Pathways to Leadership

Most people would agree that a path is always almost easier to follow when it's lighted. When it comes to your career, how do you know how to get to where you want to go and what skills you will need?  When it comes to the National Association of Asian American Professionals (NAAAP), how does it deliver on its mission to build leaders in the community or its organization?

If you're in a career already, many companies have clear pathways to various job roles and responsibilities and specific requirements for each; for example, there are clear pathways for becoming a manager, paths for becoming a general manager, or paths for becoming the Chief Executive Officer. Similarly for NAAAP, there are also clear pathways from an event or committee volunteer to a committee chair; and pathways from a committee chair to a postion on the Board of Directors; and pathways from a Board of Directors position to a National position and onto the President of the organization.

Let me remind you that each pathway will require a set of skills and identify areas for further training and development.

What are these skills? 
Well, to name a few: written communication, understanding others, time management, intellectual horsepower, building effective teams, process management, problem solving, presentation skills, integrity, authenticity, patience, dealing with ambiguity, negotiations, managing and measuring, priority setting, results driven, managing up, composure, creativity, customer focus, timely decision-making, delegation, developing direct reports, action oriented, approachability, business acumen, self awareness, risk-taking, comfort around top management, compassion, conflict management, diversity, hiring and staffing, humor, reporting, trust, and listening.

These skills often show up on the job or as part of a specific training and development experience. With regards to NAAAP Seattle, we provide many opportunities in which to gain these skills. Beyond volunteering, leading a committee or sitting on the Board of Directors will offer opportunities to gain mastery of the skills that will lead to bigger challenges and opportunities leading you further down your chosen pathway.  

If you are interested in these learning opportunities and gain valuable experience, please visit our website.

Regards,
Gil Gido
NAAAP Seattle
President

First NAAAP-Seattle College Scholarship awarded to Stacy Huynh

Stacy Huynh is a native of Seattle, Washington and a proud UW Husky. She recently graduated from the University of Washington with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business Administration - Accounting and will be continuing her education in the UW's Master of Professional Accounting Program for Audit & Assurance this Fall.

Stacy shares her thoughts on being a scholarship winner, on NAAAP-Seattle, and on where she would like to vacation.

1) How do you feel about being the first-ever recipient of this NAAAP scholarship?

I am extremely honored to be chosen as the first-ever recipient of the NAAAP College Scholarship. I truly admire that NAAAP-Seattle is doing more to help Asian American students develop professionally and by creating a scholarship for graduate school, NAAAP is pushing us to achieve even more. I hope this scholarship continues long into the future.

2) How did you hear about the scholarship and about NAAAP?

I first learned about NAAAP through my connections as the 2009-2010 Asian Student Commission (ASC) Director at the University of Washington. My predecessor and I were both students at the UW's Foster School of Business and we discussed the need for some program or event that would address contemporary issues of Asian Americans on professionalism and achieving our education and career goals. He was the one who first told me about NAAAP and then throughout the year, I received weekly e-newsletters from NAAAP's Seattle chapter and would eventually work with the Student Relations Chair to organize an ASC Networking Night. I hope that ASC continues to work with NAAAP so that the two organizations can work together in helping Asian students at the UW meet their post-college goals.

3) If you had $1000 to spend on anything non-school related, what would it be?

Part of the $1,000 would definitely go to my family because I would not have earned any of my achievements without their love and support. I would also use some of the money to help fund backpacking trips through Europe and Asia. If there is anything left, I would either put it in a savings account (this is the Accounting major in me) or donate it to a worthy cause.

American warships meet Japanese shores

Attendees of NAAAP-Seattle’s monthly mixer got a special treat this past Friday, June 4, when organizers moved the mingling to a more artistic setting—the ArtXchange Gallery in Pioneer Square. NAAAPsters were greeted by American warships and Japanese shores; nineteenth century world history and twenty-first century pop art; graffiti spraypaint and ukiyo-e woodblock printing, as embodied in the paintings of local artist Jonathan Wakuda Fischer.

This is the first time NAAAP-Seattle has organized an event at the gallery.
Cora Edwards, the director and owner of Art Xchange, said she wants the “space to be for the community.” She enjoyed collaborating with NAAAP-Seattle to organize the special showing.

“This is just the most energetic, outgoing and engaging group,” said Edwards. “I loved learning about what everyone does. As an audience, they are intelligent and curious and they asked great questions.”

Over sixty people circulated the ArtXchange, a gallery that often exhibits works by Asian and Asian Americans or that feature Asian culture. Eight attendees became new NAAAP-Seattle members.

NAAAP-Seattle members, old and new, enjoyed the event.

“It was an impressive event. It good to see Japanese culture,” said Barret Seifer, who has been a NAAAP-Seattle member for three years. “The Art was beautiful. I wish I could buy some!”

Seifer added, “The NAAAP organization is the best. It has something going on all the time!”

“This was my first time going to a NAAAP event and it was great to talk to a lot of people,” said Jialin Jiao. “I do wish there were more events on the Eastside though.”

Artist Jonathan Wakuda Fischer said he was “impressed with the turn-out and by the crowd.” Although he nows lives in Ballard, Fischer is from Wisconsin, which has a much smaller Asian population.

“When I came to Seattle, there were Asians and it was a really different experience,” said Fischer. “I hadn’t lived in a community like this before. It was something I was searching for, but I didn’t know it.”

And last Friday was proof of a strong community of Asians, Asian Americans and those interested in Asian culture coming together, through NAAAP-Seattle.

Photos: NAAAP-Seattle PR/Marketing chair Julie Pham interviewing artist Jonathan Wakuda Fischer, sitting under his signature work, "Future’s Past: The Black Ships"; the crowd listening to Jonathan Wakuda Fischer talk about his paintings; the ArtXchange team, including gallery owner and director Cora Edwards (far right).