Center for Asian Americans United for Self Empowerment (CAUSE)

“I liked the wide variety of projects and assignments that were offered. ”

“The Leadership Academy is not a mere summer internship program. It is unique because of its focus on Asian and Pacific American issues, its leadership, and its guiding principle: knowledge, access, and network. CAUSE’s unique focus on Asian and Pacific American (APA) issues is critical because the APA community is one of America’s fastest-growing racial groups. Representation and leadership should keep pace with changing demographics. The CAUSE Leadership Academy distinguishes itself as a personable experience, and that’s because of the efforts of CAUSE Board and staff members. It’s easy for an internship program to pass their interns on to their internship placements, without thought about other programming, but CAUSE was dedicated to crafting a worthwhile and formative summer internship. For example, to build comradery within the Leadership Academy, CAUSE sponsored a retreat to Temecula, CA during orientation week. CAUSE staff accompanied us, and it is because of their teambuilding efforts that my interns and I became more than just interns—we emerged from the retreat as a true cohort. The retreat set the tone for the rest of the internship program; learning about community issues and navigating the political world is much easier when you’re surrounded by friends. I am thankful to the leadership at CAUSE for seeing Leadership Academy interns as more than just interns. CAUSE takes into account the whole person, and Board and staff members have made themselves accessible so that interns are constantly supported throughout the program. Interns thrive within the program, because CAUSE Board and staff members have crafted a program that is wholeheartedly supportive. Since returning to Wellesley, I have noticeably grown from the Leadership Academy experience. My summer experience with CAUSE has left me with the knowledge and confidence to not only thrive in the political arena, but also at Wellesley or in any industry. I find myself using the communication skills I sharpened at CAUSE networking receptions during classroom discussions and office hour appointments, and am more willing to reach out to adults and people of interest. ”