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ORIGINS
ORIGINS
June 15, 2013.From left, Amy Ly, Tami Nguyen, Kayla Tran, Van Dao, Adrian Gilliam, Seve Kim, and Al-Rashad Ali are student leaders at the Summer Retreat in 2013.
In June of 2013, what would eventually become the Florida Asian American Student Union (FAASU), had its first summer retreat at the University of Central Florida. Leaders from the different schools discussed topics, such as their local Asian American student population, the creation of their respective advocacy organizations, unique programs to their school, and funding streams.
Leaders from USF, FSU, UCF, and UF at UF AASU Asian American Student Assembly 2013.
Energized from this initial meeting, the leaders from Florida State University, the University of Central Florida, the University of Florida, the University of South Florida, and Florida Atlantic University continued meeting up and discussing how they could work together to better the Florida Asian and Pacific Islander American community. Despite a large push to name the organization the Florida Asian Pacific Islander American Association, a different name was settled upon.
FORMING FAASU
FORMING FAASU
Leaders from several schools kept supporting each other and networking. Through these interactions, these students came to realize the unique culture that is the Florida Asian and Pacific Islander American community. Striving for more than anything that was offered at the time, these students drafted a constitution and settled upon a name. The Florida Asian American Student Union.
Recognizing the need for something that would extend beyond the single term that most student leaders have. An Executive Board compromised primarily of upper class students and alumni was formed for the purpose of building FAASU into a resource for students with the primary mission of empowerment, education, and community building.
THE FIRST EXECUTIVE BOARD
THE FIRST EXECUTIVE BOARD
From left, Christian Sy, Adrian Gilliam, and Kevin Doan at the University of Central Florida in August 2017 (Al-Rashad not pictured).
In May of 2016, the first Florida Asian American Student Association Executive Board was created and comprised of Adrian Gilliam (Executive Director), Christian Sy (Operations Director), and Al-Rashad Ali (Programming Director). Together in their innagural year, they collaborated with APIAVote during the 2016 election season, as well as hosted a Leaders Summit with the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies with the keynote speaker of Norman Mineta, the first Asian American to be appointed to a President's cabinet.
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