Alice Chou – Co-Head Counselor of TACL’s Bay Area Youth Summer Camp

I’m a second-year at UC Davis majoring in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior with a minor in Education and doing research at the California National Primate Research Center. My mother is a high school teacher, and my father is a chemist. I have a dog named Boye and a younger brother who is slowly but surely introducing me to the finer points of video gaming. I love my weird music, the library, and all things geektastic. I paint, I play viola, and I look at the sky. My dream is to start a school focused on creativity in the sciences for kids enthusiastic about learning.

Tell us about your organization / project, your role, and its impact?

Taiwanese American Citizen’s League – Leading Youth Forward (TACL-LYF) is a youth summer camp directed towards encouraging youth to actively participate in their community while forging a strong Taiwanese American identity. As one of the two head counselors, I coordinate the logistics of camp throughout the year by holding monthly counselor meetings and ensure that camp remains true to our mission, while still being fun.

Before I became a counselor, TACL-LYF was known as Taiwanese American Youth Leadership (TAYL) camp. After my very first year as a camper in 2002, TAYL was something to look forward to each summer after school ended. It was where I first learned the meaning of the word “stereotype” and exactly how much stereotypes had impacted my life. Each year, I would go back and grow more as a person; TAYL was where I became a leader. I intend to instill the same inspiration in future campers. It has been nearly a decade since I first became involved, but I have no plans to stop. Ever.

Where do you find your inspiration and motivation as a student leader?

I find inspiration through my teachers (past and present) and people who are willing to take what they learn and apply it to helping others. My high school experience played an enormous part in motivating me to do bigger things. During my senior year, I teamed up with four other students to raise money for our school to combat the education budget cuts. The success of the Save Our Schools campaign and the subsequent waterfall of similar projects it created in neighboring schools led me to believe that with enough passion and determination, one can do anything.

What is your vision for the organization / project and the role that it may play in the broader community?

I want all the campers to make lifelong friends that help each other  achieve their aspirations. TACL-LYF will be a place where people come each summer to have fun, inspire, and be inspired.

Why are you proud to be of Taiwanese heritage?

I am a second generation Taiwanese American. To me, being Taiwanese American is not a label to apply to myself. Rather, it is an honor to be part of a community that strives to make a better future with the simplest tools of kindness and honesty. Not to mention the food is fantastic!

What does the future of Taiwanese America look like to you?

Taiwanese Americans will be recognized as an influential part of the American society. Future generations will uphold the kindness, determination, and eagerness in making progress. Seeing as the 100 Passionate People and the 100 Student Leaders are only a small slice of the Taiwanese American pie, the future sure looks shiny!

Any additional information you would like to share?

Please visit http://lyf.tacl.org/ for more information on TACL-LYF, or join our Facebook group http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2205253496