Mentorship Program Empowers Asian-American Students at Penn: University of Pennsylvania student Joanna Wu recalls this invitation shortly before her freshman year: Would she like an Asian-American upperclassman mentor? 'The overachiever in me was trying to get ahead academically,' Wu says with a laugh.
But what she discovered - once she was admitted into one of the signature programs of Penn's Pan-Asian American Community House (PAACH) - was a cornucopia of opportunities for personal growth, leadership training and ethnic-identity exploration.
'My mentor was impressive,' says Wu, a 20-year-old junior majoring in biology with minors in chemistry and Asian-American studies. 'She influenced me to become more of a leader myself. She helped organize conferences that brought thousands of people to campus. I saw how I could make an impact too.'
Since its inception in 2000, PAACH'S education mission has bridged Asian-American studies to student life.
