LEAP Emerge Alumni
LEAP Emerge 2024 Alumni
Alyssa Farol
Whittier College
Placement: Thai Community Development Center
Anh Lien
University of Minnesota
Placement: Little Tokyo Service Center - Youth Services
Bernadette Avila
New York University
Placement: Asian Girls Ignite
Corina Mong
University of San Francisco
Placement: Diversity in Health Training Institute
Diya Murthy
Arizona State University- Barrett Honors College
Placement: Asian American Journalists Association
Sophie Yun
McGill University
Placement: Pacific Islander Ethnic Art Museum
Isabella Ly
The George Washington University
Placement: AAPI Domestic Violence Research Project
Zoren Cahigas
University of California - Riverside
Placement: Chinatown Service Center
Jaiden Villanueva
California State University Dominguez Hills
Placement: KOHO
Natalie Osako
Wellesley College
Placement: Little Tokyo Service Center - Community Development
Megan Nguyen
New York University
Placement: Think!Chinatown
Ryan Paredes
University of Texas at Arlington
Placement: API Forward Movement
Kadence Relente
University of South Florida
Placement: Colorado Asian Culture & Education Network
Nikita Pantow
University of Virginia
Placement: Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies
2023 Community Impact Project
Letters to Our People - A Short Film
The LEAP Emerge 2024 cohort created a short film, entitled “Letter to Our People” recording the oral history of their communities. In their own words, “We, the LEAP interns, hope to cultivate a space of joy through an event that centers storytelling and anti-imperialist histories. In this event, we want to move away from imperialist-centered narratives while being active listeners and participatory readers for our fellow community members.”
LEAP Emerge 2023 Alumni
Left to Right, Top to Bottom: Jessica Ponce, Gordon Shi, Albert Chang-Yoo, Zeeman Shuai, Ryan Factora, Xiangqian Yu, Malia ‘Otuhiva, Eleanor Lee, Aanji Sin, Alexis Crisostomo, Hannah Son, Syeda Tabassum, Zabrina Richards, Lynna Vo, Anna Tan (Emerge Retreat Guest, Mid-Atlantic Union of Vietnamese Student Associations), Lance Gabriel Atienza, Akemi Mechtel (Assistant Director of Leadership Development), Phillip Huynh (Program Coordinator), Jordan Peyton (Emerge Retreat Guest, Midwest Chinese American Student Association).
Malia 'Otuhiva
University of California, Los Angeles
Placement: Pacific Island Ethnic Art Museum
Lance Gabriel Atienza
California State Polytechnic University Pomona
Placement: FilAm ARTS
Albert Chang-Yoo
University of Puget Sound
Placement: Colorado Asian Culture and Education Network
Alexis Crisostomo
University of California, Santa Barbara
Placement: Asian Girls Ignite
Ryan Factora
University of California, Los Angeles
Placement: Little Tokyo Service Center (Homelessness Prevention Unit)
Eleanor Lee
Amherst College
Placement: Asian Pacific Islander Domestic Violence Resource Project
Jessica Ponce
University of Montana
Placement: All My Usos
Zabrina Richards
Clark University
Placement: Chinatown Service Center
Gordon Shi
University of Virginia
Placement: AAJA
Zeeman Shuai
Tulane University
Placement: Asian Pacific Community Fund
Aanji Sin
Scripps College
Placement: Little Tokyo Service Center (Youth Programs)
Hannah Son
Brown University
Placement: APAICS
Syeda Tabassum
CUNY Brooklyn College
Placement: LEAP
Lynna Vo
University of Connecticut
Placement: Thai Community Development Center
Xiangqian Yu
University of California, Irvine
Placement: Orange County Asian Pacific Islander Community Alliance
2023 Community Impact Project
LEAP Emergence Magazine
The LEAP Emerge 2023 cohort introduces you to our Zine. The Zine
contains multimedia mediums such as writing, photography, film, and art
to demonstrate the multi-faceted and far-reaching impact of Asian
Americans and Pacific Islanders. The cohort hopes to unearth Asian
Americans’ and Pacific Islanders’ roots and understand their nuances to
provide a holistic view of the diverse diaspora, challenging the notion of a
monolithic group. Through this Zine, we hope to amplify noteworthy
Asian American and Pacific Islander individuals and their
accomplishments through different storytelling mediums. Additionally,
we hope this serves as a place of knowledge for our cohort members
whose interests led to the highlighting of the importance of disaggregating
data within AANHPI, Bengali Language Movement, Tanaka Farms,
histories of Denver, Colorado, and San Francisco’s Chinatowns, and
Cross-Racial Solidarity Timeline to name a few examples from the Zine.
