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Tran Nguyen is the 2006-2007 CUIP intern at the Asian American/Pacific
Islander Resource Center (AA/PIRC). As a fourth-year Psychology
major, she wanted to give back to the AA/PI community by providing
students with the space to come together. Inspired and influenced
by former CUIPs, Tran applied for the position at AA/PIRC in hope
that she could continue in the footsteps of her predecessors to
strengthen the AA/PI community.
As the CUIP intern at AA/PIRC, Tran coordinated leadership mixers,
community receptions and the AA/PI Heritage Month. The Heritage
Month Planning Committee created the theme “Divergent Paths
and Unifying Perspectives”, focusing on the diversity of experiences,
talents and interests in the community. The two main events during
Heritage Month were the Keynote Speaker and the Cultural Showcase.
Tran was able to bring Justin Lin to be the 2007 Keynote Speaker.
He is the director of films such as “Better Luck Tomorrow”,
and the “Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift.” As a Keynote
Speaker, he was able to share his experiences being an AA/PI director
in Hollywood. The AA/PI Cultural Showcase consisted of diverse student
performances and different ethnic foods. It was a great celebration
and a wonderful way for the students to celebrate the end of AA/PI
Heritage Month.
She was reserved and quiet during the start of the internship, but
throughout the year, she grew confident in her public speaking skills
and was able to become a stronger leader in the community. Through
the experience, she came to understand the need for diversity and
representation within the University structure.
Tran plans to graduate in Spring 2007, and will pursue a MS in School
Counseling at Cal State Hayward in the fall.
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