Justin Chiu
Poy Health and Wellness Intern
he/him/his
Justin is a senior majoring in Animal Sciences. He is a townie from Champaign, IL and is a second generation Chinese-Japanese American. On campus, he is a Resident Advisor and is involved in Design for America, Student Alumni Ambassadors, rowing, and a few pre-veterinary organizations. Justin is excited to intern at the AACC and looks forward to organizing events that celebrate Asian American heritage, supporting peers in their cultural exploration, and creating a welcoming space for the Asian American community on campus.
Kelsie Choy
AACC Intern
she/her/hers
Kelsie is a senior majoring in Journalism and Asian American Studies. She is Chinese American and from the small town of Westville, IN. Outside of the AACC, Kelsie is a part of Sigma Psi Zeta, an Asian-interest sorority on campus. In addition, Kelsie is on the College of Media Advisory Board and the Vice President of the Asian American Journalists Association chapter at UIUC. Kelsie decided to intern at the AACC because she values the identities of all individuals and hopes to bring awareness to the Asian community on and off campus.
Kristine Chung
AACC Intern
she/her/hers
Kristine is a sophomore majoring in Psychology. She is a Korean American from Glenview, IL. On campus, Kristine is involved as secretary and rush chair for alpha Kappa Delta Phi (an Asian interest sorority) and media chair for Beta Alpha Psi (a business fraternity). She decided to pursue the AACC internship to expand her cultural awareness and join a supportive cohort that brings visibility to the Asian American community.
Andreen Isidoro
AACC Intern
she/her/hers
Andreen is a senior majoring in Human Development and Family Studies. She is a Filipino American from Chicago, IL. At UIUC, she is a member and cultural dancer for the Philippine Student Association and a sister of alpha Kappa Delta Phi, an Asian-interest sorority. There, she has served as Rush and Wellness Chair to advocate for mental health awareness within the organization and community. Additionally, she works at the Clark Lindsey nursing home as a CNA to strengthen her experience to one day pursue a career in nursing. She has been a part of many other Asian organizations growing up and wants to continue spreading Asian Awareness throughout the Urbana-Champaign community.
Sonali Jain
AACC Intern
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Sonali is a senior majoring in Interdisciplinary Health Sciences on the pre-dental track. She is an Indian American from Staunton, IL. She is a part of the University's Pre-Dental Club and is currently serving as Vice President. Recently, Sonali served on the planning committee for the 4th annual South Asian American Leadership Conference to create a safe space to discuss issues and challenges of today. Sonali decided to intern at the AACC because she wants to promote the strength and diversity within the Asian American community.
Isaac Lo
AACC Intern
Isaac is a senior studying Mechanical Engineering. He is a proud Chinese American with an interest in learning more and creating conversation about Asian American experiences. At the University he has been an active part of Kappa Pi Beta, an Asian-interest fraternity and is excited to learn more about his identity as an AACC intern.
Anish Sabnis
Soo Outreach Intern
Anish is a senior majoring in Computer Engineering. He is an Indian American and is from Lemont, IL. At the University, Anish is a part of the triathlon club and enjoys staying active. He is also part of Kappa Pi Beta, an Asian-interest fraternity, having served as the cultural and philanthropy chair. Anish decided to intern at the AACC because he wanted to get closer to his Asian identity and help strengthen the community.
Lillian Tan
AACC Intern
she/her/hers
Lillian is a sophomore majoring in Integrative Biology from Chicago, IL and is a Chinese American. Besides interning at the AACC, Lillian likes to do traditional dance and be a part of various Asian interest student-led organizations such as AAA, PSA, and VSA. She is also a part of alpha Kappa Delta Phi, an Asian-interest sorority, serving as Asian Awareness and Performance chair. Lillian decided to intern at the AACC because she hopes to create a supportive environment for Asian American students to grow and address various Asian American issues.
Will Yepsen
APAA Leadership Intern
he/him/his
Will is a senior majoring in Political Science and Asian American Studies from Forsyth, IL. Will is a Korean American transracial adoptee and does independent research mentored by Dr. Sharon Lee in the College of Education on the experience of transracial adoptees at post-secondary institutions. This is Will's second year interning at the AACC, and he is currently the APAA Leadership Intern. Besides interning at the AACC, Will works for the Office of Undergraduate Admissions as an I STAR (Illinois Student Admissions Representative), is the President of In Between UIUC, a co-founder of ACCORD (Asian Coalition Combating Oppression Racism and Discrimination), and a Senator for the College of LAS in Illinois Student Government.
Ella Yoo
AACC Intern
she/they
Ella is a junior majoring in Political Science. At UIUC, Ella is the outreach chair of In Between. Outside of school, Ella is involved with KAN-WIN, an organization that provides culturally competent services for Asian immigrant survivors of gender-based violence. Ella decided to intern at the AACC because she wants to help facilitate a community of Asian American students at UIUC, and through facilitating community address important issues that face and are within the AAPI community.
Qiaoyi Nie
AACC Graduate Fellow
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Qiaoyi is a Ph.D. student majoring in Political Science with a focus on race and ethnicity politics. She is an international student from Chongqing, China. Prior to joining AACC, she served as a research assistant on a Call-to-Action project funded by the University's Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, which aimed to examine young adults' perceptions of East Asians and identify mechanisms for enhancing cultural awareness, competency, and inclusivity at UIUC. Qiaoyi decided to join AACC because she hopes to deepen her understanding of Asian American community, increase awareness of this community and promote its visibility through her work.