Left to Right, Top to Bottom: Henry Zhou (Emerge Retreat Week Guest, Midwest Chinese American Student Assocation), Victor Xie, Chee Meng Xiong (Emerge Retreat Week Guest, Midwest Asian American Student Union) Minjee Park, Mica Nimkarn, Callie Wen, Cat Vi Tran, Anh-Vy Phan, Amy Tran, Liaa Fernandez, and Juliet Chang. (Not Pictured: Melia Beccard)
LEAP Emerge 2022 Alumni
Anh-Vy Phan
University of California, Berkeley
Placement: LEAP
Amy Tran
University of California, Santa Barbara
Placement: Asian American Documentary Network
Cat Vi Tran
University of California, Berkeley
Placement: Alliance of Rhode Island Southeast Asians for Education
Callie Wen
University of Maryland, College Park
Placement: LEAP
Victor Xie
University of California, Los Angeles
Placement: Little Tokyo Service Center
Melia Beccard
Arizona State University
Placement: Youth Mentoring Connection
Juliet Chang
University of Wisconsin- Madison
Placement: Youth Mentoring Connection
Liaa Fernandez
The George Washington University
Placement: Thai Community Development Center
Mica Nimkarn
Amherst College
Placement: LEAP
Minjee Park
University of Southern California
Placement: LEAP
Left to Right, Top to Bottom: Jasmine Mao, Eledy Vargas (Senior Program Coordinator), Deborah Pereja, Marina Aina, Casey Cheng, Yi-Shen Loo
LEAP Emerge 2021 Alumni aka “The LEAP Five”
Marina Aina
Pomona College
Placement: LEAP (Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics)
Casey Cheng
University of Pennsylvania
Placement: Asians for Miracle Marrow Matches
Yi-Shen Loo
University of California, Berkeley
Placement: Asian American Journalists Association
Jasmine Mao
University of Virginia
Placement: API Equality - Los Angeles
Deborah Pereja
California State University, Los Angeles
Placement: Asian American Youth Leadership Empowerment and Development
2021 Community Impact Project
LEAP Five Wellness-Being Workbook
Your contribution of $5 per book will help to support the LEAP Emerge: Summer Internship Program.
The LEAP Emerge Cohort of 2021 presents the LEAP Five Well-Being Workbook for Asians and Pacific Islanders (APIs). This interactive workbook was created in an effort to foster mental, emotional, social, and spiritual healing within our API community. Spanning five sections–including a playlist and sections on love, family, radical self-care, and more–this workbook is intended to be a safe space for folks to share stories and honor lived experiences.
