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Power in a Label, More in the Journey<\/h2>\nPower in a Label, More in the Journey<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
I have a confession to make: until I was 23, I never called myself a leader. I was in plenty of leadership programs and positions as an undergraduate student, had even pursued a Master\u2019s degree in Education, and was serving on the boards\/involved with a number of formal and informal community organizations dedicated to promoting service and deeply invested in the fight for social justice.<\/p>\n
I even attended CAPAL\u2019s Washington Leadership Program as an undergraduate student, and never connected how all of these incredible opportunities synthesized into my own leadership style. In a conversation with a fellow Asian American friend and colleague, I blurted it out loud: \u201cI have never identified as a leader.\u201d<\/p>\n
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There\u2019s a lot of reasons for this. Role models, for me, were few and far between in positions of public leadership\/leadership outside the home. If they did exist, they were often in professional fields I did not connect with, or who could affirm my passion for politics, academics, and social justice. Combine that with the fact that almost every book or article I\u2019ve ever read about leadership usually rewarded qualities that I simply didn\u2019t connect with- individualism, positional superiority, success defined by professional achievement, etc., it\u2019s not surprising this process didn\u2019t happen earlier.<\/p>\n
Fast forward to a few years later- my relationship to identifying as a leader was (and still is) a bit shaky. The reality is, I\u2019ve always seen my involvement in supporting other folks, as being an advocate of social movements, and helping to get stuff done, as simply who I am. Some folks may see that as leadership, but leadership is also a skill that needs to be continuously honed. It simply wasn\u2019t enough to realize that I could call myself a leader- that was only half the battle.<\/p>\n
CAPAL, for me, was the place I did the second part. CAPAL helped me, as a young professional, to begin the process of nurturing my growth as a leader, or whatever it is that I\u2019m looking to become, in a culturally conscious and nurturing environment. My tenure as a board member helped me to learn the following about what it means to be me, for all that I am, and to embrace this truly complicated idea of leadership, especially when it comes to serving our Asian American communities:<\/p>\n
I am proud to be a past participant of the Washington Leadership Program and member of the Board of Directors. I am even more proud to say that my experience, development from, and involvement in CAPAL has extended far beyond my time as someone with a formal position of leadership and the physical space of Washington, D.C.. The lessons I\u2019ve learned through CAPAL, and the amazing other people I\u2019ve met who have also been impacted by this amazing organization, will stay with me forever as my understanding of leadership continues to grow and shift.<\/p>\n
Posted by Evelynn Bui<\/em><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/capalnew.tegradesign.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/VPatel-one-1.jpeg\")
Viraj Patel is a scholar practitioner in higher education student affairs whose roots are in student activism and social justice education. Currently serving as the Associate Director at the Pan-Asian American Community House at the University of Pennsylvania, Viraj focuses on advocacy, wellness, access, leadership and mentorship programs for Asian and Asian Americans both on and off a college campus. Viraj is a skilled facilitator, advisor, and writer. She is also an organizer with the Philadelphia South Asian Collective and is a founding sister of NAPAWF-Philly. She is a proud past board member of CAPAL.<\/em><\/p>\n
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Evelynn is this year\u2019s Fall Project Coordinator. Prior to CAPAL, Evelynn served on staff for the International Leadership Foundation as the 2016 Civic Fellowship Program Manager. She has project management, communications, and advocacy experience in the health sector working across federal agencies, private institutions, and non-profit organizations. Originally hailing from Texas, Evelynn holds a Master of Public Health degree from Baylor University (sic \u2019em!) and aspires to cultivate and ignite the desire for positive change in her surrounding community. In her spare time she enjoys urban gardening, live music, and adding excessive amounts of garlic to all home-cooked meals.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"