-
Workshop Session 1
March 15, 2023 - March 26, 2023
12:00 PM - 12:00 AM -
Workshop Session 2
March 15, 2023 - March 26, 2023
12:00 PM - 12:00 AM
Please select ONE workshop presenter for each session (1 and 2).
| Presenter | Name of Workshop | Description | Presenter Bio |
|---|---|---|---|
Em Nguyen |
Personal Enrichment:
Financial |
As a rising graduate or young professional, it may be daunting to think about how money and our spending habits can affect life after college. This workshop will dive into financial basics like money management, retirement, investment, credit cards, and other resources to help you budget better! With this new knowledge, you can start thinking about how to make finances work for you! This workshop is a part of the Financial Literacy Project, which is a collaboration, sponsored by State Farm and SEARAC. | Hoang An “Em” Nguyen is the current internal vice president of UNAVSA. Em is based in Houston, TX where he serves as a patient care technician. Em graduated in 2017 from the University of Houston and is continuing his education in healthcare. He is passionate cultivating leaders and serving his communities. In his free time, he enjoys traveling, music, gaming, and the outdoors. |
Lilian Trinh |
Personal Enrichment:
Let Your Inner Artist Play: How Creative Play Can Reduce Stress and Burnout |
In a life led by meetings, work, and school, the number one problem we face as a generation is vulnerability to burnout and stress. While we may have been raised to buy into hustle culture, there is an important component of a healthy and productive lifestyle that we are often missing: creative play. Creative play is critical to a balanced and more fulfilled lifestyle, as finding that right outlet for creative energy can lead to happier humans. In this workshop, we will explore what creative play is, why it’s so paramount to a wonderful life, and engage in a little creative play ourselves! This will include a wide range of different art forms. No artistry skills required to join, just an open mind and heart! | Lillian Trinh (she/her) is a Vietnamese-Taiwanese American currently living in Austin, TX. She attended her first UVSA South Leadership Summit back in 2015, and has since held a multitude of roles within the organization including UVSA South President and Leadership Summit Programming Director. She is the Executive Director for UNAVSA-18 Leadership Conference being held in Houston TX this upcoming summer. She currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors and Elections Committee for UVSA South. She works as a Program Manager – Virtual Experiences at HP, inc. in Austin TX. In her free time, she loves to craft and manage her dogs social media account (tiktok/IG: MinaCorgina). |
Thu-Mai Nguyen |
Personal Enrichment:
Sex & Intimacy: Using Affirmative Consent for an Empowered Approach |
In the wake of the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements, we’re acutely aware of the harms of sexual harassment and assault on a macro level and when it makes the headlines. However, on a day to day basis, societal norms do not regularly compel us to ask how sex and intimacy inour individual lives are built on preconceived notions that feed the greater issues leading to harm and harassment. Using a model of affirmative consent and questioning the heteronormative standards we’ve been conditioned to absorb, this session aims to look at how we can create a culture of mutually respectful relationships on the forefront. Come on in and let’s talk about how to have empowering, consensual intimate relations in the ways meaningful to us. | Thu-Mai (or Mai as her friends call her) is an alumni of UH VSA, UVSA South, and UNAVSA in which she participated in multiple leadership roles from 2012-2020. She is currently a Physical Therapist and local activist in the Houston area AAPI community. Her passions include encouraging civic engagement in the youth demographic, environmental sustainability, and dismantling hyper-capitalistic oppressive work structures. She also serves on the Board of Directors for Amplify Asian America (a civic based spinoff from UNAVSA) and on Asian American Democrats of Texas where she helped coordinate the largest AAPI candidate rally in Houston’s Asiatown for the 2022 midterm election cycle. In her free time, she enjoys lazy cooking, going to concerts, and learning financial literacy facts to share with her friends. |
|
Michelle Nguyen |
Personal Enrichment:
Tea Time |
Most of us have grown up in an immigrant household which all family members including ourselves experience that generational trauma. This is a workshop to focus on the importance of mental health and to realize that we all have some form of it whether we choose to accept it or not, as well as coping mechanisms for us to deal with that trauma. | Michelle was born in Houston, Texas and graduated from the University of Houston with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. She began her VSA journey with UH VSA in 2017 and fell in love instantly. With the encouragement of its wonderful community, she began taking on more and more leadership responsibilities starting with Cultural Director at the local level followed by two terms of presidency. Her involvement with UH VSA eventually pushed her to expand her activity to the UVSA South level, where she took on the roles of Performance Coordinator for TVVN Volume 2, Programming Committee for Camp Legacy 6 and 7, and Event Coordination Chair. Passion for service and culture continues to drive her to this day and now she is beyond excited to channel this energy through her summit workshop. |
Tommy Chanthavong |
Personal Enrichment:
Who am I |