Left to Right, Top to Bottom: Stephanie Lowe (Retreat Week Trainer), Eledy Vargas (Program Coordinator), Nancy Yap (Retreat Week Facilitator), Wendy Cheung (Program Facilitator), Karina Tran, Travis Wells (Development and Communications Associate), Jason Bautista, Jules Yun, Richelle Caday, Lilia Brossus, Hauson Le, Cameron Butler, Hannah Chua, Crisdel Aguila, An Thien Nguyen, Emily Gao
Crisdel Aguila
California State University, Los Angeles
Jason Bautista
University of California, Los Angeles
Lilia Brossus
University of California, Berkeley
Cameron Butler
Palomar College
Richelle Caday
University of Southern California
LEAP Emerge 2020 Alumni
Hannah Dominica Chua
University of California, Santa Barbara
Emily Gao
Pitzer College
Hauson Le
California State University, Fullerton
An Thien Nguyen
University of California, Irvine
Karina Tran
University of San Francisco
Jules Yun
Tufts University
2020 Community Impact Project
Virtual Oral History Project
The 2020 LEAP Emerge Interns conducted a virtual oral history project to highlight the key benefits and outcomes of the LEAP Impact Program: for Nonprofit Staff, formally known as the Emerging Leaders Program (ELP). Interns reported that after the completion of the program, alumni were able to combat issues within their own communities, tackle racial tensions, and address gender and intersectionality within their communities.
Left to Right: Brendan Kim, Catherine Pereda, Gia Dacayanan, Kristie Lam, Kelepi Ahoia, Francis Ray Rettinger, H’Abigail Mlo
LEAP Emerge 2019 Alumni
Brendan Kim
Occidental College
Placement: East West Players
Catherine Pereda
University of California, Los Angeles
Placement: Thai Community Development Center
Gia Dacayanan
Williamette University
Placement: API Equality - Los Angeles
Kristie Lam
Ohio State University
Placement: CAUSE - Center for Asian Americans United for Self-Empowerment
Kelepi Ahoia
Cal Poly Pomona
Placement: EPIC - Empowering Pacific Islander Communities
Francis Raymond Rettinger
University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
Placement: LEAP (Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics)
H’Abigail Mlo
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Placement: Little Tokyo Service Center
2019 Community Impact Project
“We Are Here” photo gallery
The 2019 LEAP Emerge interns hosted a photo gallery titled “We Are Here” to unravel the generational stories of three prominent LA-based historically Asian-American ethnic enclaves through oral history. Their goal was to bridge this narrative gap by holding space for those living in the ethnic enclaves of Filipino Town, Thai Town, and Little Tokyo to share their stories and the personal impact of gentrification.
The interns interviewed up to three people per enclave (Little Tokyo, Historic Filipinotown, and Thai Town). Their stories and portraits were shared in the form of an art gallery in Little Tokyo.
Left to Right: Joon Sung Choe, Chee Cia Her, Grace Lee, Alyssa Gonzaga, Samantha Kim, Brian Kohaya
LEAP Emerge 2018 Alumni
Joon Sung Choe
Northwestern University
Placement: LEAP
Blog: leapinginliltokyo.wordpress.com
Alyssa Gonzaga
University of California, Berkeley
Placement: Faith and Community Empowerment
Blog: morenavibe.wordpress.com
Chee Cia Her
University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire
Placement: Asian Pacific Community Fund
Blog: medium.com/@cheeciaher/
Samantha Kim
Loyola Marymount University
Placement: Korean American Family Services
Blog: medium.com/@samantha.kim1220/
Brian Kohaya
University of California, Los Angeles
Placement: Asian Business Association of Los Angeles, Inc
Blog: medium.com/@BKohaya
Grace Lee
Pasadena City College
Placement: API Equality - LA
Blog: medium.com/@graceleeap
Theresa Tran
University of Massachusetts, Boston
Placement: South Asian Network
Blog: medium.com/@t.tran11395
2018 Community Impact Project
“Home: Home and Homelessness in Los Angeles” photo gallery
The 2018 LEAP Emerge interns hosted a photo gallery titled “Home: Home and Homelessness in Los Angeles” to highlight the themes of identity and belonging in the Asian and Pacific Islander community. Interns also researched data on the housing crisis and homelessness in Los Angeles to connect the photo gallery to larger current issues in the city of Los Angeles. The 2018 interns received over 29 photo submissions from across the country. At a photo gallery hosted at Asian Americans Advancing Justice - LA, interns showcased the photo submissions and presented their data on the housing crisis in Los Angeles.
