Filipino Young Leaders Program kicks off multi-city Magiting Networking Roadshow in Washington D.C.

For Immediate Release

Media Contact: communications@fylpro.org

March 20, 2024

Filipino Young Leaders Program kicks off multi-city Magiting Networking Roadshow in Washington D.C.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Filipino Young Leaders Program (FYLPRO) kicked off its multi-city Magiting Networking Mixer Roadshow Wednesday, March 13 at the Philippine Embassy in Washington, D.C. 

Joined by Deputy Chief of Mission Jaime Ramon Ascalon who has been instrumental in FYLPRO’s inception and evolution and Second Secretary, Consul, and Sentro Rizal Administrator Mark Dominic E. Lim, and FYLPRO’s leadership team emphasized the importance of fostering ties and building bridges between the U.S. and the Philippines.

In partnership with Department of Foreign Affairs, Ayala Foundation, Inc, AvidaLand, Seda Hotels, the roadshow is intended to engage with like minded organizations towards mutually beneficial partnerships and collaborations, build pipeline for immersion candidate pool & board leadership and educate audience and promote FYLPRO’s impact programs. 

Speakers at the kick off event included:

-FYLPRO President- Elect Genevieve Jopanda who talked about FYLPRO’s background and mission and mentorship opportunities

-DCM Jaime Ramon Ascalon on the genesis of FYLPRO and its mission to nurture the potential of Filipinx Americans and be bridgebuilders to their families’ home country. 

-FYLPRO 2022 delegate John Victoria on takeaways from immersion experience and finding purpose as a Filipinx American and being paired with his mentor Manny Ayala of Endeavor

-FYLPRO 2022 delegate Jamille Nagtalon-Ramos on how FYLPRO fosters an environment that cultivates your true potential that you may not have seen in yourself

-FYLPRO treasurer Sabrina Sayoc on her experience serving in a leadership role and opportunities for non-alumni to participate as a member or on the board and committees

The 2024 roadshow will continue to New York, Jacksonville, Houston, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Honolulu in April.

For rsvp information: 

https://fylpro.org/events/

About Filipino Young Leaders Program (FYLPRO)

FILIPINO YOUNG LEADERS PROGRAM (FYLPRO) is a network of high performing, next-generation leaders who advance the Philippines and the  Filipino people through their advocacy and expertise in various industries. 

We continually expand the pipeline of Filipino young leaders in the diaspora.  By connecting them to the motherland, we foster collaborative multinational  relationships that create innovations and support the socio-economic  progress of the global Filipino community.

For more information:

http://www.fylpro.org




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Filipino Young Leaders Program to Launch Multi-City Magiting Roadshow

Filipino Young Leaders Program to Launch Multi-City Magiting Roadshow

The Filipino Young Leaders Program will launch an eight city FYLPRO Magiting Roadshow in partnership with the Ayala Foundation Inc. (AFI) and the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) across the U.S. starting in March.

The roadshow is intended to connect with the local community and promote programs and initiatives that advance FYLPRO’s mission to expand the pipeline of Filipino young leaders in the diaspora, foster collaborative multinational relationships that create innovations and support the socio-economic progress of the global Filipino community.

The roadshow will feature:

– Info Session on FYLPRO and its programs

– Regional FYLPRO Alumni Networking

– Immersion Program Candidate Recruitment

– DFA & AFI partners presentations

The Magiting Roadshow will target several major U.S. cities, kicking off in Washington, D.C. on March 13th and continuing to New York City, Chicago, Houson, Jacksonville, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Honolulu. 

Below are the scheduled dates and locations:

It’s free to attend but RSVP is requested for location details. 

About Filipino Young Leaders Program (FYLPRO)

FILIPINO YOUNG LEADERS PROGRAM (FYLPRO) is a network of high performing, next-generation leaders who advance the Philippines and the Filipino people through their advocacy and expertise in various industries. 

We continually expand the pipeline of Filipino young leaders in the diaspora. By connecting them to the motherland, we foster collaborative multinational relationships that create innovations and support the socio-economic progress of the global Filipino community.

For more information:

http://www.fylpro.org

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Filipino Young Leaders Program Announces New Leadership for 2024

For Immediate Release

Media Contact:

leezel.tanglao@fylpro.org

December 20, 2023

Filipino Young Leaders Program Announces New Leadership for 2024

The Filipino Young Leaders Program (FYLPRO), a joint initiative with the Philippine Embassy in Washington, D.C. and the Ayala Foundation, Inc., is pleased to announce its 2024 Executive Committee and Board of Directors.

Executive Committee:

Jan Paul Ferrer ’14, President (Chicago, IL)

Genevieve Jopanda ‘22, President-Elect (San Francisco, CA)

Mark Calaguas ‘16, Executive Vice President (Chicago, IL)

Chachie Abara, Secretary (Ewa Beach, HI)

Sabrina Sayoc, Treasurer (Philadelphia, PA)

Leezel Tanglao ‘19, Immediate Past President (Dallas, TX)

Board of Directors:

JR Calanoc, ‘12 (San Francisco, CA)

Daniel Galeon, ‘22 (Montvale, NJ)

Yana Gilbuena-Babu, ‘23 (Oakland, CA)

Agnes Lopez, ‘22 (Jacksonville, FL)

Christine Melendres, ‘23 (San Ramon, CA)

Lourdes Moldre, ‘23 (Vallejo, CA)

Christian Osmena, ‘23 (Phoenix, AZ)

Constancio Paranal III, ‘22 (Honolulu, HI)

Joshua Ang Price, ‘18 (Little Rock, AR)

Paolo Roca, ‘23 (Norwalk, CA)

Advisory Board:

Mark Lim, (Washington, D.C.)

Joanna Duarte, (Manila, Philippines)

The new leadership will assume their roles in January 2024. New this year is the creation of the non-voting role of Immediate Past President, in which 2022-2023 president Leezel Tanglao will transition to in January 2024. Immediate Past President is a member of the Executive Committee and is to ensure operational continuity.

“I am extremely humbled to lead this great organization for the next two years. My predecessors have raised the bar each term. I am proud to take on the reign and challenges to elevate FYLPRO to a higher level. I am confident that we can achieve this challenge with the guidance of our recently passed strategic plan.  Most importantly, “ang karanasan ay mabuting guro”. (experience is the best teacher),” said 2024 FYLPRO President Jan Paul Ferrer. “I believe that we can accomplish our goals and mission by inspiring members, alumni and community partners to collaborate. We have a very experienced Board of Directors and Executive Committee. Madaling sabihin, mahirap gawin. (easier said than done) Hence, I look forward to their guidance and support in leading FYLPRO.” 

The members of the 2024 Board of Directors are FYLPRO alumni and non-alumni from across the nation in multiple industries including business, banking, nonprofits, education, journalism and law. 

Along with representatives from the Philippine Embassy and Ayala Foundation, Inc., this body will advise and support the executive committee during their terms in office.

Established in 2012 by the Philippine Embassy in the United States in cooperation with the Ayala Foundation Inc. (AFI), FYLPRO annually identifies outstanding young professionals in the Filipino communities across the United States and provides them invaluable community, business, and government insights and access to distinguished network captains of industry and government.

About Filipino Young Leaders Program (FYLPRO)

FILIPINO YOUNG LEADERS PROGRAM (FYLPRO) is a network of high performing, next-generation leaders who advance the Philippines and the  Filipino people through their advocacy and expertise in various industries. 

We continually expand the pipeline of Filipino young leaders in the diaspora.  By connecting them to the motherland, we foster collaborative multinational  relationships that create innovations and support the socio-economic  progress of the global Filipino community.

For more information:

http://www.fylpro.org

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FYLPRO Executive Committee Presents 2024-2026 Strategic Plan and Year End Report

Washington D.C. – Members of the Filipino Young Leaders Program (FYLPRO)’s executive and strategic planning committees which include FYLPRO President Leezel Tanglao, President Elect Jan Paul C. Ferrer, Executive Vice President Mark Calaguas, Secretary Chachie Abara, Treasurer Sabrina Alexis Sayoc and Board member Genevieve V. Jopanda presented the 2024-2026 strategic plan and year end report to our partners at the Philippine Embassy in Washington D.C., Philippine Consulate Generals from across the United States and Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs.

Thank you to Ambassador Jose Manuel G. Romualdez, Deputy Chief of Mission Jaime Ramon T. Ascalon, Jr. and Third Secretary and Vice Consul Mark Dominic E. Lim for also taking the time for a courtesy call.

 

FYLPRO Tayo Fellow Wins APHA APIC Best Student Abstract Award

For Immediate Release

Media Contact:

Leezel Tanglao

leezel.tanglao@fylpro.org

October 12, 2023

                                             FYLPRO Tayo Fellow Wins APHA APIC Best Student Abstract Award

Filipino Young Leaders Program (FYLPRO) Tayo fellow Janeva Dimen wins American Public Health Association (APHA) Best Student Abstract Award from the Asian & Pacific Islander Caucus for Public Health (APIC). The Best Student Abstract Award recognizes an abstract among a field of exceptionally talented individuals that “truly stood out as a testament to commitment to excellence in academic endeavors.”