Your biggest enemy is yourself. There are expectations of you from your loved ones and there are days where you just fear that you will drop the ball and let them down. We wear different masks depending on who we are with and sometimes you just question your own true self and your own identity. Just remember to be kind to yourself, give yourself that self-love and make the best of what you have presented to you. | Tommy Chanthavong aka Tee is a Houston native social media content creator and recipe developer on Instagram and Tiktok as Tastewithtee. He is currently a freelance social media manager for small Houston restaurant businesses and loves content creating for his clients and his own brand. Tee is a graduate of the University of Houston and was active in his local VSA holding various positions and titles. After being involved locally, he joined on the regional level and served at the Treasurer for UVSA South from 2019 – 2021. He is currently on U-18 Staff as a registration committee member for conference being held in his hometown this summer. Tee loves cooking for his loved ones and binge watching all cooking shows for amateur cooks. He was inspired to cook from home while binge watching all seasons of Master Chef. |
Henry Hernandez
Alyssa Wen |
Culture & Identity:
One Petal, |
Cultural Vietnamese dancing has never been made more easy and digestible. This workshop will consist of bringing movement and a connected understanding to the song together. By the end of the workshop, you will have learned a short segment of a dance and be able to perform for one another in small groups. | Alyssa Wen (she/her/hers) and Henry Hernandez (he/him/they/them), both currently serving as UTA VSA’s co-cultural chairs, met in the fall of 2021 when they were both placed in the same UTA VSA family. After discovering that they both come from a background of dance, Hernandez somehow managed to “bait” Wen into becoming interns for UTA VSA’s cultural chairs. Hernandez and Wen choreographed UTA VSA’s spring performances, as well as performing at UVSA South Summit X’s opening ceremonies, all while being interns. As current UTA VSA co-cultural chairs, ANXMONS (their duo name meaning “Anxious Monsters”) produce original choreography that brings musicality and movement together into one seamless art. |
Jenny Nguyen |
Culture & Identity:
A Deeper Dive Into Traditional Dance (Session 2 only) |
“Ever wonder how a traditional dance gets puts together? Let’s talk everything from music choices, musicality, angles, facials, props, you name it and we can discuss it. Let’s take a deep dive to learn and discover more than just surface level of Vietnamese Traditional Dance. No experience or props required.” | Born in Georgia and raised in Northern California, Jenny Nguyen resides in San Jose, CA, home to one of the biggest Little Saigons in the United States. She is and has been involved with SJSU VSA, NorCal UVSA, and UNAVSA having held many different positions and is currently on the Board of Directors for NorCal UVSA. Jenny has over 10 years of experience in traditional dancing and has choreographed multiple pieces to perform at various VSA events as well as out in the Vietnamese community. She really hopes to share her love for traditional dancing with everyone. |
Bri Nguyen |
Culture & Identity:
What Dad Left Behind (Session 2 only) |
Following the release of her thesis film project, What Dad Left Behind explores the forgiveness of parents. This story explores how oftentimes, we as our parents’ children forget that our parents are human too. They have emotions that they are also afraid to show. While the audience does not need to forgive their parents like how the main character does, I encourage everyone to take a moment to reflect and appreciate the journey our parents have made for us to lead to our success. | “Bri Nguyen is a dedicated director, producer, and filmmaker with a passion for drawing inspiration from her Vietnamese American roots. As she grew up, she confided with other Asian-American peers, who agreed there was a need for a space for them in popular media. Nguyen is fueled by her enthusiasm of creating stories involving everyday Asian culture. This includes familial relationships, immigrant family cultures, and other microcultures within Asian-American households. Her works have shown in the Dallas International Film Festival, USA Film Festival, Asian Film Festival of Dallas, and soon, the Texas Indie Filmmaker Awards. By inserting herself into the film industry, she hopes to pave the way for other Asian-Americans and build a space where they can feel safe and welcome in.” |
Kody Tang |
Culture & Identity:
Move. Learn. Experience |
No boring presentations. No history lesson. Get ready to be on your feet doing fundamental and advanced movements that a lion dancer would use to perform. Learn how to do tricks, motions, and music! Experience the traditional arts of Lion Dancing in ways you have never imagined. | As seen at The Dallas Mavericks Halftime Show, America’s Got Talent, Food Network, and WFAA’s Good Morning Texas, Kody Tang is the Head Coach of the Jiu Long Sports Association based in Dallas, TX. For 5+ years, he has taught, competed, and performed throughout the United States with other teams such as GDPT Tu Van Lion Dance (Fort Worth, TX) and the Plano East HS Lion Dance Club (Plano, TX). Throughout his tenure at JL, he has had the privilege to perform and work with clients such as Asia Times Square, JP Morgan Chase, American Airlines, and Amazon. Kody is currently an undergraduate student at the University of Texas at Dallas, studying Information Systems and Technology. He is also a part of UTD’s FSA Media Team and is a Family Leader at UTD’s VSA. |
