WASHINGTON, D.C. – The US-Asia Institute (USAI), in partnership with the Philippine Embassy in the United States, has officially opened applications for the IMPACT! Program for summer 2021. The 2021 program is organized to provide opportunity for Filipino American students and young graduates to gain firsthand knowledge about the current practices and opportunities available in Washington, D.C. The program will help in their becoming future leaders and to open the doors for them to contribute to the strengthening of the U.S.- Philippines relations.
The entire program will be conducted virtually from June 7 to August 6, 2021 (nine weeks).
“It is wonderful to see more and more members of the Filipino-America community getting involved in U.S. politics and exercising civic leadership in their communities. Their unique perspective allows them to make vital contributions to the progress of both the United States and the Philippines and help our 75-year-old bilateral relationship achieve greater heights,” said Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez in a statement.
Mary Sue Bissell, president of the US-Asia Institute said, “Our young people are our greatest resource, and the foundation for the future. Believing this to be true, the US-Asia Institute (USAI) has been committed since its founding in 1979 to providing opportunities for training, leadership, professional growth, and networking for students and young professionals from around the globe. Through its robust internship and professional development programs—such as this IMPACT! initiative for Filipino Americans—USAI provides the tools and introductions to build the participants’ understanding of the U.S. political and governmental processes, underscoring the value of community involvement and civic leadership. Young Filipino-Americans have a special and essential role to play in the fabric of this nation, and in the future of the U.S.-Philippine relationship. IMPACT! can be the impetus for you to step up and engage.”
Last year’s inaugural IMPACT! Program selected six candidates from all over the U.S. with a strong interest in civic leadership nationally and in their communities.
Kathleen Mallari was one of the selected few for the IMPACT! Program 2020 and she was placed at the Conference on Asian Pacific American Leadership (CAPAL) in Washington, D.C. Six months after the program upon Kathleen’s graduation from her University, she said, “This program helped shape my post-college career…honestly, my placement with CAPAL and my internship with them…gave me the edge I needed to ultimately get hired.”
Another selected participant, Clarissa Cabil, was placed at the Asian/Pacific Islander Domestic Violence Resource Project.
Of the program she said, “The IMPACT Program provided me with the opportunity to surround myself with brilliant minds from all over the world. This fellowship not only served as an invaluable and insightful experience in and of itself, but it opened up doors to various professional opportunities that I have not yet explored or discovered as an undergraduate nursing student before applying to the program.”
Interested candidates may apply here (bit.ly/3a8izMH) until Sunday, February 28, 2021.
For questions and further information, please reach out to USAI Director of International and Government Affairs Zev Moses at [email protected].
