The Asian Islander American Plus, a group consisting of 120 Asian and Asian-American alumni from Syracuse University (SU), launched a mentorship program aimed at strengthening the connection between Asian-American alumni and students and providing career guidance and opportunities to those currently enrolled.
In the mentorship program, a student will team up with an SU alum for a three-month period, allowing them to learn industry secrets and insider tips from a professional in their field of study. Additionally, the students will gain the guidance of someone who knows what it’s like to be a student of color.
Both parties can choose to continue the mentorship once the three months are over, especially if they have forged a deep connection.
Syracuse University Asian Pacific Islander American Plus (SU APIA+) shared that the initiative is necessary to fulfill their goal of mentoring students and being allies of people of color.
SU APIA+ member Carina Lui told student-run The Daily Orange, “If we’re breaking ceilings, and we’re making big moves in our industries, we can then bring the students up with us and mentor them and give them guidance.”
Asian Pacific Islander American Plus
The APIA+ network started as a study group between Lui and other SU alumni with the objective of educating themselves on how to support students of color after hearing about increasing on-campus racist incidents.
Lui has also been a victim of racism inside the university and in retrospect, the presence of a support group consisting of alumni with similar experiences empowered her to become an advocate for other students.
Jonathan Chan, an APIA+ member from the SU Class of 2011, shared that having this mentorship program when he was still an undergraduate would’ve greatly benefitted his career. But all in all, he is looking forward to making a difference for the students.
“It’s more so for us to be able to construct something that’s a little bit more formalized, and something that we want to be accountable for down the line to make sure that we are able to empower students,” Chan said to the student publication. “That is something that I’m very excited for, for all of these students.”
