UVSA Community,
This letter is sent out on behalf of the Executive Committee, the
Intercollegiate Council, and Elections Commission.
This past year can be characterized in one word: FAST!
Since the summit in September, we have grown and developed incredibly. We
could not have predicted how rapidly UVSA would build itself, how strongly
our volunteer staff would dedicate themselves, and how quickly our name
would spread. It has not even been a year my friends, and we have
accomplished a lot!
Within the community, we:
-were the first Vietnamese youth network and leadership organization in the
nation to take a strong stand opposing Chinese aggression in the Paracel and
Spratley Islands
-recognized the injustice of the recent deportation agreement between the
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency and the Communist
government of Vietnam, and are still working to oppose it today
-built the best looking rat car for the Tet Parade ever!
Within our own VSA network, we:
-organized a forum for youth to share their perspective on the Story Road
Naming issue, with attendees from all over Northern California as well as
government official staffers and community members who wanted to hear what
we had to say
-pulled together the first ever UVSA Olympics, which drew over 120 students
from 7 VSAs throughout our region
-set several fundraisers as part of a nationwide VSA campaign to support
VOICE (www.vietvoice.org), a non-profit organization that is working to
fight the sex trade in Cambodia
-supported the reorganization and recreation of the VSA at San Francisco
State University, the first test of our public outreach and VSA support
program (in case you're wondering, SF State is rocking out of control!
They're awesome!)
Within our organization, our volunteer staff:
-visited every affiliated VSA and were represented at EVERY one of their
culture shows to date
-supported every VSA event to date that was also fundraising for VOICE
-edited and re-edited our Constitution, which will soon be ratified
It is with this success that we prepare for our first ever elections, and
after much discussion and review, we have recognized the six offices that
will guide UVSA. This year, we were able to play an incredible role in
creating a whole new organization, and to continue that growth and momentum
is a responsibility that we on the Executive Committee and Intercollegiate
Council hope that you will continue to support us on. In fact, we urge any
one who is interested in playing a role in strengthening UVSA to run for one
of the Executive Offices and take the future of UVSA into your hands!
Attached is our election packet, which should have all the information you
need, but if you still have questions, please do not hesitate to contact the
Elections Commission.
It is said that "The only real training for leadership is leadership." Are
you up for it?
--
Huy Tran
Public Relations and Outreach Chair
United Vietnamese Student Associations of Northern California
www.norcaluvsa.org