Left to Right: Josh Jiang, Sue Abdurahman, Angela Yip, Lena Pham, Alison Choi, Kevin Hang, Isa Sasi
LEAP Emerge 2017 Alumni
Susana (Sue) Abdurahman
University of California, Santa Barbara
Placement: Asian Pacific Islander Forward Movement
Alison Choi
Pomona College
Placement: East West Players
Kevin Hang
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
Placement: LEAP
Joshua Jiang
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Placement: Visual Communications
Lena Pham
Hendrix College
Placement: Thai Community Development Center
Louisa (Isa) Sasi
Santa Ana College
Placement: Little Tokyo Service Center
Angela Yip
University of California, Los Angeles
Placement: Empowering Pacific Islander Communities
Top Left to Right: Angie Tran, Ryan Huynh, Tony Tang, Danny YangBottom
Left to Right: Aian Hurtado-Doppenberg, Sharayne “Ray-Ray” Tuala, Dee Pha
Ryan Huynh
University of California, Berkeley
Placement: Empowering Pacific Islander Communities
Aian Hurtado-Doppenberg
University of California, Riverside
Placement: API Equality – Los Angeles
Blog: ayan-aian.tumblr.com
Dee Pha
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
Placement: LEAP
Blog: dailydoseofvitamindee.tumblr.com
Tony Tang
California State University, Los Angeles
Placement: East San Gabriel Valley Japanese Community Center
Blog: l800tony.tumblr.com
LEAP Emerge 2016 Alumni
Angie Tran
University of Oklahoma
Placement: Thai Community Development Center
Blog: itsangietranok.tumblr.com
Sharayne “Ray-Ray” Tuala
Cerritos College
Placement: Search to Involve Pilipino Americans
Blog: imakeitrayne.tumblr.com
Danny Yang
California State University, Fresno
Placement: Asian Pacific Islander Obesity Prevention Alliance
Blog: apiopadanny.tumblr.com/
2016 Community Impact Project
The 2016 LEAP Emerge group project consisted of two related parts.
1. LEAP Emerge Impact Promotional Video
2. Self-Published Magazine
The magazine contains articles and artwork about being minorities within a minority and is being shared with college age youth around California, Minnesota, and Oklahoma.
Top Left to Right: Johnson Nguyen, Andrew Hua, Carl "Gio" Viray, and Maikoau Vang Bottom Left to Right: Trisha Hongcharti, Ronia Auelua, Jimmy Tang, Avalon Igawa and Nathan Lee
LEAP Emerge 2015 Alumni
Ronia Auelua
University of Hawai‘i
Placement: Empowering Pacific Islander Communities
Blog: teineoceania.tumblr.com
Trisha Hongcharti
University of Virginia
Placement: Teach For America - Asian American and Pacific Islander Initiative
Blog: tfatrishaforasians.tumblr.com
Andrew Hua
University of California, San Diego
Placement: API Equality – Los Angeles
Blog: leapandrewdathua.tumblr.com
Avalon Igawa
University of Southern California
Placement: ESGVJCC
Blog: whatshapanin.tumblr.com
Nathan Lee
Loyola Marymount University
Placement: Asian Pacific Islander Obesity Prevention Alliance
Blog: nathanclee808.tumblr.com
Johnson Nguyen
University of Washington
Placement: Japanese American Citizens League
Blog: jbnguyen206.tumblr.com
Jimmy Tang
American University
Placement: Asian Youth Center
Blog: tang-jimmy.tumblr.com
Maikoau Vang
University of Wisconsin - Madison
Placement: Koreatown Youth and Community Center
Blog: mkvangg.tumblr.com
Carl “Gio” Viray
California State University, Northridge
Placement: LEAP
Blog: carlangeloviray.tumblr.com
2015 Community Impact Project
The 2015 LEAP Emerge group project consisted of two related parts.
1. API Timeline Workshop Toolkit
Interns created an interactive API Timeline Toolkit for future leaders and community members to use as a resource to educate, create cross-cultural bonds, and honor API history and heritage.
