Gaosheng Yang '24

Why you joined the A³C: I've always been interested in learning, servicing, and giving back to my communities, whether that is through the Hmong or greater Asian space. Joining the A3C is one instance of an opportunity for me to collaborate with other leaders and put into action the ideas I have for empowering Asian American excellence and success. It is also an amazing chance to learn about the diverse cultures around me and spread awareness on API-related issues.

One thing you love about Stanford: I love the solidarity that many of Stanford's Asian VSOs have for one another! It makes me excited to learn about other Asian cultures and connect with leaders and members of those communities. It also makes me proud of being Hmong at Stanford and sharing with everyone else my culture and people. I hope to remain connected with this community after I graduate from Stanford, and I also hope to find an Asian community as close-knit and diverse as this one outside of Stanford.

One class/program to participate in before leaving Stanford: DESIGN 170: Visual Frontiers with Professor Fenton and Artist Zio Ziegler! This class changed my entire undergraduate and career trajectory because of the great teaching staff, methodologies, and fun projects you get to lead on your own. Me, back in Jan. 2021 when I took the class: "Am I having too much fun with uni?"

Advice to Frosh/anyone on campus: It's easy to feel out of place on campus or become numb to certain feelings and experiences, but always stay optimistic and curious about the people and experiences you can get to encounter here. There are always inspiring people to learn from and opportunities to take up on.