Posted by Kathy Liang
On October 20, 2017, the Youth Advisory Council (YAC) was invited to attend and help with API Legal Outreach’s 42nd Anniversary Gala. The YAC members were able to engage in organizational funding and also connect with supporters of APILO. It was an amazing opportunity to socialize and network with folks who had the same passions and visions for the future as the members of YAC did. They were also invited to introduce who the Youth Advisory Council were and what they did. This gave the opportunity for some of the YAC members to practice their public speaking abilities in front of a large audience. It provided them a platform to vocally advocate for the marginalized and those who may not have a voice in their communities and make themselves recognized as youth leaders who were advocating for change. This gala allowed the members of YAC to gain more experience in volunteering, leadership, public-speaking, and being a valuable component of APILO.
“My experience to my first time at APILO’s 42nd Anniversary Gala was really fun and great. I got to sell raffles and got to interact with a lot of people. All in all, it was really fun; hope to do it again.” – CJ Lagarto
“APILO’s 42nd Anniversary Gala was an exciting experience. I was able to bond with members of YAC while networking with people within APILO.” -Emily Liang
“It was interesting to see the different parts of APILO and inspiring to hear about the impact APILO has had on others. It was fun and overall a great experience.” – Jocelyn Gao
“Standing on the stage with an audience of more than one hundred people, YAC was able to deliver a speech to promote the work we do within our community. The annual event also brought us members closer to each other as we network and sell raffle tickets for the organization.” – Vivian Wu
“APILO’s 42nd Anniversary Gala gave us the opportunity to sell raffles and connect with other people apart of the Asian Pacific Islander Legal Outreach. The night was very heartwarming as I was able to meet people who have made a huge impact in the community.” – Michelle Lu
“My experience during APILO’s 42nd anniversary Gala was something that I will remember for the rest of my life. Speaking on stage was a great experience.” – Aaron Balot