Dimen recently graduated from Wellesley College with a B.A. in Classics. At Wellesley, she was dedicated to building the AAPI community on and off campus as the Co-President of the Filipinx club, a Tayo Research Fellow, and a member of the Council of Young Filipinx Americans in Medicine. 

Dimen’s award and abstract, “Filipino young leaders program (FYLPRO) tayohelp.com: Addressing misinformation in Asian American communities by developing diverse public health advocates-in-training” will be presented at the upcoming APHA Annual Meeting & Exposition in Atlanta, Georgia, scheduled for November 12-15, 2023.

“As a Filipina pre-medical student, I struggled to find mentors and opportunities that truly resonated with me. Thus, I am forever grateful to the Tayo Research team and FYLPRO fellowship – two important catalysts that introduced me to inspiring mentors and peers; empowered me to continue pursuing medicine and public health; and opened my eyes to the various ways in which I can give back to my Filipino communities,” Dimen said. “Tayo’s Dr. Palma has been a crucial figure in my professional development; under her guidance, I have refined my research skills and learned about various Filipino health disparities. Dr. Palma has also helped me identify relevant career opportunities, including conferences such as the APHA conference. In these ways, Tayo and FYLPRO have introduced me to incredible career opportunities as well as an uplifting and supportive community. Having experienced the profound impact of mentorship, I hope to pay it forward by mentoring other Filipinx/a/o pre-health students and developing more health resources for our kababayan.”

Tayo’s cofounder and medical advisor Dr. Melissa Palma said the award is just confirmation of the fellowship program’s long lasting impact.

“As an organization dedicated to supporting our kababayan, FYLPRO continues to mentor our young professional leaders to bridge, represent, and discover deep ties to our Filipino heritage. Through programs like the FYLPRO Fellowship and Tayo Research team, our students and mentees learn to investigate and illuminate the experiences of Filipino immigrant communities and Filipinx/a/o Americans at high risk for cardiovascular disease. We are elated that the American Public Health Association APIC (Asian Pacific Islander Caucus for Public Health) has recognized Janeva Dimen, and the collective efforts of all of our Tayo Research Fellows, for their dedication and care to improve health equity for our communities,” Palma said.

About Filipino Young Leaders Program (FYLPRO)

FILIPINO YOUNG LEADERS PROGRAM (FYLPRO) is a network of high performing, next-generation leaders who advance the Philippines and the  Filipino people through their advocacy and expertise in various industries. We continually expand the pipeline of Filipino young leaders in the diaspora.  By connecting them to the motherland, we foster collaborative multinational  relationships that create innovations and support the socio-economic  progress of the global Filipino community.

For more information:

http://www.fylpro.org

About Tayo

Tayo, a project of the Filipino Young Leaders Program (FYLPRO), is an innovative data hub that empowers Filipinx/a/o communities by collecting data, fostering partnerships, publishing culturally relevant insights, and developing leaders to create an equitable and sustainable future.

For more information, visit tayohelp.com.

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FYLPRO’s Tayo Awarded NCAPA Racial Equity Grant

For Immediate Release

Media Contact:

Leezel Tanglao

leezel.tanglao@fylpro.org

October 11, 2023

                                                            FYLPRO’s Tayo Awarded NCAPA Racial Equity Grant

The Filipino Young Leaders Program (FYLPRO) is pleased to announce that it has been selected to receive a Racial Equity Grant from the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA). FYLPRO is one of 15 awardees that will use these funds to support initiatives that advance racial equity and promote civic engagement within Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities. 

“NCAPA is proud to support these AAPI organizations that are doing crucial work to uplift our communities. The work these organizations do has never been more important as we continue to face the reality of attacks on affirmative action, anti-Asian violence, the persistent spread of disinformation in our communities, and continued educational inequities for Southeast Asian and Pacific Islanders,” said Gregg Orton, National Director of NCAPA in a statement released on October 5. “NCAPA is grateful to collaborate with such a wonderful and diverse set of partners who are deeply committed to ensuring that our communities not only heal, but thrive and lift each other up as we go. Together, we can create a brighter future for all AAPI communities.”

“We are excited to be able to continue our work in combating misinformation on topics that are often not easy to discuss in our community,” said Leezel Tanglao, FYLPRO President and Co-Founder/Project Director of the organization’s media literacy platform and data innovation hub, Tayo. “As we explore ways to further collaborate across disciplines and beyond geographic borders, having this funding helps us bolster capacity in an intentional and meaningful way.”

Launched in 2020 as an online help desk connecting Filipino Americans to trustworthy, culturally relevant information for navigating the COVID-19 pandemic, Tayo will use the Racial Equity Grant to engage in critical analysis of narratives that exploit political divisions within the Filipino diaspora and cultivate educational spaces for building solidarity with other communities of color standing up to bigotry and discrimination.  

About National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA)

Based in Washington, D.C., the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA) coordinates and supports a coalition of forty-seven national Asian Pacific American organizations that represent the interests of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities and to provide a national voice for our communities’ concerns.

About Filipino Young Leaders Program (FYLPRO)

The Filipino Young Leaders Program (FYLPRO) is a network of high performing, next-generation leaders who advance the Philippines and the Filipino people through their advocacy and expertise in various industries. We continually expand the pipeline of Filipino young leaders in the diaspora.  By connecting them to the motherland, we foster collaborative multinational  relationships that create innovations and support the socio-economic  progress of the global Filipino community.

For more information, visit fylpro.org.

About Tayo

Tayo, a project of the Filipino Young Leaders Program (FYLPRO), is an innovative data hub that empowers Filipinx/a/o communities by collecting data, fostering partnerships, publishing culturally relevant insights, and developing leaders to create an equitable and sustainable future.

For more information, visit tayohelp.com.

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FYLPRO to Partner on Oral History Project Funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities

September 13, 2023

For immediate release:

Contact:

Leezel Tanglao

leezel.tanglao@fylpro.org

FYLPRO to Partner on Oral History Project Funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities

The Filipino Young Leaders Program (FYLPRO) is pleased to announce that it is a lead partner with the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) in an oral history project supported by a generous grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). On August 15, NEH issued a press release declaring that it had awarded $41.3 million in funding for 280 humanities projects across the United States as part of its latest grant cycle. “These 280 new grant awards underscore the wide range of exemplary, fascinating, and impactful humanities work that scholars, practitioners, and institutions are conducting in all corners of the country,” said NEH Chair Shelly C. Lowe.

Among the grantees is UIUC’s “Transnational Disinformation Networks and Asian Diasporic Politics” project, directed by Dr. Rachel Kuo, Assistant Professor of Media & Cinema Studies at UIUC, and Mark Calaguas, FYLPRO Executive Vice President and Board Chair of the Alliance of Filipinos for Immigrant Rights and Empowerment (AFIRE) in Chicago. “We are excited for the support of community collaboration, knowledge exchange, and storytelling as well as the opportunity to foster shared learning about the specific ways history and power shape our communities’ relationships to technology and democracy,” remarked Dr. Kuo, a scholar who writes, teaches, and researches race, social movements, and technology. “A 2021 report by Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy (AAPIP) found that while Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders made up roughly 7% of the U.S. population, only 0.2 percent of domestic grantmaking by foundations was designated to serve those communities. We thank NEH for their much welcomed investment in our work and hope this serves as a positive example for other decision-makers in the wider funding ecosystem,“ added Calaguas, co-founder and legal counsel for FYLPRO’s data innovation hub and media literacy initiative, Tayo.

UIUC is one of 16 NEH awardees under the “Dangers and Opportunities of Technology: Perspectives from the Humanities” grant and this funding will support the collection of intergenerational and multilingual testimonials to examine memory, political histories, and information networks across Asia and Asian American diasporas. Through their robust local and national networks, AFIRE and FYLPRO’s Tayo will facilitate collaborative storytelling workshops designed to better understand the experiences of the Filipino diaspora with respect to government, migration, survival, and political upheaval in connection with individual reflections on different media and information environments. “We have an important opportunity to explore the unspoken moments of truth and experience faced by those in the diaspora, including triumphs and traumas that deserve to be told. Storytelling can be a tool of empowerment, honor, kapwa (togetherness), and care because of the courage to be vulnerable and share our stories,” said Ryan Viloria, AFIRE Executive Director. “This is a prime moment to tell our stories that normally get overlooked and overshadowed,” said Leezel Tanglao, FYLPRO President and Tayo Co-Founder/Project Director. “As a multigenerational diasporic community, there is no shortage of narratives that weave together a larger story of trauma, survival, and resilience while adapting and innovating to every situation that comes our way.”

The project will commence in early 2024 and is scheduled to last through the end of 2025. In light of the various challenges in communicating about politics across generations and languages, the collaborators plan for the storytelling sessions to generate a number of resources for public education and civic reflection, such as community convenings, history and media guides, and a book length manuscript. In doing so, we hope to bring together the diverse histories and contexts of Asian American diasporic experiences which are key to understanding how our communities engage with today’s ever-shifting media and tech landscape. 

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ABOUT NEH

Created in 1965 as an independent federal agency, the National Endowment for the Humanities supports research and learning in history, literature, philosophy, and other areas of the humanities by funding selected, peer-reviewed proposals from around the nation. Additional information about the National Endowment for the Humanities and its grant programs is available at: www.neh.gov.

