“In a mental sense, last year I was constantly on my toes
and found myself in an environment where I had to learn to
operate by means of live trial and error. This year I came
with founded elementary knowledge, ready to start playing
a bit of hardball” say Byll.
With the goal of asking the questions and challenging
others, Byll was prepared to work hard to find the
information he learned instead of letting it catch him by
surprise. Inevitably, however, there were still a few things
that was shocking in a sense. Byll remembers touching on
the topic of public service, and how it thrives off one’s
ability to find his or her particular niche to do well.
“What was fascinating was that hardly anyone we
encountered in a high ranking position set out knowing
what their niche was let alone that they were going to be
relatively significant leaders,” Byll said. “This idea
expands into a grander notion; apparently, we are all
leaders, but we all lead differently. Leadership is all about
taking some degree of risk by having faith in your abilities
and the abilities of those with whom you work, and going
on from that point.”
Another topic that made an impression on multiple members
of the ECC was a discussion on mental health. Dr. Ida from
the National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health
Association (NAAPIMHA) was in D.C. to lead a discussion
on a topic that is often “swept under the rug.”
“Oftentimes in the AAPI community, there is a stigma
attached to mental health issues.” Chairwoman Victoria Yu
said. “It was helpful to have an honest, open discussion and
have students share their stories, perspectives and
experiences on their campus related to this topic. It’s rare to
have a safe space in the APIA community to openly discuss
mental health without being judged.”
Similarly, Dao was touched by the openness in discussing
the issue of mental health, and how relatable it became.
“It was memorable to me because I heard stories that I could
relate to,” Dao said. “It made me realize that we all have
some kind of mental health issue or has a friend that suffers
from it, but we sweep it under the rug like it's not a problem,
when it's killing us on the inside.
As co-programming chair, Dao hopes to work with his cochair Schyler D’Souza to implement more mental-health
related events as well as provide our peers with the
knowledge and network they need to succeed in their
respective communities through social media and regional
socials.
Throughout the trip, the six students were able to experience
the magic of D.C. and the whirlwind of possibilities, even
for minorities like Asian Americans.
“What shocked me the most is the amount of Asian
American role models and mentors in the DC area as well as
in the public sector,” Dao said. “I always thought about
working in DC, but I never thought it was possible till I saw
it with my own eyes. There is a network of people there
willing and wanting to help you succeed there. All you have
to do is be willing to go there.”