2023 Scholar

Kevin Yi

Kevin Yi (he/him) is a second-generation Korean-American. He is a full-time student at the Harvard Kennedy School and the MIT Sloan School of Management, focusing on health and international development. He most recently served as a national policy advisor to the Cambodian Ministry of Health focusing on COVID-19 testing and HIV disease management as part of the Clinton Health Access Initiative.

His prior experiences include four years of service with the Korean-American Family Service Center in Queens, New York, focused on preventing and ending domestic violence for the Korean community writ large. He also founded the College MAP SAT program providing free, tailored test preparation and 1:1 college entrance coaching to economically disadvantaged, minority high school students across New York City.

In his free time, Kevin is the creator, host, and editor of the podcast “Almost Home” which aims to capture the experience of AAPI diaspora both within and outside the United States. He is professionally and creatively excited to drive the next generation of AAPI leadership and change.

2021 Scholar

JESSICA WONG

Jessica Wong (she/her) is a second-generation bi-racial/Chinese American. Jessica serves as the Director of Programming for the Massachusetts Asian American Pacific Islander Commission (AAPIC). Jessica is a full-time graduate student at the University of Massachusetts Boston concentrating on Public Administration and Asian American Studies. Aside from AAPIC and her studies, she is the Community Engagement Specialist with Asian Task Force Against Domestic Violence (ATASK) and serves on the Diversity and Inclusion Committee under Mayor Paul Coogan in Fall River, MA. 

Prior to her current engagements, Jessica dedicated two years of public service with the AmeriCorps Program. Through her service with AmeriCorps, she founded a women’s empowerment group called W.A.V.E (Women. Action. Voice. Empowerment) and served as the lead facilitator of “Confronting Discrimination” with the Fall River Youth Violence Prevention Task Force. 

In her free time, Jessica is a planning committee member of Thrillah in the Rivah, a bboy/bgirl jam to highlight hip-hop culture amongst communities of color. Overall she is committed to expanding access to power, opportunity, and education for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.