Janie Nguyen |
Culture & Identity:
Nhiều Chuyện – Many Stories |
We all have a story to tell. For many of us, that story may involve growing up in an immigrant household and striving to make our parents proud. For many of our parents, that story may involve coming to America, starting a new life, and finding hope after losing everything. In this workshop, we will explore the history of the Vietnamese diaspora and relate it to our own family stories. We will also explore ways to continue the conversation with our parents and grandparents. Most importantly, we will be “nhiều chuyện,” not because we are chatterboxes, but because we have many stories to tell and many stories to hear. | Janie Nguyen graduated from Texas A&M in 2020 with a degree in Chemical Engineering. She currently works at Enlink Midstream as a Pipeline Asset Engineer. She has always had a passion for the Vietnamese community, formerly serving her college VSA as President and VPX. Now, she continues her passion for giving back to the VSA community through UVSA South and UNAVSA. Currently, she is the UVSA South Alumni Relations Chair and a member of the UNAVSA -18 Programming Committee. |
Jennifer Au |
Leadership Development:
Utilizing Personalities in a Team Setting |
Ever wondered why you get along with some people and not others? Maybe you don’t know why you are having conflicts with a certain person. In this workshop, we will go over what MBTI (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator) is and get familiar with our own personality types and its characteristics. Along with that, we will also collaborate and discuss different personalities and how we can better understand others. By the end of the workshop, attendees will be able to learn more about their own and other’s personality types and how to apply that knowledge when working in a team such as an executive board, committee, council, etc. This workshop is not intended for those who have already had experience or knowledge with MBTI. | Jennifer Au is a graduate from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a Bachelors of Science in Secondary Math Education. Currently, she works as a middle school math teacher in Omaha, NE. She has been involved in many student organizations at UNL and has taken on multiple leadership positions. During her time in college, she has been a family leader and staff member for multiple conferences within UVSA-Midwest and MAASU, has been the Nebraska State Representative, and is currently the Internal Vice President of UVSA-Midwest. During her free time, she likes to play video games and travel, with an occasional rave or festival thrown in there. |
Tam Vu |
Leadership Development:
Defining a Leader: Communication |
You always hear the saying “communication is key”, but what does that mean? In what ways is communicating important as a leader, or better yet, a human being? In “Defining A Leader: Communication” you will explore obstacles you may face when working with others and create healthy mindsets in collaborative work settings. | “Tam is a University of North Texas VSA Alumni. He was actually Vice President, President, and Board Advisor from 2016-2019. Tam graduated with a Major in Psychology and minors in Biology and Chemistry and hopes to be a Counseling Therapist one day. Tam has worked at mental health facilities around DFW as a behavioral health technician and is currently a Recreational Therapist Assistant. He loves playing Ultimate Frisbee, practice writing poetry, and eating good food!” |
Nguyen Lee
Abby Gail Triño |
Leadership Development:
Situational Awareness Workshop (SAW) |
With the increase in anti-Asian racism during the pandemic, it’s important to know the tools to support people experiencing harassment. When people hear the term “bystander intervention” they often think it means you have to take immediate action and put yourself in harm’s way. But this is not always the case. The Situational Awareness Workshop (SAW) is an interactive training to teach people how to be confident and effective bystanders against racism and discrimination through de-escalation and victim-centered techniques involving both direct and follow-up actions. At the end of the workshop, participants will have the skills to be effective allies in personal, public, and workplace settings. | Nguyen Lee (She/Her/Hers) is a Vietnamese American woman navigating community work and organizing from Houston, TX. She is presently a Programs and Advocacy Lead at OCA- Greater Houston and manages the Advocates in Action Workshop series and supports citizenship and civic engagement efforts. Nguyen is an alumna of Soka University of America and wrote her senior capstone on the belonging and transnationalism of second-generation Vietnamese Americans. Apart from that, she is also an avid BTS fan involved with organizing fan events, projects, and charity initiatives in the Houston BTSxARMY community.
Abby Gail Triño (she/siya) is a first-generation Filipino American and is the Youth Programs & Advocacy Assist. Manager at OCA-Greater Houston. She leads their youth empowerment by building organizing, advocacy, and leadership skills through monthly workshops and an annual summit to high school and college students. In the summer of 2022, Abby co-drafted the recommendation framework for the Asian American Ethnic Studies for the Texas Education Agency and is now seeking to pilot the first AsAm Ethnic Studies class at the secondary education level in Texas. In her free time, she enjoys visiting dog parks with Raya and joining her friends at cafes and KPOP events. |
Please select ONE workshop presenter for each session (1 and 2).
Click here to go the Career Corner Registration Portal