Alana Zhu

ASA Board of Directors

Greetings ASA friends!

My name is Alana Zhu and I am one of the Board of Directors. I joined Asian Student Achievement in June of this year as I have been wanting to give back to the Asian American community. Additionally, I am passionate about increasing Asian American leaders in the workforce and feel ASA’s mission supports this. I have a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing and a Master’s of Science in Healthcare Informatics. I am a registered nurse and previously worked on medical/surgical and labor and delivery units at various hospitals across the US. I currently work as a Health Informaticist where I help to make the workflows within our charting system more efficient. In my 10 years as a bedside nurse, I have experienced many stressful situations. I want to share a little bit about how important mental health is when it comes to daily life as an Asian American – whether that is school, work, or family-related.

In light of World Mental Health Day which is celebrated October 10th each year (I know I’m a month behind but this is important), I wanted to touch on the importance of maintaining good mental health. Having a healthy mind can help you more effectively handle stress, cope with changes, and manage anxieties. Personally, I find talk therapy to be extremely helpful. I have a therapist who I feel listens to my perspective, is unbiased and recommends helpful coping strategies for my day-to-day life stresses. I always feel better after a therapy session!

Many Asian Americans face barriers in regards to mental health because of cultural stigma, lack of awareness, communication barriers, and even underrepresentation in mental health providers. Within the Asian culture, mental health issues have been associated with weakness, shame, and dishonor. As a Chinese American woman growing up with immigrant parents, mental health was never brought up in our household. I learned everything I know about my own mental health in my adulthood. However, my parents have come a long way, and we discuss different diseases like depression and anxiety. We are progressive, y’all!

I challenge you to speak to your families and friends about mental health. Be open and vulnerable with yourself. Find a good therapist, talk to your providers, and be honest with how you are truly feeling. You will find that taking care of your brain and balancing its chemicals is similar to the rest of your body! Exercising is to your heart as therapy is to your brain! Stay healthy, my friends!

Baisun Candle Co. & ASA Collaboration

We’re thrilled to announce a special collaboration with Baisun Candle Co. From now until the end of December, you can use the code “ASA10” to receive 10% off and 10% of your purchase will be donated to ASA to support our mission.

Baisun Candle Co. creates beautifully hand-poured, culturally inspired candles that make perfect gifts for family, friends, coworkers, and anyone on your holiday list. This is a wonderful opportunity to shop thoughtfully and contribute to a meaningful cause.

A heartfelt thank you to Brandon Leung and the team at Baisun Candle Co. for partnering with us this season. We are so grateful for this support and excited to share these unique products with the ASA community!

Giving Tuesday

As Giving Tuesday approaches, we hope that you’ll consider supporting ASA.

Hear from an ASA Board member and our incredible interns as they share their personal stories and the impact ASA has had on their lives.

My perfect fall day starts with a warm cup of coffee and a nice slice of warm chocolate chip pumpkin bread, followed by a stroll outside on a trail with my dogs. Then in the afternoon, I would find a bench outside to take some time to read and draw while admiring the orange and red leaves, and I would end my day with a dinner with my family and maybe some pecan pie for dessert!

Liana Tortora, Graphic Design Intern

Vassar College student

My perfect fall day consists of first sleeping in and having a yummy brunch at home. Then, if the weather is nice, taking a short walk through the neighborhood and then coming home to rest with my dogs. In the evening, having dinner with my family and watching a cozy fall movie like Fantastic Mr. Fox with a warm cup of hot chocolate!

Avery Tortora, Videography Intern

Penn State University student

My perfect fall day would be hanging out with friends at a park on a sunny day watching ducks and taking a little walk in the woods.

Xiangyi Fei, Data Analytics Intern

Vanderbilt University and University of California, San Diego alum

My perfect fall day is me dressed in warm clothes drinking a hot chocolate! I would take my dog on a walk and step on the crunchy leaves along the sidewalk. In the evening, I would bake an apple pie and enjoy it with my family!

Ella Moon, Graphic Design Intern

High School student

My perfect fall day would include baking a sweet treat and watching a movie!

Sarah Mun, UX/Web Design Intern

University of Washington alum

New Blog Post

Annie Tan is an activist, educator, writer, and speaker who utilizes her voice and experiences to stand for what is right, no matter how hard it may seem. Her story, however, shows that the journey to finding your purpose and place in the world isn’t easy. Tan’s life was one filled with unexpected turns and lessons learned in both her professional and personal life.

Asian Student Achievement had the opportunity to sit down with her and hear as she shared some details about her journey about what she’s learned along the way, stories that will be described in further detail in her upcoming memoir.

Asian Student Achievement is hiring for ALL our intern positions. Join our amazing team and help Asian/Asian Americans through the pipeline to leadership in the workplace.

Click the button below to find the job descriptions of all our intern positions and send your CV to ops@learnasa.org.

As a first-generation Asian American in the Midwest, building a network and finding mentors was challenging. I hope my donation helps ASA support more students, providing them with the guidance they need for fulfilling lives, just as Shane and other Asian American groups supported me.

Jolie Yang
Assistant General Counsel, Uniswap Labs