For many students from underrepresented backgrounds, such as Asian Americans, school can feel like a place where their identity isn’t always reflected. Cultural clubs like the Asian Students’ Association offer an important space to connect, celebrate and belong.
At U-High, ASA has become more than just a club, but rather a community led by Shirley Volk and Hsing-Huei Huang, two faculty members who share cultural connections with many of the students. Their presence helps students feel more comfortable expressing themselves and club activities often become more authentic and meaningful.
“This school year is the first time that I’m co-sponsoring ASA with Ms. Huang,” Ms. Volk said. “The current president, Sara Park, approached us both at the end of last school year and asked that we co-sponsor together.”
Having advisers who share students’ cultural backgrounds adds a unique sense of trust and understanding.
“You definitely want someone who is going to support and maybe even share and offer advice, kind of to support their experiences in that culture, whatever that may be,” Ms. Volk said.
The student board members of ASA echo this feeling. For them, having advisers who understand them makes all the difference.
“Having an Asian ASA sponsor is really nice because they come to the club meetings a lot and she can understand the topics that we are talking about and add her own experiences,” vice president Suna Choi-Hortacsu said.
Having advisers who’ve navigated similar cultural dynamics themselves gives students a broader perspective on the diversity of everyone’s experiences.
“My experience is my experience and their experiences may be unique to their family, but there could be some common threads throughout,” Ms. Volk said.
According to New Leaders, a nonprofit organization focused on developing equity-minded school leaders, “Representation means that school principals, teachers or other school-based leaders reflect the racial and cultural diversity of the local communities they serve.”
New Leaders also believes that representation allows students of marginalized backgrounds to see themselves reflected in the educators and school leaders that surround them at school — and then imagine bigger and bolder dreams for themselves.
This leads to a greater sense of school connection, something that ASA cultivates as it is active both on and off campus. With the support of advisers Ms. Volk and Ms. Huang, events like the Lunar New Year Potluck, where members decorated a space, shared foods and screened a movie, help bring visibility and pride to students who might otherwise feel sidelined. The club is also planning a table for Rites of May, featuring the Korean game ddajki.
The club also maintains a presence on Instagram offering a window into the ASA experience. The Instagram account serves as a way to inform the wider school community of events happening, such as the Lunar New Year Potluck.
As ASA continues to grow, its impact is shaped by the presence of culturally connected advisers. Their shared backgrounds with students foster a deeper sense of trust and understanding, making the club a more authentic and inclusive space. When students see their identities reflected in their mentors, it reinforces a sense of pride and belonging.
