A MESSAGE FROM Yu Chen's Fundraising page
AAJA played a significant role in my professional life. Being one of the few Asian American students in my school and in the professional internship made me question, "Am I good enough?", "Do I belong here?", and "Can I truly succeed in this field?" And joining AAJA has been really affirming. I was among a community of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) and met people who looked like me working in my dream jobs. I knew there were other AAPI students who felt the same, and I wanted to help them also feel seen and connected. So in 2022, I decided to join the Philadelphia Chapter board as the VP of Student Engagement & Director of Social Media.
The AAJA Philly Chapter has been very inclusive among our local AAPI journalist members. Ever since I joined AAJA Philly, we have been hosting various events to connect with other local journalists. These events include Professional Headshot Day, happy hour at Philly's local AAPI restaurant, and collaborating with the community to enhance local storytelling.
This year, I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Political Science and am heading into another chapter of my life. As I reflect on my experience as a student at Temple University, some of my best times were because of AAJA. I know this community will always be here for me.
Now, I want to pay it forward.
This fall, I’ll be participating in the NYC Marathon alongside fellow AAJA members across the country. I’m excited to be representing the Philadelphia Chapter and raising funds to support all the great things we do locally.
Please donate to help me reach my goal of $5,000!
