Qui-Shawn Tran
My parents immigrated from Vietnam to the San Gabriel Valley, the mecca of Southeast and East Asian immigration near Los Angeles County, and raised me to be successful in an American system. They didn’t go to college but they promised me that a university education would be the life-changing accomplishment I would need to land the best jobs and have all my ducks in a row. My expectations were grand.
Two months into being at UC San Diego, there were no indications of greater purpose between my general education classes and my awkward surface-level introductions at events. My conversations with Charles were opportunities to candidly explain my internal debates of why I struggled with belonging and exploring this great new world. Ultimately, his advice was a straightforward assessment of my character, which affirmed my desire to be a trailblazer—to be proud I was different.
Since those years, music production and technology became my major; I studied abroad in wonderful Copenhagen, backpacked through Europe, fundraised for local musical theaters, performed poetry and spoke at lengths to represent the Asian American experience and decided that being an artist will be my career. Most recently, in April, I became a fellow in the Ivory Bridges Foundation—a fellowship program Charles founded in 2020 to connect first-generation college students to their career dreams.
It’s not easy to strive for far-off milestones or to chase dreams when it feels like you’re in it alone, but if Charles has shown me anything, it’s this: When I get where I’m going, I’m going to turn around and help the next person in line.
Christine Frazier (she/her)
College: Sixth
Major: Ecology, Behavior and Evolution
Like many other individuals who belong to the Asian and Pacific Islander American community, I hold deep and profound respect for my elders. Unfortunately, not everyone gets the opportunity to meet their elders. Although the relationship and person I have chosen to share about is no longer with us nor have I ever met him, I feel a strong connection to him. This person is my grandfather, Godfrey Padayao, or as I call him Papa Padayao. Although I have never met him, he continues to be an inspiration.
