The FilAm tables at UniPro’s Opportunity Fair, finds students who love to write
The author answering questions from the curious and the interested. Photo by Lumen Castaneda
This past Sunday, March 8, I had the opportunity to table for The FilAm magazine at UniPro’s Opportunity Fair at NYU Palladium, attended by hundreds of young Filipino Americans.
The event, organized in partnership with the New York University’s International Filipino Association, was created to showcase several dozen community and government organizations, private companies, and nonprofits led by Filipino Americans. The idea is for the youth to get to know the various organizations and explore opportunities on how they could be of assistance.
The organizations represented diverse fields, such as journalism, communications, health care, education, and politics that are looking to build on their capacities through available jobs, internships, or fellowships.
While meeting other Filipino American students who were looking for these opportunities, I saw myself in their shoes.
I was once that student networking with organizations and companies hoping I would be able to work with them. I also took advantage of the presence of these other organizations to see how Filipino Americans have been getting involved in their communities and to see what sort of opportunities they have available for other Filipino Americans.
Meeting the leaders of these other organizations made me realize that Filipino Americans are making strides everywhere in different industries and companies. To think that many of these organizations were started and nurtured by Filipinos with a vision was an inspiring thing.
Getting involved with the community is very easy as many of these organizations and companies were very approachable and were greeting guests with a smile. The success of these organizations and companies show the contribution of the hard work and productive work ethic usually attributed to Filipinos. It showed that amongst their other responsibilities at home, Filipinos are also able to bring their experiences to help cultivate organizations and companies around the United States and around the world.
The FilAm table was approached by a couple of students who were interested in writing. I tried to explain to them the history of our online magazine and how, as a young magazine of four years, we welcome all story ideas and writing styles. I also mentioned that The FilAm has an Investigative Reporting Project where writers have the opportunity to do more long-form, analytical articles on top of the usual blog-style essays, and that IRP articles have a modest stipend. The students appeared to be interested.
Some of the organizations present included Legacy NYC, GrantAnswers, BuzzFeed, Bread and Bullets, The Philippine American Friendship Committee, Anakbayan NY/NJ, NextDayBetter, the United Federation of Fil-Am Educators, the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, the Philippine Consulate, the Social Security Administration, the Fil-Am Press Club and the Filipino School of NY and NJ.
Visit UniPro’s website at unipronow.org to learn more about their upcoming programs and events and read about their mission to help connect Filipino communities through collaboration, education, and leadership.
John Sapida is an M.A. candidate in International Affairs at The New School’s Milano School of International Affairs, Management, and Urban Policy. He is a writing intern at The FilAm.
Friends of our magazine stop by The FilAm table. From left, Noel Pangilinan of the Filipino American Press Club, Jujo Conol of PAFCOM, Monette Rivera of the Press Club, and Lumen Castaneda of UNIFFIED. Photo by John Sapida
