APAICS | Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies

Endless Connections: A Wealth of Opportunities

by Gabriel Papa, 2010 APAICS Intern

As one of 14 APAICS interns in the class of 2010, I am fortunate to spend my summer in Washington, DC. Through this program I have been exposed to endless connections and a wealth of opportunities that have developed my professional skills and personal interests. Two of my main interests focus on politics and education. The political aspect of education continues to drive my commitment to learn and stay involved with current legislation and opportunities available. It also encourages me to pursue a career in politics so that I can positively impact education through policy.

APAICS Summer Interns

One such opportunity offered by APAICS was the chance to attend the inaugural Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund (APIASF) Higher Education Summit held a few weeks ago. APIASF is the nation’s largest non-profit organization, providing college scholarships to Asian and Pacific Islander Americans (APIAs) with financial need. The focus of the summit was Access and Success: Asian and Pacific Islander Americans in Higher Education. I attended a session and working group on minority serving institutions (MSIs) and their role in higher education.

Until 2007, no federal legislation existed concerning Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs). Summit attendees discussed recommendations for this newly federally funded group of institutions to potentially adopt MSI policy strategy, examined the handful of institutions currently recognized as an AANAPISI, and generated ideas to ensure sustainability of this new type of MSI.

Presentation

Being an Asian American and Native Hawaiian myself, I find the AANAPISI distinction to be crucial in best serving the Asian American Pacific Islander population. One of the main topics addressed was the model minority myth that ‘all Asians are smart and successful’ and that the Asian population represents the “model minority”. This perception continues to restrict necessary resources from being provided to students who identify as Asian American or Pacific Islander. The passage of legislation and the creation of the AANAPISI group in 2007 served as the first step in serving the AAPI community in higher education more effectively.

As a student attending a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), another type of Minority Serving Institution, I applied my learning to my current understanding of how Whittier College serves its students. While engaged as an APAICS intern, I also wear another hat as an undergraduate fellow for the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA).

This fellowship focuses on personal growth and seeks to improve the roles of student affairs administration, policy, and practice, and affirms the commitment of professionals educating the whole student while advancing student life, learning and diversity. Just last week I traveled to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to attend a leadership conference on the future of higher education.

Gabriel Speaking

Through APAICS and from my participation at the APIASF Higher Education Summit, I was able to I take the new knowledge of the AANAPISI designation with me to Illinois. While at the conference I had the unique opportunity to present in front of colleagues and university administrators from across the nation on the importance of the new MSI designation and also facilitated discussion as to how this development, once fully engaged, would impact higher education.

I took this presentation a step further and submitted my experience with APAICS and the knowledge I gained while attending the APIASF Higher Education Summit to NASPA. My article was recently published in the NASPA Region VI newsletter distributed to higher education professionals in California, Nevada and Hawai‘i. The article was also published in the NASPA Asian Pacific Islander Knowledge Community newsletter distributed to all region members across the nation.

I don’t see APAICS as just placing its interns at valuable offices and departments at the local, state and federal levels of government. I see APAICS as really being about promoting a politically active and civically engaged APA community by way of leadership development, public policy knowledge growth, and partnerships with other organizations.

Being a part of APAICS has opened doors to explore resources that have honed my professional skills, engaged my talents, and supported my personal interests. I am constantly thinking about my future in politics and what other resources I will need to pursue that will enable me to be a more effective leader and how I can positively impact higher education policy through politics. Through APAICS I have been introduced to endless connections and a wealth of opportunities that afford me a world of possibilities. I can definitely say that my experience as an intern with APAICS has been wonderful and the opportunities to learn, grow, and succeed have been fostered by this program.

Gabriel Papa

Gabriel Papa is a 2010 APAICS Summer Intern with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. He is currently studying Business Administration and Leadership Studies with a minor in Political Science as a rising senior at Whittier College in California.

By: APAICS

Posted in: Interns | View Comments (1)

Hi Gabe, Very impressive! A positive future for our youth back here in the islands. A born leader for our hawaiian community.
… by Richard K. Papa Jr. on 07/26/10