Annual Report 2024
Welcome Message
As I reflect upon 2024, I can say with certainty that Asian Student Achievement (ASA) has grown tremendously. From our inception in 2016, to the moment we became a bona fide non-profit 501c3 organization in 2022, and to today, ASA has made immense strides in helping Asians and Asian Americans move through the pipeline to leadership. This year, we accomplished more than we ever could before due to our excellent staff and interns, who worked tirelessly to further ASA’s impact. They are all amazing people whose hard work and talent were a major key to our success this year. Another key to our success this year was our gracious donors–your generosity towards our mission allowed us to reach far more people than ever before. For that, I extend my genuine thanks to everyone who helped us in 2024.
In 2024, ASA’s impact remained international. Through multiple speaking ventures across various student, professional, and corporate conferences, we offered educational soft skills and discussions surrounding Asian American issues to over 640 individuals in the United States and abroad. Thanks to our partnership with the National Association of Asian American Professionals (NAAAP), we were able to provide over 8,500 job-seekers new career opportunities through our job postings. In addition to our corporate partnerships with Siemens Healthineers and Schneider Electric, we were also fortunate enough to partner with a multitude of remarkable organizations such as Sugar Bliss, the Chinese Mutual Aid Association (CMAA), Speak-Up Ventures, and Baisun Candle Co. We at ASA hope to further our impact this 2025!
Shane Carlin
President and CEO
Asian Student Achievement
Vision
Asian Student Achievement is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that strives to assist Asians and Asian-Americans to move through the pipeline to leadership positions.
Mission
At Asian Student Achievement, we take immense pride in our commitment to nurturing the career and vocational aspirations of countless students and professionals. With a wealth of experience and expertise, we have successfully guided hundreds of individuals on their journey towards securing their dream jobs. Through our meticulously crafted, custom-tailored workshops, we offer a dynamic educational learning experience that equips our clients with the essential soft skills and knowledge required to excel in their chosen fields.
Board of Directors
At Asian Student Achievement, we take immense pride in our commitment to nurturing the career and vocational aspirations of countless students and professionals. With a wealth of experience and expertise, we have successfully guided hundreds of individuals on their journey towards securing their dream jobs. Through our meticulously crafted, custom-tailored workshops, we offer a dynamic educational learning experience that equips our clients with the essential soft skills and knowledge required to excel in their chosen fields.
Shane Carlin
President and CEO
Board of Directors
David Harbin
Board of Directors
Michelle Ji
Board of Directors
Alana Zhu
Board of Directors
Yearly Review Donors
Since becoming a non-profit, Asian Student Achievement has grown consistently, allowing us to continue expanding our team and our impact.
In 2024, we totaled 124 donors, with 75 of them being new—totaling $190,869 in gifts, including a generous family foundation that not only allowed our organization to hire full and part time staff, but to successfully carry out the mission of Asian Student Achievement as well.
Tommy Yip
“As a former President and CEO of the National Association of Asian American Professionals (NAAAP) and a current corporate Asian American ERO leader, I’ve seen firsthand how crucial leadership and other soft skills are for career success. Technical skills are essential, but they are only one piece of the puzzle. This
organization invests in our future by empowering the next generation of professionals with the vital skills they need to thrive in their careers. I wholeheartedly support ASA, and I urge you to join me in making a difference!”
Connected Asian Affinity Network (CAAN) Chapter Co-Leader at Cisco Systems
Former President & CEO of National Association of Asian American Professionals (NAAAP)
Partnerships
In 2024, Asian Student Achievement had the privilege of partnering with various organizations to further promote our mission and values. Below is a snapshot of a few of our partners:
Speaking Engagements
In 2024, Asian Student Achievement had the opportunity to speak to over 700 students and professionals worldwide! Through engagements at online and onsite conferences and events, ASA was able to reach and network with many clients.
Education University of Hong Kong
February 6, 2024
MAASU Conference
April 6, 2024
UK Alumni Ambassadors
April 11, 2024
Siemens Healthineers
May 16, 2024
NAAAP Adoptee Panel
May 23, 2024
Multicultural Foodservice Hospitality Alliance at GM
June 27, 2024
NAAAP Leadership Convention
July 27, 2024
Gies College of Business at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
August 29, 2024
Miami University – Asian American Association (AAA)
October 5, 2024
Job Board Postings
Our Voice, Our Impact, Via Social Media
Fostering Inclusivity: 39 Cultural Celebrations and Awareness Campaigns
In 2024, ASA celebrated diversity and inclusion with 39 posts highlighting cultural festivals, holidays, and social awareness initiatives.
Here are some of the ways we honored our vibrant community:
- Diwali and Lunar New Year celebrations.
- Awareness campaigns for Pride Month, APIDA Heritage Month, and Mental Health Awareness Week.
Through these efforts, we sought to promote understanding, build bridges, and celebrate the richness of our shared humanity.
Empowering Through Events: Workshops, Networking, and Role Models
This year, we promoted a wealth of opportunities for learning and growth:
- Apex for Youth: Mentorship programs to guide the next generation.
- Racial Justice at Work Summit: Strategies for fostering equity in the workplace.
- DIMSUMXData Therapy: Innovative approaches to data and mental health.