2. Workshop on API History
In partnership with the Student Coalition for Asian Pacific Empowerment (SCAPE) at the University of Southern California, LEAP Emerge interns were able to deliver a workshop to 25 college students as part of a test run and to receive feedback for improvement. The workshop allowed participants to share personal API history through the interactive API history timeline.
Top Left to Right: Maggie Quan, Kenny Ung, Tonga Fakalata, Steve Marsiglia, Paul Nguyen Bottom Left to Right: Anna Courchaine, Julie Mac Front Center: Shaomay Vong, Mayta Lor, Chan Naing
LEAP Emerge 2014 Alumni
Anna Courchaine
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
Placement: KYCC
Blog: leapinglianna.tumblr.com
Tonga Fakalata
University of Redlands
Placement: Asian Pacific Islander Obesity Prevention Alliance
Blog: thefinedime.tumblr.com
Mayta Lor
University of Wisconsin, Madison
Placement: LEAP
Julie Mac
California State University, Northridge
Placement: ESGVJCC
Blog: jmacxleap.tumblr.com
Steven Marsiglia
University of California at Berkeley
Placement: APA Dispute Resolution Center
Blog: smarstakeslosangeles.tumblr.com
Chan Naing
University of Florida
Placement: Thai Community Development Center
Paul Nguyen
University of California, Irvine
Placement: Little Tokyo Service Center
Maggie Quan
University of California, San Diego
Placement: Keiro Senior HealthCare
Kenny Ung
Boise State University
Placement: Asian Business Association
Blog: leapkennyung.tumblr.com
Shaomay Vong
University of California, Irvine
Placement: API Equality – Los Angeles
Blog: shaomayequality.tumblr.com
2014 Community Impact Project
The 2014 LEAP Emerge group project consisted of two related parts.
1. A Webisode Series
The prompt for the webisodes was: “Create a video for your younger self. What do you know now that you wish you knew then?” These videos were released early in 2015.
2. Workshop for High School Students
In partnership with Search to Involve Pilipino Americans, LEAP Emerge interns delivered a workshop to 15 high school youth where they shared information about applying for college, what to expect when at college, and how to look for scholarships and financial aid. Interns also shared a trailer for their webisode series, which touched upon topics that would resonate with the students.
Left to Right: Thanh Nguyen, Art Li, Linh Chuong, Keshav Tyagi, Deborah Hwang, Diana Pereda, and Kim Navoa
LEAP Emerge 2013 Alumni
Linh Chuong
Hendrix College, Arkansas
Placement: Kizuna
Blog: kizunaandi.tumblr.com
Deborah Hwang
University of Wisconsin, Madison
Placement: APIOPA
Blog: debapiopa.tumblr.com
Art Li
Pomona College
Placement: LEAP
Blog: leapinart.tumblr.com
Kim Navoa
University of Illinois, Chicago
Placement: Asian Pacific American Dispute Resolution Center
Blog: kimleaps.tumblr.com
Thanh Nguyen
Ohio State University
Placement: FilAm Arts
Blog: leapfilamartstvn.tumblr.com
Diana Pereda
University of Southern California
Placement: Thai Community Development Center
Blog: leadershipinaction2013.tumblr.com
Keshav Tyagi
University of Southern California
Placement: API Equality – LA
Blog: welcometotherealworldwellsortof.tumblr.com
2013 Community Impact Project
Photo Exhibition
The 2013 Group Project was a photo exhibition documenting the stories of different members in the API community. Each photograph featured a direct quote about each individual’s immigration story. The exhibit was seen by over 150 people. Audience members were encouraged to post their own immigration stories onto the exhibit. The photographs were shown in Thai Town and Little Tokyo, Los Angeles.