ABOUT AFIRE

The Alliance of ​​Filipinos ​for I​mmigrant ​R​ights & ​​Empowerment​ (AFIRE) is a grassroots community organization that builds the capacity of Filipinx/a/os*​ ​to​ ​organize on issues of social, racial, and economic justice that affect undocumented​ ​immigrants, domestic workers, seniors, and youth.
* We use Filipinx/a/o as shorthand for Filipinx/Filipina/Filipino to honor all gender identities.

ABOUT FYLPRO

Filipino Young Leaders Program (FYLPRO) is a network of high performing, next-generation leaders who advance the Philippines and the Filipino people through their advocacy and expertise in various industries. 

We continually expand the pipeline of Filipino young leaders in the diaspora.  By connecting them to the motherland, we foster collaborative multinational  relationships that create innovations and support the socio-economic progress of the global Filipino community.

For more information, visit fylpro.org.

ABOUT TAYO

Tayo, a project of the Filipino Young Leaders Program (FYLPRO), is an innovative data hub that empowers Filipinx/a/o communities by collecting data, fostering partnerships, publishing culturally relevant insights, and developing leaders to create an equitable and sustainable future.

For more information, visit tayohelp.com.

 

Filipino Young Leaders Program Announces Summer 2023 Class of Tayo Fellows

July 11, 2023

For Immediate Release:

Contact:

TJ Simba-Medel

tayofellowship@fylpro.org

Filipino Young Leaders Program Announces Summer 2023 Class of Tayo Fellows

The Tayo Fellowship Program is excited to announce the selection of twenty-four Filipino American young leaders into its Summer 2023 cohort. Through the fellowship, Tayo Fellows will have the unique experience of contributing to the growing work of Tayo’s online misinformation and public health projects and spearhead the development of the Tayo Courageous Conversations Pilot Program. 

“In order to find something that’s never been found, you need to be lost first,” said TJ Simba-Medel, FYLPRO Tayo Fellowship Director, “In that spirit, I am excited to go into the unknown with this historical cohort as we embark on a journey of reimagining what it means to be courageous in our conversations with one another.”

The 2023 Tayo Fellows are:

  • Alexa Lauve Simon (she/they)- Fremont, CA
  • Alexandra Reyes (she/her) – Philadelphia, PA
  • Alyssa Caldito (she/her) – Ann Arbor, MI
  • Angela Labador (siya/she) – Tempe, AZ
  • Angela Rose David (she/her) – Los Angeles, CA
  • Angelica Ahmann (she/her) – Madison, WI
  • Ania Ty  (she/her) – Washington, DC
  • Caitlin Jayne Agnes (she/her) – Philadelphia, PA
  • Danielle Mangabat (she/her) – Atlanta, GA
  • Dasha Pates (she/her) – Aurora, IL
  • Erika Acosta (she/her) – Philadelphia, PA
  • Faye Suficiencia (she/her) – San Antonio, TX
  • Janeen Simon (she/her) – Arroyo Grande, CA
  • Janeva Nicole Dimen (she/her)  – Wellesley, MA
  • Jayson Cayanan (he/him) – Chicago, IL
  • Jazmine Alcon (she/her) Jersey City, NJ
  • Jelynn Tatad (she/her) – Providence, RI
  • Katrina Itona (she/her) – New Milford, NJ 
  • Katrina Manrique (she/her) – Los Angeles, CA
  • Keala Marie Marasigan (she/her) – Corvallis, OR
  • Kim Navarro (she/her) – Washington, DC
  • Lily Varilla (she/her) – Madison, WI
  • Malakai Espinosa (he/him) – Los Angeles, CA
  • Nina Mondero (she/her) – Chicago, IL 

This year’s cohort marks the Tayo Fellowship Program’s fourth cohort and its largest cohort to date, nearly tripling in size to recognize the diverse talent, perspectives, and motivations of Filipino American young leaders within this year’s application pool. 

This cohort consists of fellows who are in high school, college, and working professionals.  This year’s cohort includes new regions represented with fellows from Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, and Washington. 

This program will allow our fellows to participate in various projects, research, events, and professional development opportunities. Some projects include web content writing, event planning, organizational development, surveys and research, audio and video production, and misinformation and  disinformation tracking. These projects will directly relate to focus areas our Tayo fellows are interested in, including civic engagement and policy, solidarity across communities, mental health, and public health and health disparities. 

To support this year’s cohort, the Tayo Fellowship Program Team will consist of TJ Simba-Medel as Fellowship Director, Krystle Canare as Mental Health Advisor, and the addition of former Tayo Fellows, Sarah Mae Dizon and Joed Garbo, who will serve as Fellowship Program Managers to support fellows in their day-to-day operations and Courageous Conversations curriculum development.

“As a former Tayo fellow, I’m excited to rejoin the fellowship and support this summer’s programming. I’m thrilled to welcome the largest cohort of Tayo fellows, each bringing unique backgrounds and experiences that will contribute to our reflective discussions and purposeful projects. I can’t wait to witness the incredible synergy among this inspiring cohort of Fil-Am leaders from all corners of the country,” said Joed Garbo.

“I’m excited to see how this year’s group of bright, talented leaders will shape Tayo’s vital work,” said Sarah Mae Dizon, FYLPRO Tayo Fellowship Manager and former fellow from the 2020 cohort. “The diversity in this year’s cohort will certainly help us address the unique, nuanced needs of Filipina/o communities across the country and the diaspora.” 

All of these endeavors expand Tayo’s ability to achieve its mission and vision of becoming an Innovative data hub that empowers Filipina/o communities by collecting data, fostering partnerships, publishing culturally relevant insights, and developing leaders to create an equitable and sustainable future. 

FYLPRO’s Summer 2023 Tayo Fellows include:

Alexa Lauve Simon (she/they) – Fremont, CA

Alexa Love is a versatile creative with a background in political science, theater, and creative arts. With a degree in Political Science, they possess a deep understanding of social issues and the power of advocacy. As a theater technician, they excel in organizing and problem-solving, ensuring seamless productions. Their creative skills in drawing, photography, and writing have created an outlet for them to express their voice and ideas. Dedicated to making a positive impact, Alexa brings together their multidimensional skill set to contribute to various non-profit initiatives, promoting social change and sharing diverse stories with the world.

Alexandra Reyes (she/her) – Philadelphia, PA

Hi! I’m Alexandra Reyes (call me Alex!), an incoming senior in the 4+1 BS/MPH program at Temple University, and I am so excited to be a part of Tayo! I am eager to contribute to projects that address the unique health needs faced by Filipino Americans, and especially ways that cultural and social factors impact health within immigrant communities. In my free time, I love trying out new restaurants with my friends, crocheting, and going to the beach.

Alyssa Caldito (she/her) – Ann Arbor, MI

Alyssa Caldito is a rising junior at the University of Michigan studying Community and Global Public Health with minors in Asian/Pacific Islander American (A/PIA) Studies and Community Action and Social Change. She hopes to pursue a joint Master of Public Health and Master of Social Work (MPH/MSW) Degree with aspirations to work with community organizations to advocate for systemic solutions to health disparities in marginalized communities. As a first-generation Filipino American, Alyssa has always sought to involve herself in the AAPI community, regardless of where she is. On campus, her involvements include the Filipino American Student Association, where she has served as the organization’s previous Co-Cultural Chair and current Co-President. Additionally, as a Museum Assistant at the U-M Museum of Anthropological Archaeology, she worked closely with the ReConnect/ReCollect Project to explore creating reparative connections to the Philippine archival collections at the University of Michigan. Off-campus, she is an intern for The American Citizens for Justice, a non-profit advocacy organization whose mission is to advance racial equality for all, especially the AAPI community.

Angela Labador (siya/she) – Tempe, AZ

Angela Labador (siya/she) is currently a Ph.D. candidate in Communication at Arizona State University. Born and raised in Manila, Philippines, Angela is a Pinay educator and researcher working with Filipino community organizations in Texas and Arizona. Angela’s work spans communication research, critical pedagogy, and arts-based workshops and performance.

Angela Rose David (she/her) – Los Angeles, CA

Angela Rose David is a first generation Filipino American, born and raised in Los Angeles, California, with familial ties to Oriental Mindoro, Philippines. She graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in 2018 with a B.S. in Biology and a double minor in Spanish and Public Health. After spending two years interning with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on projects related to public health education and COVID-19 preparedness, she went on to complete a yearlong research fellowship at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.  Utilizing these research experiences, Angela Rose now works at UCLA full-time as the project manager for a lab that explores health disparities affecting the Filipino immigrant population. 

Angelica Ahmann (she/her) – Madison, WI

Angelica Ahmann is a first-generation, Filipino-American third-year student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is studying Neurobiology with certificates in Global Health and Southeast Asian Studies in hopes to pursue a career in Neurorehabilitation for incarcerated teens in underrepresented communities around the world. Angelica is also currently serving as Cultural Chair for UW-Madison’s Filipinx-American Student Association (FASO) and spent this previous semester working as an intern for the organization. Angelica takes great pride to have the opportunity to be in a position where she can both celebrate and enlighten herself and others about Filipino culture.

