National Board
ECAASU National Board
DEREK MONG
National Co-Chair
derek.mong@ecaasu.org
Hometown: Potomac, MD
School: Duke University ’13
DEREK MONG is a rising junior at Duke University and will be serving as a conference director for ECAASU 2012. Originally from Potomac, Maryland, Derek was the Civil Rights Taskforce Chair for ECAASU National from 2009-2010, tackling issues of civic engagement, social justice, and equal opportunity. During his term, Derek chaired the the Youth Census Advocacy Project (YCAP 2010), a national movement aimed at increasing census awareness through outreach to the nation’s network of AAPI students leaders. In the 2010-2011 season, Derek served as the National Vice Chair of ECAASU, overseeing ECAASU’s advocacy work on South Asian discrimination, APA women’s issues, and immigration advocacy.
Derek has previously interned at Asian & Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote) and as a Congressional Intern for Congressman Chris Van Hollen (MD-08). Derek currently sits on the Youth Advisory Council for the Asian American Justice Center.
In his spare time, Derek enjoys traveling around the country/world, filmmaking, exploring cities through their restaurants, and driving aimlessly down the highway blasting music at full volume. This summer, Derek will be in Seattle, Washington working for the Washington Bus program.
JUNE KAO
National Co-Chair
june.kao@ecaasu.org
Hometown: Paramus, NJ
School: New York University ’12
JUNE KAO, a rising senior, studies Psychology and Pre-medicine at New York University. On campus, she is involved with Asian Heritage Month as the co-chair, Asian American Women’s Alliance (AAWA) as the PR chair, and Haven of Opportunities for Progress in Education (H.O.P.E.), which focuses on helping children in K-6 grade who have been affected by Domestic Violence and live at the Urban Women’s Retreat in NYC. As ECAASU National’s Co-Chair, she will be using her experience as one of the directors for New York City Asian American Student Conference ’10-’11 (NYCAASC) at taking on the challenges. This summer she is interning at Asian & Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote).
Tell her there’s a glass ceiling, and June will break it and defy the norms of what it means to be a woman. While partaking in activities like playing videogames and not making sandwiches, she finds a balance in her life to define who she is as a modern woman.
June’s belief is that life is too short to be only living for other’s expectations. Take your passions, and see where they take you and who you meet. She may subject you to her karaoke singing or her love to dance like no one’s watching, but at the same time she will encourage you to enjoy the moment with her. She loves connecting with people, regardless if they are strangers or close friends, and learning about their different experiences.
MELINDA WANG
Executive Vice Chair
melinda.wang@ecaasu.org
Hometown: San Jose, CA
School: Williams College ’14
Although MELINDA WANG is a NorCal-er at heart, she has found a home at Williams College, MA with more friends and a new 20+ person family. Upon the completion of her formal educational career at Williams, Melinda plans on pursuing a life of helping others. In high school, Melinda launched a nonprofit organization in an effort to dispel the stigma cast upon autistic children. Facing new challenges in college, she has taken roles in the Asian American society through active involvement as liaison and board member of the Chinese American Student Organization and Asian American Students in Action and expanded her dedication to those faced with infringement on unspoken rights to understanding and unveiling the discrimination Asian Americans face. Melinda looks forward to working with the many talented people involved in ECAASU this year.
A musical theater actress at heart, Melinda loves to dance, sing, and act. Chief among her hobbies would have to be hanging out with friends, debating nonsensical ideas in the middle of the night, eating, sleeping, and just being herself. She loves getting to know people and looking for challenges in life.
DIANNA YAU
Vice Chair of Communications
dianna.yau@ecaasu.org
Hometown: Bayside, Queens, NY
School: Barnard College ’14
“Live, Laugh, Love.”
Born and raised in New York City, DIANNA YAU currently attends Barnard College in New York City and will be majoring in Economics and minoring in Psychology. She wishes to eventually integrate the two disciplines through developing an industry that focuses both on the big picture and the individual.
This summer along with working on ECAASU, Dianna will be working for a Public Relations firm in New York City which targets the Asian American community. At Columbia, she has served as a programming officer for the Taiwanese American Student Association and as an events coordinator for the Asian Pacific American Heritage Month.
