OCA National Center Welcomes 2023 Summer Interns
For Immediate Release
June 5, 2023
Media Contact:
Socheata Sun, Communications Fellow
socheata.sun@ocanational.org
Washington, D.C. — OCA - Asian Pacific American Advocates announced its summer intern cohort, assigning 18 exceptional college students to national policy and advocacy organizations across the Washington, D.C area.
The group—the result of a highly competitive selection process launched in December 2022—will support OCA National Center’s day-to-day operations, learn about issues affecting Asian American and Pacific Islander communities, and perform paid work at key nonprofits, federal agencies, and congressional offices for ten weeks. Interns will also attend OCA’s 50th Anniversary National Convention in Washington, D.C. and participate in legislative visits to educate Congress about OCA’s policy priorities.
“OCA has been offering generations of internships that help foster future leaders in the AAPI community for over two decades.” said OCA - Asian Pacific American Advocates National President Linda Ng. “We are proud of our legacy and our impact on the lives of countless young people who have gone on to make a difference in various fields and sectors. As we celebrate our 50th anniversary, we are committed to continuing our work and empowering the next generation of leaders.”
“We are delighted to welcome the 2023 OCA National Summer Interns to Washington, D.C. These interns are some of the brightest and most passionate young leaders in the AAPI community. They will bring diverse perspectives and experiences that will enrich our work and mission,” said OCA - Asian Pacific American Advocates National Executive Director Thu Nguyen. “We are grateful to our partners and supporters who have made it possible for OCA to continue to offer an internship program that allows students to develop their leadership skills and expose them to the federal policy and national advocacy landscape. We look forward to mentoring them and learning from them throughout the summer.”
The 2023 OCA summer interns’ educational institutions and placements include:
Tanumafili AhHing, University of Utah, placed at the office of U.S. House Representative Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen
Andy Feng, Georgetown University, placed at the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations
Stanley Fie’eiki Jr., Salt Lake Community College, placed at OCA National Center
Aalaya Gurram, American University, placed at the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association
Sunny Hu, Williams College, placed at the Asian/Pacific Islander Domestic Violence Resource Project
Alexander Lee, Brown University, placed at the U.S. Department of Justice
Jenny Ye Eun Lee, Yale University, placed at NARAL Pro-Choice America
Ranen Miao, Washington University in St. Louis, placed at the office of U.S. House Representative Barbara Lee
Kirit Minhas, Georgetown University, placed at the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders
Jhanak Mittal, Virginia Commonwealth University, placed at the Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations
Edith Philip, Tufts University, placed at the Rights and Resources Initiative
Kiwa Shinoda, Brandeis University, placed at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Elizabeth Sweet, University of Washington in Seattle, placed at the office of U.S. House Representative Pramila Jayapal
Liam Tanglao, Amherst College, placed at APIA Scholars
Vinze Joshua Valeza, New York University, placed at the U.S. Department of Labor
Madison Xiao, University of Wisconsin-Madison, placed at OCA National Center
Gaomomee Yang, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, placed at the Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum
Amanda Young, Washington University in St. Louis, placed at the 1882 Foundation
In addition to the 18 students selected for OCA’s Summer Internship Program, we are pleased to recognize two outstanding students placed to intern with us this summer at OCA National Center through the US-Asia Institute’s IMPACT! Program for Filipino Americans and The Fund for American Studies’ Academic Internship Program:
Gremarianne Mosquera, New York University Shanghai
Jack Trowbridge, Wesleyan University
Full intern biographies can be accessed at ocanational.org/intern-bios.
The 2023 OCA Summer Internship Program is possible thanks to the generous support from the Coca-Cola Foundation, the Comcast Foundation, Stan Lou, and individual donors.
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Please direct questions to OCA’s Manager of Programs Kent Tong at kent.tong@ocanational.org. More information about the OCA Summer Internship Program is available here.
About OCA - Asian Pacific American Advocates
Founded in 1973, OCA - Asian Pacific American Advocates is a national, member-driven social justice organization of community advocates dedicated to advancing the social, political, and economic well-being of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs). Learn more about our work at ocanational.org/about.