Left to Right: Joon Sung Choe, Chee Cia Her, Grace Lee, Alyssa Gonzaga, Samantha Kim, Brian Kohaya

2018 Community Impact Project 

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.

2018 LEAP Emerge 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
University of California, Los Angeles
Placement: API Equality - LA
Blog: medium.com/@graceleeap

Theresa Tran
University of Massachusetts, Boston
Placement: South Asian Network
Blog: medium.com/@t.tran11395

Left to Right: Josh Jiang, Sue Abdurahman, Angela Yip, Lena Pham, Alison Choi, Kevin Hang, Isa Sasi

2017 LEAP Emerge 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 Yang
Bottom Left to Right: Aian Hurtado-Doppenberg, Sharayne “Ray-Ray” Tuala, Dee Pha

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.

2016 LEAP Emerge Alumni

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

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/

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

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.

2015 LEAP Emerge Alumni

Ronia Auelua
University of Hawaii
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 

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

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.

2014 LEAP Emerge 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  

Left to Right: Thanh Nguyen, Art Li, Linh Chuong, Keshav Tyagi, Deborah Hwang, Diana Pereda, and Kim Navoa

2013 Community Impact Project 

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.

2013 LEAP Emerge 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

Top Left to Right: Monique Matautia, Faye Wang, Veronica Thao, Tevita Folau, Kyle Tsukahira

2012 Community Impact Project 

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.

2012 LEAP Emerge Alumni

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 

Kyle Tsukahira
Cal State, Los Angeles
Placement:  Visual Communications
Blog: theleapinitiative.tumblr.com 

Yuhe Faye Wang
Pomona College
Placement:  LEAP
Blog:  losangelesimfloored.tumblr.com/

Top Left to Right: Ethan Nguyen, Sasha Wijeyeratne, Kelly Nguyen, Chelsey Kitazawa, Maria Vallarta, Emanuel Chan, Kat Kouot, Melissa Bautista

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.

2011 LEAP Emerge 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/ 

Top Left to Right: AJ Lee, Monique Chhoeun, Honorable John Chiang, Lance Kanamori, Kelley Lowe, Katie Lebioda, Amaris Leiataua, Lina Chung

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?”

2010 LEAP Emerge 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