Dianna’s passion lies in interacting with people and the idea of communication and strategizing. That said, she loves meeting new people, psychoanalyzing and observing social interactions, people watching, eating new foods, traveling (and getting lost), and learning new languages. Dianna also loves to dance, sing, and play competitive sports. And it’s the little things that make her day: fashion, walking in nice weather, and kids (which are the cutest things in the world).
HENNA TAILOR
Spokeswoman and Outreach Representative
henna.tailor@ecaasu.org
Hometown: Passaic, NJ
School: Rutgers University (New Brunswick) ’13
“Dans l’adversité de nos meilleurs amis nous trouvons quelque chose, qui ne nous déplait pas.” – Translation: There are times where we see our friends in a situation and we’re simply happy because it isn’t us; it’s self-interest and self-love, it’s human nature. HENNA TAILOR, however, will not let self-interest direct her actions because she understands that we are all global citizens of the same community. She will stand up for what she believes is right and she is“in omnia paratus”: ready for anything.
Henna was born in Passaic, New Jersey and is now currently residing in Scotch Plains. At Rutgers University, Henna is pursuing a degree in English and a minor in Education with which she hopes to become an English High School teacher. She had never been interested in Asian American issues until realizing how much her culture meant to her, and how unfair it was for others to judge simply based on appearances.
ECAASU has become family to Henna. After a year on the 2010-2011 National Board as Advocacy Chair on South Asian Discrimination, she has not only grown as a person, but also has learned how to fulfill her ambitions. This year as a junior in college and as Spokeswoman & Outreach Representative, one of Henna’s missions is to bridge the gap between South Asian Americans and the greater Asian American community.
Halaanki hum alag-alag hain, phir bhi hum Asian Americans hi hain: Even though we are different, still, we are all Asian Americans.
Henna’s passions include reading a novel here or there, watching football, making everyone smile, breaking into dance moves, drawing, and baking something delicious in the kitchen. As we are perpetually gaining more knowledge and establishing new perspectives, Henna understands that she will never fully know herself or others. She nevertheless is proud to identify herself as a people-person and will always welcome different opinions.
Mhune joye tho mhune e-mail karo! If you need me, send me an e-mail!
DEANNA SEID
Blog & Media Coordinator
deanna.seid@ecaasu.org
Hometown: Forest Hills, NY
School: Stony Brook University ’10
“I’m one curly fry in the box of a regular.”
DEANNA “dede” SEID graduated with a Bachelor’s in Psychology and recently finished her Master’s in Psychology as well at Stony Brook University. She currently is involved in research in the Cardiology Dept. at Stony Brook Hospital and is working as a Research Assistant for the Psychology Dept. on campus.
Deanna loves being involved and active in the community. Deanna prides her involvement in CASB (Chinese Association at Stony Brook), one of the oldest (42 years), most proactive and efficient cultural clubs on campus. It has taught her everything she knows about leadership, communication, culture and teamwork. Deanna also recently started her own fundraiser for the American Cancer Society, putting together one of the largest puzzles (24,000 pieces) in the world. Her team was the 1st ever to complete this in New York. She finished in 1st place with her team at the Relay for Life-Asian Initiatives, raising over $5,300 for cancer awareness and research. In the future she would love to stay involved with the Asian American community and pursue a career in the health field.
DIANE WONG
Vice Chair of Advocacy
diane.wong@ecaasu.org
Hometown: Port Washington, NY
School: SUNY Binghamton ’12
Diane Wong is a rising senior at SUNY Binghamton University where she is majoring in Political Science and Asian and Asian American Studies with a concentration in Chinese language. She is the editor-in-chief of Asian Outlook, an Asian American activist magazine circulated in Upstate, New York. Diane has served as a Cultural Ambassador to the Institute for Asian and Asian Diasporas, a Student Ambassador for the Conference on Asian Pacific American Leadership (CAPAL) and a Federal Service Student Ambassador for the Partnership for Public Service.