Ania Ty (she/her) – Washington, DC

Ania is highly passionate about the intersections between economic mobility, environmental and climate justice, race, gender, public health, and migration. Prior to serving as a Tayo Help Fellow, Ania was an Analyst at Bell Creek Consulting where she cultivated upward economic mobility in localities by supporting the adoption of job quality frameworks, researching ways local leaders could use new federal grants to advance environmental justice and build green economies, and more. She has also interned at climate and environment-focused organizations and identified the disparities in pollution burdens among low-income communities of color, advocated for the passage of critical state-level legislation alongside other youth organizers, and researched and co-authored a report on environmental justice efforts from US Climate Alliance states. 

Throughout college Ania was highly involved in the Asian and Pacific Islander community at the local and national level. At her university, she served as the president of her campus Filipino American student association and worked at the campus’ Asian and Pacific Cultural Center for several years, helping to usher in the center’s first Pacific Islander director; at OCA Asian Pacific American Advocates, she created a permanent part of the organization’s youth curriculum that aims to train college and university students in equitable and effective leadership. She is incredibly proud to be a 1.5 generation Pinay immigrant and is especially energized to serve Filipinos impacted by the gendered nature of labor and labor-driven migration. 

Ania graduated summa cum laude from Oregon State University through their dual degree program, earning a Bachelor’s in Political Science and a Bachelor’s in Public Policy (environmental and energy policy) with minors in Public Health and Ethnic Studies.

Caitlin Jayne Agnes (she/her) – Philadelphia, PA

Caitlin Jayne Agnes is a upcoming junior pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Public Health at Temple University. Her involvement in the Filipino Curriculum Project, where she collaborates with high school students and educators in Hawai’i to construct a curriculum emphasizing the importance of Philippine history and culture in shaping cultural identity, has ignited her passion for promoting cultural awareness and education. As the Event Coordinator: Cultural Chair at the Temple University Philippine American Council (TUPAC), Caitlin ensures inclusive and engaging presentations that foster cultural understanding. These experiences inspire her pursuit of a degree in public health, where she aims to address health disparities, promote cultural sensitivity, and advocate for equitable healthcare access within marginalized communities. Caitlin is grateful to be chosen for this year’s TAYO fellowship and looks forward to gaining new skills that may benefit her in the future.

Danielle Mangabat (she/her) – Atlanta, GA

Danielle Mangabat, a recent graduate of Emory University with a B.S. in Human Biology and Anthropology, is an interdisciplinary research scholar and activist. Her areas of interest encompass ethnoracial health disparities, health equity, Philippine sovereignty and democracy, and environmental justice. Currently, as a Research and Communications Intern at the Frontline Resource Institute, Danielle supports frontline communities facing environmental and climate injustice. 

During her undergraduate career, Danielle founded Emory University’s Filipino Student Association and hosted the first Georgia Filipino Student Association Summit – attended by over 80 students across 5 Georgia universities – with a focus on community-building, cultural awareness, and education and advocacy. She envisions Filipino Student Associations as not just safe spaces for Filipino-American students to celebrate their shared identity but also as platforms for learning, engaging, and mobilizing around social justice issues. In her fourth year, she conducted global ethnographic fieldwork in the Philippines and earned highest honors for her thesis titled, “Confronting Colonial Legacies: Imagining a Decolonial Future for the Philippines through Reproductive Health”. This year, Danielle will continue research and engagement with human-rights-based community organizations as a Fulbright student under the guidance of the Anthropology department at the University of the Philippines – Diliman. 

In her free time, Danielle likes to travel, learn new recipes, hike, read, make art, and shop for sustainable fashion! Danielle is excited to make connections with the Filipino community at home in the New York/New Jersey area.

Dasha Pates (she/her) – Aurora, IL

Dasha Pates is a recent graduate of Aurora University with a B.A. Political Science and concentrations in Spanish and Pre-Law. She immigrated from the Philippines to Chicago, IL when she was 9 years old, and is very passionate about immigration rights for the Filipino community. At AU, Dasha was President of the Pre-Law Student Association and she plans to eventually attend law school. Currently, she is interning at the Kane County Public Defender’s Office, and starting in the fall she will be dedicating a year of service as an Illinois JusticeCorps Fellow for Kane County helping self-represented litigants in the courthouse. In her free time, Dasha enjoys baking desserts, dancing to K-Pop, and watching horror movies!

Erika Acosta (she/her) – Philadelphia, PA

Erika Acosta (she/her) is a rising senior at the University of Pennsylvania studying Health and Societies with a concentration in Health Policy and Law and minors in English and Asian American Studies. She is passionate about minority health equity, violence prevention, and AAPI empowerment. As former President and current Executive Board Member of the Penn Philippine Association, she is also especially passionate about promoting Filipino culture in the Philadelphia community and beyond. In her free time, you can find her cross-stitching, playing the bandurria, or daydreaming stories in her head that she promises she’ll write someday.

Faye Suficiencia (she/her) – San Antonio, TX

Faye Suficiencia is a senior majoring in political science with a concentration in international law and a minor in communications at Texas A&M University-San Antonio. Originally from General Santos, Philippines, Faye hopes to combine her passion for people with her interest in uplifting international communities through the nonprofit sector. Upon finishing her bachelor’s, she hopes to attend law school to eventually become an international human rights lawyer.

Janeen Simon (she/her) – Arroyo Grande, CA

A current senior in high school and sixteen years old! I live in the Central Coast of California and in my spare time, I enjoy listening to music, hanging out with my friends, and shopping.

She is incredibly thrilled and proud of myself to be joining Tayo this summer as she is able to immerse herself into something new and have the opportunity to learn from others!

Janeva Nicole Dimen (she/her)  – Wellesley, MA

Janeva Nicole Dimen recently graduated from Wellesley College with a B.A. in Classics. At Wellesley, she was dedicated to building the AAPI community on and off campus as the Co-President of the Filipinx club, a volunteer researcher for Tayo, and a member of the Council of Young Filipinx Americans in Medicine. She is passionate about issues concerning health and educational equity, mental health, and sexual and reproductive health and rights, especially in the context of Filipinx communities.

 In her free time, Janeva can usually be found in the water, swimming or playing water polo. Janeva also loves the ocean and conducted research on the effects of climate change on the rocky intertidal. In her post-graduate life, Janeva hopes to explore the beaches of Maryland, where she will be conducting research on health disparities.

Jayson Cayanan (he/him) – Chicago, IL

Jayson (he/him) was born in the Philippines and raised in Southern California. He is a recent Master of Public Policy graduate from the University of Chicago. He is a non-profit professional as a program manager at Reading Between the Lines, a non-profit providing incarcerated individuals with reentry services that bolster job readiness and workforce development.

Jazmine Alcon (she/her) Jersey City, NJ

Jazmine Alcon is an Ilocana immigrant, mental health advocate, and community builder who uses digital platforms to share stories rooted in vulnerability that help nourish collective healing. She is the co-founder of Risen Zine, a global online sociopolitical magazine by and for young creatives and AAPI Mental Health, a digital platform dedicated to redefining the mental health conversation in the Asian and Pacific Islander community. She is currently the co-executive producer of a video production focused on bridging generational gaps in BIPOC mental health funded by a TikTok grant and continues to empower young creatives of color by sharing her authentic self online.

Jelynn Tatad (she/her) – Providence, RI

Jelynn Tatad is a rising senior at Brown University studying Biochemistry with a master’s in Biotechnology. At Brown, she is a co-president of Filipino Alliance, where she organized a group independent study about Filipino language and culture and led efforts to petition for Tagalog to become an official class. She is also an outreach coordinator for Brown Science Olympiad, a leader for the Biochemistry undergraduate group, and an active member of the Southeast Asian Studies Initiative. She is passionate about scientific research, community building, and education, with the intention of pursuing a career intersecting these fields to address health disparities. Outside of school, she loves cafe hopping, watching K-dramas, and scrolling through Pinterest.

Katrina Itona (she/her/hers) – New Milford, NJ 

Katrina Itona is a rising Sophomore at the University of Pennsylvania majoring in Comparative Literature with minors in Fine Arts and Data Science. She is currently the District V Secretary of the Filipino Intercollegiate Networking Dialogue (FIND), Inc. and an active member of the Penn Philippine Association (PPA) at the University of Pennsylvania. Additionally, she is on the Executive Board for the PEER Mentoring Program, a one-to-one mentorship matching program for first year Asian Pacific Islander students at Penn. Through her interdisciplinary interests and love of her culture, she advocates for arts engagement and community building. Seeing the arts as a medium of healing, Katrina aspires to investigate the ways literature, art, and technology can inspire hope and connection in others. Outside of her academics, Katrina is a creative writer and artist. She is a designer at her school’s premier student newspaper and art magazine, and on the student advisory board of the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) in Philadelphia. Katrina was inspired by Tayo’s mission to reach Filipino youth and the theme of “kwentuhan.” She hopes that she can share her love of storytelling to other Filipinos in the diaspora and collaborate with the other fellows to create something that allows youth to express themselves freely.

Katrina Manrique (she/her) – Los Angeles, CA

Katrina Manrique is an incoming management consultant based in Los Angeles, California. She holds a Master of Public Policy from the University of Southern California’s Price School of Public Policy and a Graduate Certificate in Business Analytics from the Marshall School of Business. Prior to USC, Katrina received a Bachelor of Arts in History and English from the University of California, Davis and brings half a decade of experience interning and leading public interest organizations.

