Columbia College Chicago
2019-2023
As someone who was interested in being part of a community with people who had similar experiences, I joined ASO as a general member and met the executive board of the organization at the time. After a few meetings, they noticed my passion and contribution to the group and invited me to be part of the board. However, that’s when the pandemic hit. Even when I wasn’t able to fully experience ASO in-person, I still was committed to making the organization a safe space virtually for our members as a Creative Director. Once we came back in person for 2022, I worked my way up to be Vice President and soon, President from 2022-2023. My work consisted of creating weekly workshops and programming for students from light programming of movie nights and game hangouts to serious discussions and cultural outings. Some programs involved collaborating and outreach with other student cultural identity groups. Moreover, I led meetings and delegated tasks with my board. Every year, we would prepare for two big events: our Murder Mystery event and A-Squared (A^2).
Our more lighthearted Murder Mystery event happened at the end of October in part of Columbia’s Halloween celebration, Wicked Week. It was an interactive improv experience for students to solve as me and my board would play characters based on the theme. We would coordinate days to figure out costuming, photoshoots, logistics, and props. It was such a fun and spooky time having our peers try and figure out who the suspect is!
A^2 was our annual student art showcase, allowing students of all creative backgrounds to submit and display their art. We would have a range of artists from musicians, painters, poets, filmmakers, and fashion designers! With a different theme each year, we would also invite a different special guest to come and speak or perform. As I experienced more showcases, the better I was at learning how to plan ahead and making this event better. I was especially proud of my last A^2 in 2023, where we had such an amazing turnout and best of all — food! Not only that, but I organized our first multicultural fashion show with other cultural student organizations: Latino Alliance, Muslim Student Association, and Black Student Union. Collaborating on rehearsals, creating the script for people’s pieces, and connecting with others was beautiful as we learned about each other’s cultures.
During my time, we won Organization of the Year for Columbia’s Excellence in Leadership Awards (ELAs) three times in a row from 2021-2023, including my Leader of the Year (2021) and Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion Award (2023). Dedicated to my hard work in ASO, I’m proud that I was able to rebuild the foundation post-pandemic and created a legacy that I can look back at.
