Joint Vision Statement
We are Benjamin Chou and Vincent Wang, and we want to be your AQUA Co-Chairs for 2014-2015 because we want to rebuild AQUA to be a fun and meaningful social group for all of our members.
If you don't know us, you may be asking "Who are these two guys?" Much like our departing Chairs, we are both recent graduates who came to DC and have found ourselves stuck—we mean, struck and in awe—of the nation's capital. The folks we have met, many of whom are reading this, have been fun, caring, and friendly. You all extended a hand to us when we were still new, and invited us to meet other LGBT APIs in this new place. We seek to do the same for others and pass it forward.
Our vision for AQUA is simple. We want to make AQUA fun, but also meaningful. First we plan to reintroduce AQUA to a regular calendar of social activities. Every organization needs to have fun, and we believe we know how to do it. Happy hours and house parties. As heads of AQUA, our plan is to set a bimonthly social event for all our members and friends to attend.
As leaders of large student organizations, both of us have the experience and persistence to organize such events and build the membership we want to attend.
Second, we want to ensure that every member also has the opportunity to participate in meaningful API or LGBT community-building activities.
Both of us came to DC with a desire to devote ourselves to public service, and our careers continue to reflect that commitment.
Through the networks that we have each built in the government and nonprofit sectors, we are both aware of the various opportunities that we would love to share with other AQUA members through group activities such as volunteering at the local DC Center, lobbying Members of Congress with the National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance, or taking shifts at the Capitol Area Food Bank.
We're excited and can't wait to start having fun. But y'all (the Texan in Ben is coming out), we can't do this by ourselves, we need all the help we can get from each and every one of you. The two of us trust each other to stay together and keep things running—after all we did intern together and play on the same Stonewall Kickball team.
But this year is about all of us, every member (and member-to-be) getting together to have a great time, enjoy each other's company, and form lasting relationships. We want this year to be the one AQUA will never forget. Remember to vote for Ben and Vincent, we won't let y'all down.
If you don't know us, you may be asking "Who are these two guys?" Much like our departing Chairs, we are both recent graduates who came to DC and have found ourselves stuck—we mean, struck and in awe—of the nation's capital. The folks we have met, many of whom are reading this, have been fun, caring, and friendly. You all extended a hand to us when we were still new, and invited us to meet other LGBT APIs in this new place. We seek to do the same for others and pass it forward.
Our vision for AQUA is simple. We want to make AQUA fun, but also meaningful. First we plan to reintroduce AQUA to a regular calendar of social activities. Every organization needs to have fun, and we believe we know how to do it. Happy hours and house parties. As heads of AQUA, our plan is to set a bimonthly social event for all our members and friends to attend.
As leaders of large student organizations, both of us have the experience and persistence to organize such events and build the membership we want to attend.
- In college, Ben served as the Student Life Chair for Rice University's student government, essentially running the campus social life for all 4000 undergraduate students.
- Vincent, on the other hand, served as the President of UC Berkeley's Taiwanese American Student Association where he tripled the paid membership (each paid $25!) from less than 30 students to over 100. On the national level, Vincent raised over $50,000 as the Fundraising Chair for the Intercollegiate Taiwanese American Student Association's 2011 West Coast Conference.
Second, we want to ensure that every member also has the opportunity to participate in meaningful API or LGBT community-building activities.
Both of us came to DC with a desire to devote ourselves to public service, and our careers continue to reflect that commitment.
- Ben works in Capitol Hill for U.S. House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi as her staffer who handles all API and young people issues. In addition, he currently sits on the board of the Conference of Asian Pacific American Leaders (CAPAL) where he plays an instrumental role in providing scholarships to college students eager to complete internships in DC.
- Vincent currently works for a communications nonprofit where he serves as the key operations facilitator, ensuring that the organization meets each deadline and no detail is missed.
Through the networks that we have each built in the government and nonprofit sectors, we are both aware of the various opportunities that we would love to share with other AQUA members through group activities such as volunteering at the local DC Center, lobbying Members of Congress with the National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance, or taking shifts at the Capitol Area Food Bank.
We're excited and can't wait to start having fun. But y'all (the Texan in Ben is coming out), we can't do this by ourselves, we need all the help we can get from each and every one of you. The two of us trust each other to stay together and keep things running—after all we did intern together and play on the same Stonewall Kickball team.
But this year is about all of us, every member (and member-to-be) getting together to have a great time, enjoy each other's company, and form lasting relationships. We want this year to be the one AQUA will never forget. Remember to vote for Ben and Vincent, we won't let y'all down.