ITASA Special: An interview with one of the Board of Directors
Editor’s Note: Ever wonder what road lies beyond college? We did a brief interview with one of our Board of Directors - Jimmy Yang. We talk about what kind of impact ITASA made on his college experience, so it may be a worthwhile read if you’re looking to check ITASA out! Even if you’re on the ITASA board, Jimmy offers some advice to you - so be sure to read it! [End Note]
What did you do while you were in ITASA?
I did a couple of different things as part of ITASA. I started off as a district chair for the New England area and helped with logistics for the 2007 East Coast Conference at Harvard. I was previously Development Director, and I’m now on the Board of Directors.
What do you do now?
I’m a 3rd year student at Harvard Medical School, which means that I spend most of my time in the hospital, learning about patient care and figuring out what I want to do in the future.
Why did you decide to get involved with ITASA?
After my first ITASA conference, I was impressed by the organization for its ability to bring together so many Taiwanese Americans (and those interested in Taiwanese American issues). I had a great time meeting people from all over the East Coast and hearing from the many different speakers at workshop events. From this experience, I ultimately thought it was an organization that I wanted to be involved in, to help further its mission. I’ve been involved ever since and have been fortunate to continue meeting and working with amazing, dedicated people.
How did ITASA help you/influence you while you were in college?
In college, I found it easy to be stuck in the “bubble” of my own college campus. ITASA helped me get past these invisible boundaries and acted as a conduit for meeting people at nearby college campuses, and across the country, who shared similar interests. ITASA also helped me develop other skills that would be valuable, such as how to work together on a team that’s separated geographically.
What can the BoD do to help the National Board?
I swear we’re not trying to be purposefully vague, but we try to help in any way that we can. We can help the National Board on issues like choosing conference sites, finding alumni connections, and working with other Taiwanese/Taiwanese-American organizations. I sort of see the Board of Directors as a group of people who you can go to for advice; we won’t necessarily tell you exactly what to do but can offer insight based on our collective experience. We can also offer advice on non-ITASA questions too – the Board of Directors has people who are involved in fields like education, business, law, media, and medicine.
What’s your favorite place in Taiwan?
Many of my relatives live in Taipei, which is a big reason why I like Taipei (along with the great food, great nightmarkets, and great shopping). Outside of Taipei, I’d say that the northeast coast, like Yilan, is spectacular, and the scenery around Sun Moon Lake is amazing.
What words of encouragement do you have for the NB?
You guys are really amazing. From our updates with Pamela and Brian, I am seriously impressed with everything that y’all have accomplished so far (and the year is only about half-way done!). Y’all should be really proud of yourselves. I know it can be challenging working for an organization which has members scattered all over the US, but everything that you guys do (every email, every call, every design or line of code or packet that you put together) really helps the organization out. You all are so motivated, and we wouldn’t be where we are today without awesome people like you!
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