Monthly Archives: November 2015

• An Asian American LEAD Thanksgiving

  By Neel Saxena, Development & Communications Director Photos Courtesy of AALEAD Staff Growing up, every Thanksgiving I would sit at my parent’s dining room table surrounded by freshly fried samosas, simmering matter paneer, spicy chicken biryani, and canned cranberry sauce - all the while wondering why I couldn’t have a “normal” thanksgiving meal like they did on The Wonder Years. The holidays highlighted the duality of my identity and the conflict between my Asian side

• Dignity and Pride as the AALEAD Family Grows

  By Yonsoo Kang, VA Middle School Program Coordinator, and Eileen Chen, VA Programs Intern Photos Courtesy of Yonsoo Kang, Eileen Chen, and the Heinz History Center “…the movements translate to ‘I’m not above you, you’re not above me, we’re side by side, we’re together…’” – LaMont Hamilton, Smithsonian Artist Research Fellow at the Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage,

  After the Guitar Workshop: Backstage with Bernard and Nanc

    By Ari Pak, MD High School Program Coordinator Photos Courtesy of Ari Pak “Joy can be a joy and sadness can be a sadness… With guitar, I can express as much as what I

• Volunteer Voices: Jimmy’s Story

  By Stephanie Lim & Tina Ngo, AALEAD Staff Photos Courtesy of Stephanie Lim, AALEAD Staff As we kick off the start of a new school year, Asian American LEAD (AALEAD) staff are always excited to reunite with youth, but also, another very important part of our AALEAD family - our volunteers. This month's spotlight focuses on Jimmy, an AALEAD volunteer who started working with us in October 2012 at the beginning of his college career. Jimmy is now a senior at the University of Maryland C