Her incoming role as a consultant is informed by her prior experiences as a student organizer, public health advocate, and daughter to Filipino immigrants. While attending UC Davis, Katrina co-founded a student-run mental health campaign to increase the number of on-campus mental health counselors and generated support from 1,000+ students and families. This subsequently led to her nomination on the Chancellor’s Student Mental Health Care Task Force where she co-authored campus-wide mental health reforms for UC Davis’s 30,000+ undergraduate students. 

Since then, Katrina continues to be at the forefront of social change and advocacy amidst an ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Most recently, through the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, Katrina co-authored several countywide motions for Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell to address various health concerns affecting Los Angeles County. This includes the rise of sexually transmitted diseases, increased youth mentorship for at-risk girls of color, and the shortage of county health workers in Los Angeles County. These experiences have informed her subsequent internship at LA Care, which provides healthcare coverage to over 2.5 million Angelinos. Katrina is now excited to direct her experiences towards uplifting the broader Filipino diaspora as a Tayo Fellow. 

Keala Marie Marasigan (she/her) – Corvallis, OR

Keala Marasigan is a third year pharmacy student at Oregon State University. Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, Keala has been active in the Filipino community since her days at Seattle University, participating in the United Filipino Club, as well as through other organizations such as the National Federation of Filipino American Federations (NaFFAA). She is interested in bridging her career in healthcare with her passion for community advocacy, gaining skills and resources to share with communities that have historically been unserved.

Kim Navarro (she/her) – Washington, DC

Kim Navarro is a graduate student at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University, with an interest in sustainable development, global health, and climate resilience. She is currently interning with Oxfam America and working on her capstone project in community-based adaptation to extreme weather and seismic events in the Philippines. Prior to graduate school, she spent two years as a health volunteer in rural Madagascar, working with local partners on improving child and maternal health outcomes. She also has five years of experience in the public sector at the state and federal level providing social services for vulnerable populations.

She spent her early childhood in Pasig, Philippines, and has also lived in Yokosuka, Japan, and Naples, Italy. She hopes to return to the Philippines and the Indo-Pacific region to work in sustainable development and climate change adaptation. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking, hiking, and playing video games.

Lily Varilla (she/her) – Madison, WI

Lily Varilla is a rising sophomore at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she is pursuing a major in Communication Science and Rhetorical Studies with minors in Digital Studies and Asian American Studies. This past year, she has gotten involved with UW-Madison’s Filipinx American Student Organization (FASO) and was recently elected to serve as FASO’s Secretary for the upcoming academic year. Lily is extremely excited to work with the FYLPRO team and work towards uplifting the Filipinx community.

Malakai Espinosa (he/him) – Los Angeles, CA

Malakai Espinosa is a rising 4th year student at the University of California, Los Angeles majoring in Human Biology and Society with minors in Anthropology and Public Health. After finishing undergrad, Malakai plans to pursue a career in Health Policy and Management, with an intention of receiving a Master’s in Public Health. At UCLA, he has been involved with Samahang Pilipino, the largest Pilipinx organization on campus, with over 400 members. Malakai has served as the External Vice President for the past 2 years, taking on the role of President for the upcoming academic year. Malakai also loves working with youth, as he currently serves as an intern for the project All Children Thrive California, as well as teaching children and teenagers how to program. Malakai is excited to work with the TAYO team and other fellows this summer, hoping to gain more insight on the experiences of Pilipinx and Pilipinx-Americans from other parts of the nation!

Nina Mondero (she/her) – Chicago, IL 

Nina Mondero is a rising senior at Brown University studying Health and Human Biology on the pre-med track. She is passionate about health disparities research and learning about the social determinants of health. She is interested in possibly specializing in pediatrics, and has previous experience in pediatric clinical research at Brown and Northwestern University. Nina is so proud of her Filipino identity and is Co-President of Brown’s Filipino identity club, Filipino Alliance. She helped organize and lead a group independent study course in Filipino language and culture in which 20 other students enrolled. She was previously chosen to be the youngest participant in the inaugural Midwest Youth Leaders in Diaspora (YouLeaD) Immersion Program sponsored by the Philippine government. In this program, she was given the opportunity to travel to the Philippines to meet with members of the Philippine legislature and civic leaders, and gain a deeper understanding and appreciation for her Filipino heritage. Outside of school and work, Nina loves running along the Chicago lakefront, playing ukulele, and watching movies with friends.

About Tayo

Tayo, a project of the Filipino Young Leaders Program (FYLPRO), is an innovative data hub that empowers Filipinx/a/o communities by collecting data, fostering partnerships, publishing culturally relevant insights, and developing leaders to create an equitable and sustainable future.

For more information, visit tayohelp.com.

About Filipino Young Leaders Program (FYLPRO)

FILIPINO YOUNG LEADERS PROGRAM (FYLPRO) is a network of high performing, next-generation leaders who advance the Philippines and the Filipino people through their advocacy and expertise in various industries. 

We continually expand the pipeline of Filipino young leaders in the diaspora.  By connecting them to the motherland, we foster collaborative multinational  relationships that create innovations and support the socio-economic progress of the global Filipino community.

For more information, visit fylpro.org.

# # #

Filipino Young Leaders Program Announces 2023 Immersion Cohort

For Immediate Release

Media Contact:

Leezel Tanglao

leezel.tanglao@fylpro.org

June 16, 2023

Filipino Young Leaders Program Announces 2023 Immersion Cohort

The Filipino Young Leaders Program (FYLPRO), a joint initiative of the Philippine Embassy, Consulates General in the United States, and the Ayala Foundation, Inc. (AFI), is pleased to announce the 2023 FYLPRO Delegates. 

This year’s class marks the second in person immersion program in more than three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This year’s cohort is the 10th batch to participate in FYLPRO’s signature immersion program.

The 2023 FYLPRO Delegates (in alphabetic order) are:

  1. Tracy Badua, San Diego, CA
  2. Arienne Calingo, South Bend, IN
  3. Walbert Castillo, Las Vegas, NV
  4. Nikki Chan, Stockton, CA
  5. Yana Gilbuena, Oakland, CA
  6. Trish La Chica, Mililani, HI
  7. Athena Lao, Astoria, NY
  8. Juslyn Manalo, Daly City, CA
  9. Cindy Martin, Chicago, IL
  10.  Christine Melendres, San Ramon, CA
  11.  Lourdes Moldre, Vallejo, CA
  12.  Christian Osmena, Phoenix, AZ
  13.  Rey Paolo Roca, Norwalk, CA
  14.  Jan Tancinco, New York, NY
  15.  Patricia Tumang, Glendale, CA

In the 2023 application cycle, changes made last year continued to yield an even more competitive application pool in particular, raising the age limit from 40 to 45. The increased age limit gave an opportunity to those who would have aged out during the pandemic.

The immersion program selection committee also instituted a rigorous double blind review process that concluded in a final virtual interview.

“It’s only fitting that with this strong cohort, that they represent our 10th batch,” said 2022-2023 FYLPRO President Leezel Tanglao. “This year’s cohort continues to raise the bar across underrepresented industries, locations and advocacies. I cannot wait for them to take part in this transformative experience.”

This year’s cohort includes new regions represented with delegates from South Bend (Indiana), Las Vegas (Nevada), Phoenix (Arizona) and Stockton, California. Among this cohort are several Fulbright Scholars, an award winning children’s book author, documentary filmmaker and the first Filipino American woman to become Mayor in Daly City, California.

The delegates will be traveling in a week-long immersion trip to Manila, Philippines in August, another change from previous years.

When told about the final 2023 FYLPRO cohort, Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez said “I congratulate the 10th batch of FYLPRO delegates, who have been chosen to embark on this transformative journey. Their selection for this program is a testament to their exceptional talent, passion, and commitment to making a positive impact in the Filipino-American community and beyond. Their diverse backgrounds and remarkable talents demonstrate that Filipino-Americans have emerged as leaders and trailblazers in various fields, both geographically and professionally. I am confident that their passion, talent, and commitment will contribute to advancing the spirit of innovation, collaboration, and cultural exchange that defines  the “enduring friendship” of our two nations.”

The delegates will get the opportunity to meet and interact with Philippine Government officials and leaders in the fields of business, arts and culture, and civil society.

“As we celebrate the 125th anniversary of Philippine independence, we are honored to provide a platform for our Fil-Am leaders to engage in meaningful dialogue with movers and shakers both in the Philippines and the United States. To mark the 10th batch of FYLPRO, we look forward to collaborating with our delegates in creating an impact in the lives of Filipinos all over the world,” said Ayala Foundation President Ruel T. Maranan.

FYLPRO was established in 2012 by Former Ambassador of the Republic of the Philippines to the United States of America, Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. and Mrs. Victoria J. Cuisia in cooperation with the Ayala Foundation Inc. (AFI) to annually identify outstanding young professionals in the Filipino communities across the United States and provide the delegates with invaluable community, business, and government insights and access to distinguished network captains of industry and government.