Top Left to Right: Monique Matautia, Faye Wang, Veronica Thao, Tevita Folau, Kyle Tsukahira
Tevita Folau
UCLA
Placement: Empowering Pacific Islander Communities
Blog: oldpassionsnewoutlets.tumblr.com
Monique Matautia
Cal State, Long Beach
Placement: Tongan Community Service Center
Blog: thatmatautiablood.tumblr.com
Veronica Thao
University of Wisconsin, Madison
Placement: APIOPA
Blog: veroyourhero.tumblr.com
LEAP Emerge 2012 Alumni
Kyle Tsukahira
Cal State, Los Angeles
Placement: Visual Communications
Blog: theleapinitiative.tumblr.com
Yuhe Faye Wang
Pomona College
Placement: LEAP
Blog: losangelesimfloored.tumblr.com/
2012 Community Impact Project
Three Letters short film
For their group project, 2012 LEAP Emerge Interns created the following short film entitled Three Letters. Three Letters is a short film created to empower the Asian and Pacific Islander community by addressing API self-identity. This film aims to inspire API people to care about and become more involved in their communities, come together to fight for social justice, and combat invisibility and marginalization in American mainstream society and discourse.
Top Left to Right: Ethan Nguyen, Sasha Wijeyeratne, Kelly Nguyen, Chelsey Kitazawa, Maria Vallarta, Emanuel Chan, Kat Kouot, Melissa Bautista
LEAP Emerge 2011 Alumni
Melissa Bautista
San Francisco State University
Placement: FilAm Arts
Blog: connectinthedots.tumblr.com
Emmanuel Chan
Colorado College
Placement: LEAP
Blog: thetimetoleap.tumblr.com
Chelsey Kitazawa
Pitzer College
Placement: ESGVJCC
Blog: cia-chelseyinaction.tumblr.com
Kat Kouot
University of Southern California
Placement: API Equality – Los Angeles
Blog: katsleapintoactivism.tumblr.com
Ethan Nguyen
UCLA
Placement: EPIC
Blog: ethanisepic.tumblr.com
Kelly Nguyen
UC San Diego
Placement: Vietnamese Community of Orange County
Blog: leapintogrowth.tumblr.com
Maria Vallarta
UC Berkeley
Placement: Search to Involve Pilipino Americans
Blog: mariamiscellany.tumblr.com
Sasha Wijeyeratne
Swarthmore College
Placement: South Asian Network
Blog: leapbeforeulook.tumblr.com/
2011 Community Impact Project
Model My Voice
Vision: Providing a collective space for our API communities to express our identities and explore our stories to raise awareness about issues affecting our communities from the past, present, and future.
Top Left to Right: AJ Lee, Monique Chhoeun, Honorable John Chiang, Lance Kanamori, Kelley Lowe, Katie Lebioda, Amaris Leiataua, Lina Chung
LEAP Emerge 2010 Alumni
Rhommel Canare
UCLA
Placement: TCSC
Blog: aznfalconeyes.blogspot.com
Monique Chhoeun
Cal State, Long Beach
Placement: Orange County Asian Pacific Islander Community Alliance
Lina Chung
UCLA
Placement: LEAP
Lance Kanamori
Cerritos College
Placement: SIPA
Blog: imasleepypanda.blogspot.com
Katherine (Katie) Lebioda
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Placement: Screen Actors Guild (SAG)
Blog: radianteagle.blogspot.com/
Albert (AJ) Lee
UCLA
Placement: API Equality – Los Angeles
Blog: authenticcow.blogspot.com
Amaris Leiataua
UC Berkeley
Placement: EPIC
Kelley Lowe
University of Southern California
Placement: Korean Resource Center
2010 Community Impact Project
Locating APA Today
Shifting borders. People in motion. Everyday experiences. What do these mean? How are they remembered? Locating Asian Pacific America Today is a Web 2.0 project created by and for Asian and Pacific Islanders to preserve and share our experiences and histories.
In Summer 2010, the LEAP Emerge internship program expanded upon an existing API oral history collection to create an ongoing repository of stories and histories as captured through art. Members of the API community were invited to submit artwork in response to a single prompt: “What does your API identity mean to you?”