Announcing the LEAP Emerge Class of 2020!
Formerly known as Leadership In Action, LEAP Emerge: Summer Internship Program is an eight-week paid summer internship program designed to develop emerging young leaders by providing college students with practical leadership skills and the opportunity to work hands-on in the Asian and Pacific Islander community in Southern California. COVID-19 has made 2020's program entirely virtual, but LEAP is still committed to providing 11 participants this year with a paid internship opportunity and 80 hours of leadership development training!
We are excited to officially announce the interns of the LEAP Emerge Class of 2020:
Crisdel Aguila
California State University, Los Angeles
Talofa/ kamusta, my name is Crisdel Aguila (she/hers). I attend CSULA as a Women's Studies major and Asian American studies minor. Being born and raised in American Samoa has constantly motivated me to work towards a world where the youth from Pacific islands can have the tools and resources they need to pursue higher education or careers abroad. Our youth is our future, and my greatest dream is that kids from these communities will be able to inhabit these Western spaces and know that they deserve more than they were ever given.
Jason Bautista
University of California, Los Angeles
Jason Puno Bautista (he/they) is an organizer for Anakbayan Los Angeles, a Filipino youth and student organization that advocates for human rights in the Philippines. Since finding leadership in the student organizing spaces at UCLA, Jason found his passion in community organizing and social advocacy works. After graduating in 2019, he continued to immerse himself in the grassroots efforts in the wider community and explored the various ways of uplifting the Filipino and AAPI community in Los Angeles. To remain actively-engaged in the pro-people and social justice movements is an important concept that Jason abides by within his ambition to refine himself as a community organizer.
Lily Brossus
University of California, Berkeley
Hello! My name is Lily Brossus (she/hers) and I am from Long Beach, CA. I am a third year student at UC Berkeley where I study Social Welfare and Legal Studies with a minor in Education. On campus I am involved in community organizing efforts with the Pacific Islander Initiative, work as a resident assistant for campus housing, and enjoy dancing in a student led dance organization. I'm passionate about issues of social justice especially in the AAPI community and am excited to learn and grow as a LEAP Emerge 2020 Intern.
Cameron Butler
Palomar College
My name is Cameron Butler (she/hers), I'm a nursing major at Cal State University San Marcos. I was born and raised in American Samoa. I am grateful and excited to be a part of this year's LEAP Emerge Program.
Richelle Caday
University of Southern California
Richelle Caday (she/hers) is a rising senior at the University of Southern California, double majoring in Psychology as well as in Non Governmental Organizations and Social Change while minoring in Organizational Leadership and Management. Her professional interests are rooted in promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion for marginalized populations, specifically in education and the nonprofit sector. Passionate about community organizing and AAPI advocacy, Richelle is heavily involved in various Pilipinx and Asian American organizations both on and off campus. As an LA local, she also enjoys going to the beach, exploring new places, and delving into the city's diverse food scene.
Hannah Chua
University of California, Santa Barbara (Transferring)
My name is Hannah Chua (she/hers) and I use she/her pronouns. I am an incoming third year, majoring in World Arts and Cultures and Pilipino Studies at UCLA. My passion lies within arts activism and grassroots community organizing. I hope to take the opportunities and resources that are available to me and use it to better serve my community. In my free time, I like to watch film analysis videos and listen to music!
Emily Gao
Pitzer College
Emdash AKA Emily Lu Gao (she/hers) is the neurodivergent daughter of Chinese immigrants from San Diego, California. She previously attended Occidental College and is now set to graduate from Pitzer College in December 2020. As an avid word lover, she writes in many mediums including but not limited to: journalism, creative nonfiction, page & spoken word poetry. Most recently she was a featured performer under her moniker "Emdash" at Sunday Jump, an open mic in LA's Historic Filipinotown. With everything she tries, she hopes to bring positivity & healing into our world through a restorative justice lens. When she isn't busy hiding the fact she was born in Missouri, you can find her reading bell hooks and raving about her therapist Jessica Ko.
Hauson Le
California State University, Fullerton
Hauson (he/his) graduated from California State University, Fullerton with a degree in Business Administration, concentrating in Business Analytics. The drive to make a positive impact led him to passions in leadership development and strategic foresight. He hopes to one day empower education and nonprofit organizations to create their preferred futures. Hauson finds joy in learning from others, cooking new dishes, and exploring ideas.
An Thien Nguyen
University of California, Irvine
An Thien Nguyen (she/hers) is an honors graduate in Political Science from the University of California, Irvine. Throughout her undergraduate career, An has advised undergraduates on scholarship opportunities, mentored incoming first-generation college students, taught over 100 high school students about globalization and international affairs, and conducted 2 research projects. In her spare time, An enjoys painting and listening to motivational or murder podcasts.
Karina Tran
University of San Francisco
My name is Karina Tran (she/hers) and I am a rising third-year Communication Studies major at the University of San Francisco. I grew up in South Bay LA, where my exposure to diversity was an absolute privilege, in more ways than one. As a queer woman of color from a single-parent household, my passion in life is striving for the advancement of human connection and understanding, across any and all barriers. I express this passion mostly through the medium of content creation--I have my own business as a portrait photographer! I am so eager to continue to learn from all of my peers-to-be and mentors at LEAP, and hope that while circumstances are not necessarily ideal, that we may still find a way to feel connected.
Julia Yun
Tufts University
Jules Yun (they/them/theirs) is a 2019 graduate of Tufts University with a BA in American Studies and a minor in Asian American Studies. Their work and understanding of the world stems from their identities, experiences, and a grounding in counter dominant narrative histories. For the past three years, they have organized with the Asian American Resource Workshop in Boston and are excited to continue honing their leadership skills through LEAP.
Previous cohorts shared the following testimonials with LEAP at the end of the program:
“The skills you learn on how to develop yourself as a leader and even personal ambitions will go a long way towards your future goals.”
“The entire program is so worthwhile- I am so so glad that I went through this program to see what nonprofit work is like before entering the workforce.”
“I appreciated many things about this program. I love how close we all became by the end.”