About Filipino Young Leaders Program (FYLPRO)

FILIPINO YOUNG LEADERS PROGRAM (FYLPRO) is a network of high performing, next-generation leaders who advance the Philippines and the Filipino people through their advocacy and expertise in various industries. 

We continually expand the pipeline of Filipino young leaders in the diaspora.  By connecting them to the motherland, we foster collaborative multinational  relationships that create innovations and support the socio-economic progress of the global Filipino community.

For more information, visit fylpro.org.

About the Ayala Foundation, Inc.

As the social development arm of the Ayala group of companies, Ayala Foundation envisions communities where people are creative, productive, self-reliant, and proud to be Filipino. Ayala Foundation is committed to community development, working closely with communities in identifying compelling developmental needs and providing suitable solutions with measurable outcomes. It implements programs under the following themes: Education, Sustainable Livelihood, and Love of Country.  

About the Philippine Embassy in the United States

The Philippine Embassy’s mission is to promote and protect Philippine interests in the global community. Republic Act No. 7157, otherwise known as “Philippine Foreign Service Act of 1991”, gives mandate to the Department of Foreign Affairs to implement the three (3) pillars of the Philippine Foreign Policy, as follows:

  • Preservation and enhancement of national security
  • Promotion and attainment of economic security
  • Protection of the rights and promotion of the welfare and interest of Filipinos overseas.

                                                                                            ###

2023 Immersion Delegates

Tracy Badua – Tracy Badua is an attorney serving as a Senior Housing Program Officer in the Office of Housing Counseling at the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. At HUD, she is vice president of the Department’s Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Employee Resource Group and has collaborated with partners across all levels of government in planning heritage month celebration events, promoting workplace and federal initiatives, and striving to ensure that AANHPIs are represented in data, policies, and the workforce. Tracy is also active in the Filipino American lawyer community, serving in leadership roles in the National Filipino American Lawyers Association and the Filipino American Lawyers of San Diego. 

In addition, Tracy is an award-winning author of books for young people. According to her grandmother, Tracy inherited this love of the written word from her great-grandfather, a school teacher in the Philippines. To her, this means writing is in her blood, and she continues this family tradition by telling stories with her own spin in an accessible, heartfelt way. 

Tracy has served as an Article Editor for the California Real Property Journal and was a Round 8 mentor for Author Mentor Match and 2021 Pitch Wars mentor. She was awarded the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators’ 2023 Sid Fleischman Humor Award, the inaugural SCBWI Out from the Margins Award, and a Conference Choice Award at the 2017 San Diego State University Writers’ Conference. She continues to write books featuring Filipino American main characters and is slated to publish three books in 2024.


Arienne Calingo – Arienne Calingo serves as the Communications Specialist for Notre Dame Law School’s Religious Liberty Initiative (RLI) and is responsible for executing the RLI’s marketing efforts. Her role involves the dynamic intersection between writing, graphic design, public relations, higher education, student outreach, social media management, and other communication-related tasks. As a champion for diversity and inclusion, Arienne feels honored to work for one of the largest academic institutions in the world dedicated to promoting, protecting, and defending religious freedom for all people. She is also a contributing writer for The Manila Times and is dedicated to advancing pertinent Filipino and Filipino American issues.

Arienne previously worked as the Senior Educational Consultant and Video Producer for Leap Finance, where she helped lead their Dubai office. She was the first woman to serve as EducationUSA Ambassador for the U.S. Embassy in Manila and has given advice to outbound Filipino students, alongside former U.S. Ambassador Sung Kim and consular officers. Prior to that, she taught Arabic language and Middle Eastern culture at Holy Angel University in Angeles City, Philippines. Arienne also served as the International Cooperation Assistant in the Bureau of International Cooperation Strategy, an agency of the Office of the Higher Education Commission of the Thailand Ministry of Education.

She graduated with honors from Georgetown University and obtained her master’s degree in International Education Policy from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. While at Harvard, she served as the project lead for developing an open e-learning course on diversity, equity, and inclusion for the UNESCO Chair in Open Technologies for Open Educational Resources and Open Learning. Immediately after graduation, Arienne was a Teaching Fellow for the Center for Asia Leadership and taught a Harvard Business School course on leadership development to students and business executives in Malaysia, South Korea, and China.

She is extremely passionate about empowering the youth, particularly in the ASEAN region, to take action and help reform education. Arienne has publicly spoken about cultural diplomacy, diversity and inclusion, and international higher education at various venues, such as Harvard University, Georgetown University, Office of the Higher Education Commission of Thailand, Fulbright Thailand, ASEAN Youth Organization, and the British Council.

In addition to her extensive work in education, Arienne enjoys playing basketball every day after work, winning in Mario Kart, and exploring all forms of art. She is currently pursuing several artistic endeavors that span across different forms, including mixed media art, photography, poetry, graphic design, dance, music, and fashion design. Her mixed media art, photography, and poetry have been featured in exhibitions at Harvard University, the St. Joe County Public Library, and University of Notre Dame. Arienne seeks to use her artwork as a vehicle to raise awareness of international human rights and social justice issues. One of her first pieces, Droga at Dugo (Drugs and Blood) sought to call attention to the extrajudicial killings in the Philippines’ war on drugs. Arienne is excited to further explore her Filipino culture and bring her international perspectives to the FYLPRO team.


Walbert Castillo – Walbert Castillo is a creative industries leader with a history of working in journalism and documentary storytelling. Walbert currently works at Amazon as an Associate Creative Director for AWS Global Brand Creative and is the Founder/Owner of Istorya, a Filipino pop-up restaurant that serves culinary journeys inspired by Pre-Colonial Philippines. He hopes to provide food experiences that inspire joy, drive exploration of Filipino identities, and rekindle a connection to our roots. Prior to that, he worked at USA TODAY as a Multimedia Journalist in Washington, D.C. and co-founded the network’s first Asian-American Employee Resource Group (ERG). He is currently on the Filipinos@Amazon Leadership Team, the Young Professionals Coalitions Director for the National Federation of Filipino American Association (NaFFAA) Nevada State Chapter, and the Director of Special Projects for the Filipino American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Nevada (FACCGN). Walbert received his B.A. in Journalism in 2016 at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. 


Nikki Chan – Nikki Chan is a community advocate, graphic designer, small business owner, and journalist from Stockton, CA. She comes from a family of field workers of the “Manong” generation who immigrated to the Central Valley to work in the agricultural fields.

She uses her skills in design and journalism to raise voices of marginalized communities. She has designed for various social justice campaigns like Stop Asian Hate, get out the vote, and police-free schools. She has also written and published headlines at Fusion Media and Mahalaya. 

She has lent her skills to city health initiatives like the Healthy Beverage Ordinance, Greenlining the Hood, and issues affecting Asian American Pacific Islanders. She currently serves as the Executive Director of Empowering Marginalized Asian Communities (EMAC) in Stockton, CA, an organization that serves and supports marginalized Southeast Asians by empowering communities through advocacy and healing from our present and past disparities to build an equitable and robust future. Some of EMAC’s programming includes supporting victims of violence, re-entry services, youth leadership development, and 

On the side, Nikki runs her small food business Sarap Sa Chan, that specializes in Filipino and Asian inspired eats that are “yummy for your tummy” and shares taste that are reminiscent of your childhood. She was also finally diagnosed with ADHD as an adult and has been actively navigating and engaging in care practices that support those who are neurodivergent.


Yana Gilbuena – Yana Gilbuena, a Philippine-born, critically-acclaimed, ancestrally-taught chef, started SALO Series as a way to educate folks about the history, culture and rich heritage embedded in Filipino cuisine. Their work centers on the decolonization/redigenization through food. Their pop-up, the Salo Series, seeks to celebrate the beautiful pre-colonial tradition of eating with one’s hands, called Kamayan, and disrupt the western constructs of dining. They founded LAMON: a Filipino Food and Wine Festival, happening this year in October in Berkeley, California.

Their pioneering odyssey of bringing Filipino cuisine and Kamayan to all 50 states in 50 weeks back in 2014, influenced the trajectory of the popularity and awareness of the Filipino Food Movement and inspired them to take this concept globally by extending their tour to Canada, Mexico, Colombia, Australia, New Zealand, Europe and their home country, the Philippines.

They are a 2017 Stone Barns Exchange Fellow, a 2021 Real Food Real Stories Facilitator Fellow, a 2021 Mae Writing Fellow, a Food Culture Collective Stewardship Council Member and have also been featured in major publications such as The New York Times, SF Chronicle and National Geographic and more. They’re a contributor to Serious Eats, AllRecipes, and have been published in The Cherry Bombe Cookbook, Feed the Resistance and have self-published their own: No Forks Given in March 2019. This global Filipinx food evangelist aims to further their mission and host a Salo on every continent (and resume this quest once we’ve all been vaccinated for COVID 19). You can follow their adventures @saloseries.


Trish La Chica – Representative Trish La Chica represents Hawaii’s 37th district in Central Oahu, which encompasses Mililani Town, Mililani Mauka, Koa Ridge, and Waipi’o Gentry. Governor Josh Green appointed her in February 2023 following the resignation of the incumbent. With over 15 years of leadership experience, Trish has made significant contributions to non-profit organizations, state, and county government, focusing on public health, Medicaid, housing, and homelessness. Raised in the Philippines by her single father, Trish experienced economic hardship that fueled her determination to overcome challenges. After attending Ateneo de Manila University, her academic achievements caught the attention of ABS-CBN’s The Correspondents, the top investigative documentary show in the Philippines. Immersing herself in the lives of people across the country, Trish passionately pursued human interest stories, shedding light on their struggles and fighting against corruption.