- SpeakUp Venture’s Startup Accelerator: Empowering entrepreneurs to succeed.
- MeasureCamp: An open forum for analytics enthusiasts to share and learn.
- Exclusive report on Annie Tan: Advocate and educator inspiring change.
- In 2024, ASA has brought people together to learn, connect, and grow, reflecting our commitment to building a supportive, informed, and inspired community.
Our Voice, Our Partnership, Via Social Media
Strengthening Partnerships: 17 Promotions for Partners and Donors
Our work wouldn’t be possible without the support of our partners and donors. This year, we made 17 posts promoting collaborations and donation drives. We offer a heartfelt thank-you to Sugar Bliss and Baisun Candle Co., two exceptional Asian-owned businesses, for their generous contributions.
To our donors and supporters: your belief in our mission keeps Asian Student Achievement thriving. Together, we are making a lasting impact.
Our Voice, Our Interns
Celebrating Our Talent: Intern Insights
Our interns are the heart of Asian Student Achievement, driving innovation and growth. Through many posts, we proudly showcased their incredible talents, achievements, and milestones. From research breakthroughs to event coordination and content creation, these young leaders represent the future we’re striving to build. Their stories inspire us to keep pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.
2024 Interns
Asian Student Achievement was privileged to work with interns from all over the United States, including California, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas.
Aarya Mummadavarapu
Texas A&M
Technology Intern
Ella Moon
West Bloomfield High School
Graphic Design Intern
Liana Tortora
Vasser University
Graphic Design Intern
Aglaia Smith
High School: Harvard Extension
Special Projects & Operations Intern
Harrison Lee
Texas A&M
Technology & Marketing Intern
Michael Lumbera Jr.
Purdue University
Technology & Content Writing Intern
Anna Luu
University of Kentucky
Marketing Lead
Jamie Cha
Villanova University (Alumna)
Technology Lead
Sarah Mun
University of Washington (Alumna)
UX/Web Design Intern
Asad Shaikh
University of Texas at Dallas
Technology & Business Development Intern
Keefer Liao
Texas A&M
Technology & Marketing Intern
Rehman Khalid
University of Cincinnati
Technology & Content Marketing Intern
Avery Tortora
Pennsylvania State University
Videography Intern
Kaylin Lebo
University of California, Irvine
(Alumna)
Content Writing Intern
Xiangyi Fei
Vanderbilt University (Alumna)
Data Analytics Intern
Former Intern Testimonies
Michael Lumbera Jr.
Content Writing Intern
Asian Student Achievement is a learning experience internally and externally. From the internships to the workshops, ASA reaches out and instills the professional mindset young professionals need to thrive. Through your financial support, you can help keep this mission alive.
I recently got a tech internship with Zylo in Indianapolis, and I’m just so excited. I want to thank ASA for the opportunity that they gave me—I believe it really set in me a professionalism and maturity that they could feel through my interview, so thank you so much.
Liana Tortora
Graphic Design Intern
As an intern, I greatly appreciate the gifts towards Asian Student Achievement, as they support the interns in allowing them to utilize various platforms for creation, building, collaborating, and learning.
More specifically, as a graphic design intern, gifts allowed ASA to provide me creative tools and technological mediums that helped me grow as an artist and design graphics for ASA to use in marketing. These gifts also allow interns to attend workshops and conferences that help interns grow professionally, and prepare them for entering careers that they are passionate about!
Djorgi Sunoto
Operations Intern
Interning at Asian Student Achievement was an eye-opening experience that broadened my perspective on leadership and professional development. The opportunity allowed me to work on diverse projects, honing my skills in communication, collaboration, and strategic thinking. Through this internship, I not only gained a wide range of hands-on experiences, but also built a valuable network of mentors and peers who have been instrumental in shaping my career. It was a truly transformative experience that prepared me for future challenges and growth.
Outlook 2025
As you can see, a lot was accomplished in 2024. However, Asian Student Achievement (ASA) plans to accomplish even more in 2025. One of our new initiatives this year will be utilizing our new, intern-created, one-on-one educational and vocational soft skills coaching platforms in order to help prepare students for the workforce. We also plan to create infrastructure to start beta ASA chapters at college campuses nationwide, which we hope will increase our impact on AAPIA students. Finally, we will continue to work with our diligent interns, who are garnering real-life work experience remotely. This vocational and educational opportunity effectively prepares them for future internships and full-time careers, allowing them to access new opportunities for leadership.
ASA has much to look forward to in 2025 as well. With our upcoming speaking engagements at Schneider Electric, Miami University, the MAASU Conference, and more, ASA will be able to reach and teach new professionals. We also look forward to continuing our work with partners like Sugar Bliss, the National Association of Asian American Professionals (NAAAP), Baisun Candle Co., and many others. In partnership with NAAAP, we wish to continue to influence more organizations to post job positions on the NAAAP job board so our 8,500+ diverse job seekers can gain new workplace opportunities.
Of course, all of our goals and wishes wouldn’t be accomplished without the tremendous gifts from all of our current and future donors–we truly appreciate everyone who has supported Asian Student Achievement’s mission thus far. From the bottom of our hearts, ASA thanks you! We hope that you will continue to follow us on our social media platforms and sign up for our monthly newsletters. Here’s to another great year in 2025!
Thank You