As Vice Chair of Advocacy for ECAASU, Diane will facilitate the creation of Asian American Studies Programs at college campuses along the East Coast. As part of a larger objective, Diane will work to cultivate the necessary dynamics to educate and raise awareness for issues in the Asian Pacific American community.
Diane has previously interned for Christine Chen, former national executive director of the Organization of Chinese Americans (OCA), where she helped plan the 2010 Advancing Justice Conference, a national civil rights and social rights conference that works to bring together AAPI leaders from across the country to address a broad range of issues facing the community. Diane has also worked with Dr. Lisa Yun to create a Asian American resource Guide in order to address important needs within the AAPI communities living in Binghamton, Broome County, Ithaca, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island.
Currently, Diane is a research fellow at Columbia University, where she is working on her undergraduate dissertation which investigates Asian American political behavior, and political participation at the district, city and neighborhood levels. Diane exemplifies her passion for community work explaining, “I don’t sleep very much, but I dream plenty.”
NICOLE FINK
Advocacy Coordinator
nicole.fink@ecaasu.org
Hometown: Brookfield, CT
School: UCONN School of Social Work ’12
NICOLE FINK is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree at the UCONN School of Social Work with a concentration in Community Organization and a focused area of study in International Issues in Social Work. She graduated from UCONN in 2010 with her B.A in Psychology and Asian Americans in the U.S. Legal System. During her time as an undergraduate, Nicole was actively involved with the Asian American Cultural Center at UCONN, as well as the Coordinator of Kids & UCONN Bridging Education (KUBE), a multicultural mentoring and outreach program for middle school students from low income areas.
Outside of academics, Fink has been actively involved with the Asian American community, serving in prominent positions in AAPI programs, events, panels and organizations, as well as testifying on behalf of the AAPI community numerous times in front of the Connecticut Legislature at public hearings. At the UCONN School of Social Work she is currently the chair of the Asian American Student Organization, the Disaster Response Committee and co-chair of the Community Organization Concentration Committee. She also is on the board of the Asian Pacific American Coalition of Connecticut. Fink’s efforts in the AAPI community have been commended as she received the Roger N.Buckley Scholarship for outstanding demonstrated interest in Asian American studies as an undergraduate student. She also was a finalist for UCONN’s Provost’s Award for Excellence in Public Engagement. In September, Nicole will begin a year-long internship at the United Nations in NYC where she hopes to gain more knowledge about issues surrounding Asian immigrants and refugees.
As Advocacy Coordinator, Nicole’s goals are to help the AAPI community finds its political voice and become more involved in the political system. She also wants to help students recognize that even though each and every individual has a different background, we are one community, and that it is a strong and powerful community.
MEHER FAROOQ
Collegiate Fellow
meher.farooq@ecaasu.org
Hometown: West Palm Beach, FL
School: University of Florida ’14
MEHER FAROOQ is a 19 year old sophomore at the University of Florida. Recent achievements have been ECAASU (as your advocacy coordinator), becoming the External Vice President of the Korean Undergraduate Student Association (as a Pakistani American), and also becoming an event director of Asian American Student Union’s (AASU’s) Got Talent under Asian Kaleidoscope Month.
Academically, Meher is in the UF honors program as an official Biology major in the Premedical program. Meher will also undertake Math as an official double major (and perhaps Sociology as a triple major). Aside from those, Meher takes pride in being a gamer, tv-watcher, and facebooker.
NISHA PRADHAN
High School Fellow
nisha.pradhan@ecaasu.org
Hometown: Pennington, NJ
School: Hopewell Central Valley HS ’13
NISHA PRADHAN is a rising junior at Hopewell Valley Central High School, a tiny school from a tiny town close to Princeton, New Jersey. There, Nisha founded the Project Development of Rural Maharashtra (DORM), a nonprofit organization dedicated to the construction of bore-wells and further rural development in the Indian state of Maharashtra. Within a year, the organization was internationally sponsored to travel to India and help build these bore-wells. Stateside, she has committed herself to fighting Asian American discrimination and promoting the rights of Asian American immigrants in the current immigration movement (South Asians included!). Nisha is looking forward to realizing those passions while on ECAASU.
“Don’t stop this train, don’t for a minute change the place you’re in.”