In 2009, Trish embarked on a new chapter, migrating to San Francisco amidst the financial crisis. Despite numerous rejections, her perseverance paid off when she secured a position at the Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF), a national health advocacy organization. Collaborating with Filipino organizations, Trish successfully advocated for an ordinance requiring language access services in Tagalog, the third most spoken language in San Francisco. Simultaneously, she pursued a Master’s in Public Administration, graduating with honors while balancing her full-time responsibilities.

Trish’s work at APIAHF caught the attention of the Office of the Governor in Hawaii, where she applied to join Governor David Ige’s policy team. Facilitating collaboration among Cabinet members and forging strong relationships with stakeholders, Trish played a pivotal role in shaping health policy initiatives. Later, as the Policy Director at the Hawai’i Public Health Institute (HIPHI), she led impactful advocacy campaigns resulting in the passage of crucial public health legislation. Her achievements include banning smoking and vaping in vehicles when children are present, establishing the “Double Bucks” program supporting local farmers and providing healthier food options for families, implementing “Healthy by Default” children’s meals by removing sugary drinks from kids’ menus, and expanding Medicaid coverage to include preventive dental benefits and 12 months of postpartum care.

In 2022, Trish assumed the position of Executive Director for the Mayor’s Office of Housing in the City and County of Honolulu. Embracing a compassionate and people-centered approach, she tackled the complex issues of affordable housing and homelessness. Recognizing homelessness as a public health concern, Trish prioritized addressing its systemic causes over short-term fixes, ensuring the well-being of vulnerable community members. As a Representative, Trish proudly represents her Filipino heritage, lending a strong voice in the legislature. Active in the Filipino caucus and serving on key committees including education, higher education, economic development, and tourism, she advocates tirelessly for her constituents. Notably, Trish’s achievements during the 2023 legislative session include enacting comprehensive regulations for e-cigarettes and vaping products into law. Trish is currently raising her two children with her husband in Mililani. She finds joy in hiking, exploring the beach, traveling, and experimenting with new recipes.


Athena Lao – Athena Lao has devoted her career to building and supporting initiatives that provide educational access and opportunity, with a particular focus on the intersections of international development and higher education. She currently works at the Institute of International Education (IIE) as a Program Development Lead, where she helps develop large-scale scholarship, exchange, and workforce development programs for U.S. and foreign governments, corporations, and foundations.

She is a seasoned professional in the education, nonprofit, and social impact sectors and has worked with or in 23+ countries. Athena has taught in the U.S. and abroad, led social impact consulting projects and teams, and served as Head Counselor at a college admissions counseling firm. Her past achievements include founding, leading, and growing successful nonprofits, as well as overseeing the implementation of multimillion-dollar international education exchange programs.

Born and raised in Athens, Georgia, Athena holds an AB from Harvard College, MSEd in International Educational Development from the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education, and an MBA from the Quantic School of Business and Technology. She is currently President of the Harvard Asian American Alumni Alliance (H4A), a volunteer-run organization serving the school’s 20,000+ Asian and Asian American alumni. She is also a proud alumna of the Fulbright Program (English Teaching Assistantship to Bulgaria), Coca Cola Scholarship Program, and Gates Millennium Scholarship Program.


Juslyn Manalo – Juslyn Cabrera Manalo was born in San Francisco of Filipino parents and was raised in Daly City, California. She is raising her 4 year old and 2 year old son with her husband in her hometown. Her lifework to date pushes for equity and justice for the community and creating policies that enhance the quality of life for the residents, ensuring small businesses thrive and supporting youth development and older adult programs.

Early in her career, in the non-profit sector, Juslyn became a Community Service Worker providing direct service to the Filipino World War II Veterans who were deemed inactive from U.S. Congress-an injustice that needed to be resolved. She along with others started SAVE (Student Action for Veterans Equity) to built a national campaign advocating for the Veterans’ rights. Juslyn also managed the Bill Sorro Housing Program (BiSHoP), a program that helped low to moderate income families find, defend and sustain their housing. She also worked in the

corporate private sector as a Community Engagement Manager for Brookfield Properties, building partnerships to create community development such as affordable housing, local job creation, cultural district support, open green space, and youth development- one of the most comprehensive Community Benefits in a Development Agreement in the City and County of San Francisco.

In 2016, Juslyn became the first Filipino American woman on the City Council in Daly City and was appointed Vice Mayor in her first year. Right away, she pushed the needle to bring the issue to support all immigrants. Also, she led raising the minimum wage in Daly City and is still above CA state minimum wage to date. She was an appointed Personnel Board Commissioner for the City of Daly City and was previously chairwoman for the SamTrans Citizen Advisory Committee ensuring that local community voice is represented on transit. She is also on the board of Senior & Disability Action, an organization that fights for policy locally and beyond for older adults and those with disabilities. Manalo earned her Masters of Public Administration, from San

Francisco State University’s School of Public Affairs and Civic Engagement. She has also obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Asian-American Studies and a Minor in Women Studies from San Francisco State University. She believes local activism is key in communities. Juslyn is the

President of the Filipino American Democratic Club of San Mateo County which has been in existence for 40 years and active in the San Mateo County Democratic Central Committee. On the state California Democratic State level, Juslyn is on the Executive Board for the Filipino

American Democratic Caucus(FADC) as Chairwoman. For the League of California Cities, a bi-partisan CA statewide organization with 479 member cities, Juslyn is the President of the Asian Pacific Islander Caucus. In 2017, Juslyn became the first Filipino American woman to become Mayor in Daly City. She was re-elected in 2020 with the highest votes ever for a City Council race in Daly City’s history. In December of 2020, she became Mayor for her second term.


Cindy Martin – Cindy Martin is an award-winning Filipina-American documentary filmmaker from Chicago committed to enhancing voices from underrepresented communities, especially Filipino, AAPI, BIPOC and women’s stories. The youngest of three children, Cindy – or Cynthia as is her birth name – was born curious about the world and loved to hear stories from her father, an avid writer, photographer and traveler. With an insatiable thirst for knowledge, she drove her parents crazy by asking endless questions, especially the dreaded: “Why?” Her parents, Silvino and Zenaida Martin, were both celebrated athletes in the Philippines and later, Chicago. Her mother even played for the Philippines’ National Volleyball Team. This tenacity and ambition were something instilled in her from a young age, the dual persistent spirits of being an athlete and a Filipina. Coupled with her inquisitive nature, this led her to obtain a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Broadcast Journalism from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, specializing in Psychology and Politics. Six months after graduation, Cindy moved to London, England, where she started her international broadcast career at ABC News – where amongst her first stories was the September 11th attacks on the World Trade Center in New York.

She then worked as a reporter/producer for Reuters Television for 11 years, covering the arts and general news across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. In 2015, she moved to Los Angeles where she worked as a freelance producer for Sky News, the Associated Press Television Network (APTN) and CGTN. In 2018, she was part of the all-woman team at Sky News that covered the deadly Kilauea Volcano Eruption, which won the award for Best Breaking News by the Newswomen’s Club of New York.

In 2020, Cindy made the leap from news to documentaries, returning to her birth city of Chicago to begin filming her first feature, “Love Is A Stranger”, her family’s nearly 80-year journey to find their long lost Japanese grandfather, while attempting to uncover the roots of Filipino identity and imagining what the Philippines might have looked like had it never never been colonized or occupied by Spain, the United States and Japan. In 2021, Cindy was selected for the Community Film Workshop’s Production Institute, followed by a 2022 fellowship in the prestigious Diverse Voices in Docs program at Kartemquin Films (“Hoop Dreams”, “Minding the Gap”), Chicago’s legendary documentary production company. Also in 2022, she was selected for the CNN/Film Independent Docuseries Intensive Fellowship as a Co-Producer on the feature documentary, “EJ Lee: All-American”. Cindy is the Founder and CEO of production company King Horse Films; a film programmer at the Asian-American Showcase in Chicago; an organizer for the non-profit Doc Chicago filmmakers’ initiative, and a member of the Sundance Institute, Brown Girls Doc Mafia, Asian-American Documentary Network (A-Doc), Asian-American Journalists Association (AAJA) and Mezcla Media Collective.


Christine R. Melendres – Christine R. Melendres, LCSW (she/her), is a Psychotherapist and Founder & CEO of Sweet Mango Therapy Group, Inc. With a deep commitment to providing compassionate, culturally-responsive psychotherapy for the AAPI and Filipinx community, Christine’s roots trace back to Iba, Zambales—recognized as the home of the world’s sweetest mangoes, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. A descendant of the Kapampangan and Sambal people, her ancestral ties extend to Bacolor, Pampanga, and Botolan, Zambales. Born in Iba, Zambales, Christine serves as the Co-Coordinator of Mentorship for the Asian American Psychological Association Division on Filipinx Americans (2023-2025), further dedicating herself to fostering growth and support within the community. Having immigrated to the United States at the age of 3 with her parents, Christine has emerged as a trailblazer within her family, being the eldest granddaughter on both sides, the first to graduate college in the United States, and the only licensed therapist. 

