UC Prompt 1
The CASC organization and New Asian-American Person
Growing up in an Asian-American family in Walnut, California was not difficult at all. I grew up with the same people going from the elementary school up my street, to the local middle school, then to the high school just across the street. As you can tell, I never had a big change in my life, until the spring of 2008, when my grandfather suddenly passed away. My family and friends know me as an outgoing and spunky girl, but after his death, my life completely changed. On the outside I was still myself because I tried to act as if I was strong enough to hold myself together while everyone else mourned for our beloved grandfather, but inside I was a complete mess. I did not know why I wasn't able to deal with my feelings as well as my family, but I did not want others to pity me, so I kept it inside of me.
A few months after my grandfather's death, by this time everyone realized that they couldn't mourn forever and moved on; I went to leadership camp with a few friends. The camp was a program through the California Association of Student Council or CASC as they would often say. I can honestly say that this was not what I expected camp to be. In my mind camp is filled with crafts, hiking, campfires under stars, and scary ghost stories, this was nothing like what I had imagined. At camp I learned leadership curriculum- basically brain work- and practiced leadership simulations to help us work with other students there. I may make summer camp sound horrible and tiring, but no it was far from that. It was the best experience of my life. Not only did I learn how to become a better leader, I was able to expose myself emotionally to a group of students from all over southern California. It was then when I realized how much I kept to myself, if I could share my every feeling with random teenagers then why not with others.
When camp ended that summer, I basically left as a new person. I was so excited about what I could offer to others around me that I wanted to become part of the CASC organization. I immediately sent in an application to be on the region cabinet of the Los Angeles area and from there I have become the Development Director of my region and I've been able to oversee and attend more conferences and camps throughout California. My attendance with CASC has helped me expand my boundaries and create a goal for my life. It has truly affected me with my decision making and the way I want to spend the rest of my life, by not holding myself back.