Asian Pacific American Resource Center Community Gathering Event

Term:

Spring 2015

Description:

The Asian Pacific American Resource Center (APARC) and Asian American Studies (ASAM) Community Gathering event took place on April 15, 2015 in the Garden Café at Cal State Fullerton. The event brought together students, faculty, and staff to network, build relationships and celebrate the Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month. It was the first time the gathering was held.

Learning Outcomes:

SWiBAT collaborate with the Asian Pacific American Resource Center and Asian American Studies department.

SWiBAT gain new networks from interacting with attendees.

SWiBAT improve public speaking skills by being a Master of Ceremony for the event.

Assessment Rubric:

	Advanced	Competent		Basic	Poor
SLO #1 Collaboration	Helped plan the event, went to all of the meetings, and cultivated a sense of teamwork		Helped plan the event and went to some of the meetings	Helped plan the event	Did not help plan the event
SLO #2 Networking	Introduced themselves to attendees, exchanged contact information, and discussed plans for more collaboration		Introduced themselves to attendees and exchanged contact information	Introduced themselves to attendees	Did not make the effort to introduce themselves
SLO #3 Public Speaking	Prepared for the presentation, confident in their presentation, and enjoyed themselves		Prepared for the event and somewhat confident in their role	Somewhat prepared for the event	Did not prepare for the event

Evidence:

I was approached by Kayla Dean, the Graduate Assistant of Asian Pacific American Resource Center (APARC), who asked if I would like to collaborate with her for this event. I’ve collaborated with her in the past presenting on undocumented Asian American Pacific Islander students. It was a great opportunity to collaborate again. She included me in some of the planning. I helped her pick the food, looked at the venue to organize placement of tables and logistics. I went to some of the meetings but not all of them, but I was also kept in the loop through email communications with the contact person for Asian American Studies, Dr. Jen Yee. I would give myself a “Competent” on collaboration. I really helped anyway I can as co-MC of the event. Before the event started I helped Kayla set up and worked with the facilities coordinator to make the space ready. We took turns welcoming and introducing people. We really had fun facilitating the ice breaker to get students to speak to faculty and staff. It really was a huge success. 

When we had breaks in between, I made sure to speak to the guests and speak to community members. I was able to introduce myself to Jacqueline Wu from the Orange County Asian Pacific Islander Community Alliance (OCAPICA). After exchanging contact information, we talked about possible future collaboration. One of the things we discussed was organizing the AAPI community to vote for 2016. I talked to her about collaborating to increase awareness of the needs of undocumented AAPI immigrants. I also introduced myself to faculty from ASAM and talked about the work that the Titan Dreamers Resource Center has been doing in incorporating the AAPI experience in our programs. This was important in building relationships with ASAM faculty and making our Center and services known. It really was a great opportunity for us to get to know each other. I would give myself “Advanced” in networking. 

I really enjoyed being a co-MC for the Community Gathering. I felt relaxed speaking to the audience with a mic and facilitating the ice breaker. I even made a few jokes to lighten the mood and get people to talk to each other. I saw that Kayla and I were very effective in getting the students to speak to faculty and staff, which encouraged us even more. I think the fact that it was a relaxed setting probably helped me feel at ease and comfortable. I would rate myself “Advanced” for public speaking. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and it was evident that the attendees did too. 

Here are some pictures from the event:

Reflection: 

From this event I learned that I am capable of being a good public speaker. I think the trick is getting myself in a comfortable place and being confident in what I know and contribute. I learned that sometimes putting yourself out there brings opportunities to do great things. Because I introduced myself to Jacqueline Wu, I given the opportunity to testify in front of the CA Commission on Asian Pacific Islander American Affairs and advocate for undocumented AAPI students. I can feel that I am much more comfortable in the program and confident in my skills and knowledge as well. I have changed from last semester. Pushing myself to take on opportunities like this has helped me come out of my shell even more. I am actually excited about collaborating and the possibilities of coming up with richer programs that will better serve all our students.