Growing up in Daly City, California, she has actively engaged in community work since the age of 12, serving the Filipino American community. Her own immigration experiences and bicultural identity have fueled her passion for the mental health field. Specializing in providing psychotherapy to high-achieving BIPOC women facing burnout, anxiety, and imposter syndrome, Christine has gained over a decade of experience across various clinical settings, including hospitals, outpatient clinics, and a group home for homeless pregnant women in crisis. Alongside her practice, Christine has been sought after as a speaker by large and mid-size Bay Area companies, sharing valuable insights on mental health and wellness. Furthermore, she has cultivated collaborative relationships with local and national organizations, contributing to the healing and empowerment of the Filipino community.


Lourdes Moldre – Lourdes Moldre is a Nurse Executive Patient Care Director at UCSF Health Mount Zion Hospital in San Francisco. She has over 20 years of healthcare experience as a front-line registered nurse, an acute care nurse practitioner and an executive nurse leader. In her current position, Lourdes has 24/7 leadership over inpatient hospital operations, which include various acute care patient settings. Prior to this role, she was the Clinical Director for UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, which included outpatient clinics (Adult/Peds Clinics, Adult/Peds Infusion Centers, Stem Cell Transplant Program, Radiation Oncology, Supportive Oncology, Satellite Infusion Centers), inpatient oncology units (Heme/BMT units)

and the Cancer Care Network. Her clinical expertise ranges from critical care (cardiovascular, pulmonary and transplant) and aesthetic nursing (dermatology and plastic surgery), to industry-sponsored (medical device and pharmaceutical) clinical operations, R&D management. Lourdes’ progressive leadership responsibilities started when she left her position as a seasoned Critical Care Nurse Practitioner for Sutter & Mercy hospitals (under

Pulmonary Medicine Associates) and became the Sr. Clinical Manager for Cutera (Medical Device laser company) in 2012. During that time, she opened a Clinical Research Center from the ground up, where she was instrumental in 3 novel FDA-approved laser indications, plus published multiple laser journal articles as the Principal Investigator.

Lourdes received her Master’s Degree in Nursing from University of California in San Francisco with a specialty on Acute Care Nurse Practitioner in 2008; an Associate’s Nursing degree in 2003 and a Bachelor’s Nursing in 2004 both from Pacific Union College School of Nursing. She plans to pursue her Doctorate in Nursing Practice in 2024. Most recently, she was recognized as one of 2022 honoree for 40 under 40 by San Francisco Business Times, given to young and influential leaders across the San Francisco region. Lourdes also received the Healthcare Hero Award in 2021, awarded by the California State Senator Richard Pan, for her dedicated

work with focused Covid-19 education within the Filipino communities in Sacramento and San Francisco. Additionally, Lourdes has only been a member of Philippine Nurses Association of America (PNAA) for only 2 years but has been very involved. She is the current President-Elect of Philippine Nurses Association of Northern California (PNANC), and an advisor for both PNA Napa/Solano and the newly launched PNA California Capital City chapter. Furthermore, she was recently appointed by American Nurses Association (ANA) as one of the Commissioners to the National Commission to Address Racism in Nursing.

Lourdes Moldre is a female Filipino immigrant, a working mother of 3 biracial children, and a resilient executive nurse leader wanting to improve healthcare equity and access to the underrepresented and be the voice for Filipino nurses.


Christian Osmeña – Christian Osmeña is the vice president for enterprise planning at Arizona State University, which has been named the most innovative university in the United States eight years in a row. In this role, Osmeña contributes to the strategy of the ASU Public Enterprise; leads planning, analysis, and research to advance the ASU Charter; and guides new initiatives, affiliations, and alliances that grow the enterprise’s impact. He leads the executive-level team charged with advising ASU’s president on the enterprise’s budget and finances. He has also been elected as a trustee of California College of ASU, an independent nonprofit college affiliated with ASU and located in Los Angeles. In addition to this leadership on the enterprise’s planning, Osmeña is a professor of practice in ASU’s Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions and the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, where he teaches courses on public policy and finance.

Before joining ASU, Osmeña served for more than a decade as a leader in California’s state government. Most recently, he was a vice chancellor of the California Community Colleges, the largest system of higher education in the country. As the leader responsible for the college system’s finance and facilities planning, he served on the chancellor’s executive team, managed the allocation of resources to the state’s college districts, and advocated before the Governor’s administration and the state legislature on the chancellor’s behalf. 

Earlier, he worked at the California Department of Finance, the Governor’s budget office, as a legislative analyst, budget analyst, and principal analyst. He advised state policymakers on education policy and finance, and his most significant assignments included supervision of the team responsible for appropriations to the University of California, to the California State University, and for state financial aid programs, among other programs. He also served in the Office of the Governor of California as a deputy cabinet secretary responsible for coordination of state education, labor and workforce development, information technology, and service and volunteerism agencies.

He began his public service as assistant to the Governor’s chief of staff. Osmeña serves on the Arizona Early Childhood Health and Development Board, the state’s early childhood agency also known as the First Things First State Board. He was appointed by the Governor of Arizona, and his nomination was confirmed by the state senate. In addition, he is a past member of the board of the University of California, Hastings College of the Law, a law school affiliated with the University of California, as an appointee of the Governor of California.

Osmeña earned a doctorate in education from the University of California, Davis, a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Southern California, and a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of California, Berkeley. He has been a Flinn-Brown Fellow through the Arizona Center for Civic Leadership; a Pahara Fellow through the Pahara Institute; and a California Education Policy Fellow through the Center for California Studies and the Education Insights Center. He is a member of the Filipino Young Leaders Program.


Rey Paolo Roca – Rey “Paolo” Ernesto J. Roca III is a distinguished clinician who is passionate about healthcare, education, and advancing the Filipino community. With an exceptional academic background, he is revolutionizing clinical practice, enhancing patient care, and advocating for healthcare equity.

Currently pursuing a Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing at the esteemed University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Paolo’s research focuses on improving the health outcomes of Asian Americans, specifically the Filipino community, in relation to type 2 diabetes. His commitment to understanding cultural factors in healthcare allows him to provide holistic and patient-centered care, making him a recognized leader in the field.

In addition to his academic achievements, Paolo holds licenses as a Registered Nurse and Public Health Nurse, along with certifications as a Nurse Educator and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse – Board Certified. This diverse expertise strengthens his impact within the nursing profession.

Paolo’s clinical experience is extensive and meaningful. As a Clinical Educator at Providence Health System, he supports a team of 200 nurses by providing guidance in nursing assessments, care planning, and complex problem-solving. He also leads the development of innovative educational programs to enhance the skills and competency of the nursing staff.

Paolo’s dedication to education is evident through his roles as an Adjunct Professor at Charles R. Drew University and a Teaching Associate at UCLA. He takes pride in mentoring and instructing nursing students, shaping the future generation of healthcare professionals.

Beyond his clinical and teaching roles, Paolo actively engages in community leadership. As the former President of the Filipino Cultural School Board, he works collaboratively to develop educational initiatives that celebrate and promote Filipino culture.

Paolo’s connection to his Filipino roots extends further through his fluency in conversational and written Tagalog. This linguistic proficiency enables him to provide culturally sensitive and personalized care, bridging the gap between language and healthcare delivery.

As a visionary leader, compassionate caregiver, and unwavering advocate, Paolo is dedicated to advancing nursing practice and uplifting the Filipino community. His commitment to bridging gaps, promoting equity, and advocating for sustainable healthcare policies will leave a lasting impact on the field of nursing and beyond.


Jan Tancinco – Jan Tancinco specializes in media, culture and technology. She is currently a Music and Podcasts Content Strategy Lead at YouTube, where she is responsible for launching cultural campaigns and overseeing operations for a global team. Prior to tech, she worked at Atlantic Media.  

Jan graduated from UCLA, holding degrees in World Arts & Cultures and Political Science. She has been awarded a Public Engagement Fellowship with the Vera List Center at The New School, which she will begin in the fall.

Outside of work, she is interested in building a softer and more just world. She enjoys carving out calmness, finding balance and engaging with the documentary arts. She was born in the Virgin Islands, raised in San Francisco and currently lives in New York. She owes everything that she is to her parents and the Bay Area immigrant community that raised her.


Patricia Tumang – Patricia Tumang (she/her) is a Queer Filipina American writer, arts journalist, digital media producer, arts and entertainment marketer, and energy healer based in Los Angeles. She is passionate about highlighting the stories and works of underrepresented contemporary Filipinx/a/o artists, often overlooked in mainstream media. Her awards include a U.S. Fulbright Fellowship (2009) and an Andy Warhol Foundation Arts Writers Grant (2012), which enabled her to delve into the profound impact of Filipina women’s contributions to Philippine and American history, living traditions, and contemporary art. She holds an MFA in English and Creative Writing from Mills College. An advocate for LGBTQ+ issues and an active supporter of the community, Patricia’s dedication to amplifying marginalized voices within the arts showcases her commitment to fostering inclusivity and celebrating diverse perspectives.