HCAP Leaders Program (AANAPISI Part F Grant: 2016-2021)
The HCAP Leaders Program was an innovative program supported by HCAP’s first AANAPISI grant (2016-2021). The program sought to grow and develop outstanding leaders to build and guide the Hunter College student community.
HCAP Leaders received hands-on leadership coaching, skills training, and mentorship to become peer leaders who assisted other students in navigating their Hunter experience. Training topics included: leadership skills, public speaking, facilitation, sharing resources, and Asian American community issues.
After completing the training program, students served as ambassadors of HCAP and co-led community events throughout their fall and spring semesters.
Timeline
This program concluded with the end of HCAP’s first AANAPISI Part F grant (2016-2021). We were proud to have run two successful cohorts of HCAP Leaders. This program informed the creation of HCAP’s Transfer Pipeline Program, which now provides ongoing leadership and peer mentorship to students.
HCAP Leaders led and assisted with HCAP outreach, programming and events. See below for our alumni of the program!
Meet our HCAP Leaders (alumni)
Sharlene Daba-ay (HCAP Leader, cohort 2)
Sharlene is a Filipino American who is majoring in Biochemistry. She is an aspiring neurologist interested in addressing healthcare disparities in Asian American communities. In her free time, she loves to listen to K-pop, play video games, and watch anime.
“I joined HCAP Leaders because I found it to be a great opportunity to improve leadership skills and to learn more about the issues in my community. I struggle with public speaking but I found it comforting that other HCAP Leaders resonated with me. Being able to see the improvement of myself and my peers has been an uplifting experience.”
Sam Dilawari (HCAP Leader, cohort 2)
Samuel is a Neuroscience major with a minor in Asian American studies. He aspires to become a neurosurgeon and save the rainforest. Please be nice to the planet.
“I joined HCAP because I wanted a place of belonging with people that were like me and were interested in similar issues such as giving a voice to students and helping them through college to become successful individuals in society.”
Danying Guan (HCAP Leader, cohort 2)
This is Danying and she is a junior majoring in Biology and minoring in Public Health. She loves playing basketball in her free time and eating hotpot with bubble tea. She is also interested in learning more about the Asian American communities.
“I joined HCAP Leaders because I wanted to build more connection with Hunter College students and grow awareness of the issues within the AAPI community.”
Jeffry Guerrero (HCAP Leader, cohort 2)
Jeffry William Guerrero is a senior majoring in Biochemistry with a English and Math minor. Guerrero is a distance runner for Hunter College’s Cross Country and Track & Field team. He aspires to be an Emergency Medicine Physician while also being an advocate for his community; focusing on immigrant rights and climate change.
“I joined HCAP in order to learn more about Asian American issues and to compare with Latinx community issues. If I hope to become an advocate for, and help my community, then I aim to be as culturally aware as possible. I think that both the Asian and Latinx community have more similarities than most think such as immigrating to this country and taboo topics among older generations like mental illness. Through HCAP I saw a difference in my public speaking and listening skills; as well as became a strong peer leaders to help newcomers navigate the Hunter College experience. I had an amazing summer and met many friends thanks to this program.”
Ashalee Hinds (HCAP Leader, cohort 2)
Ashalee is a human biology major with dreams of becoming a veterinarian. In her free time, she likes to watch national geographic, write poetry and play with her guinea pigs!
“I joined HCAP Leaders to become part of a community. Going to a commuter school, it’s so easy to become alienated from your peers. HCAP has given me a foundation, and helped me build leadership skills while at it. From networking to public speaking, I’m confident I’ve found a group that I can grow with.”
Matthew Ho (HCAP Leader, cohort 2)
Matthew is a Taiwanese American born and raised in Queens. He is a senior majoring in Bioinformatics and minoring in Asian American Studies. Matthew enjoys exploring the city and trying new food spots.
“I joined HCAP to further explore my own identity as an Asian American and how I could work towards building up the Hunter community.”
Han Teng Li (HCAP Leader, cohort 2)
Han is a sophomore majoring in Chinese Language and Literature. He is interested in studying global health disparities as well as health disparities that exist between racial groups in the United States. Han is currently seeking to attend graduate school to obtain a Master of Public Health degree after college.
“I joined HCAP because I think it could help me connect with other people who also care about issues surrounding Asian American communities. Working with other people to develop personal skills that are required to be a leader was also very useful.”
Yayi Lin (HCAP Leader, cohort 2)
Yayi is a Chinese-American who grew up in Brooklyn. Yayi studies psychology and Asian American studies at Hunter College. She enjoys watching Korean variety shows.
“I joined HCAP Leaders wanting to improve my public speaking skills and my communications skills. I also joined to be part of a program that understood the cultural experiences of being Asian American, so that I can better explore what it means to be Chinese American and what it means to be a leader. With these skills and knowledge, I can then better assist students on navigating Hunter!”
Dorothy Liu (HCAP Leader, cohort 2)
Dorothy Liu is a junior pre-med majoring in Biochemistry and minoring in Math and Asian American Studies. She is on the Hunter College Women’s Cross Country and Track & Field team. If she’s not researching or volunteering, she enjoys naps, playing Tetris and playing board games with friends.
“I became interested in joining HCAP leaders because I wanted to gain a greater awareness of current events within the Asian American community as well as create a greater sense of fellowship within the Hunter College AANAPISI community.”
Lhamu Sherpa (HCAP Leader, cohort 2)
Lhamu is an International student from Nepal, currently majoring in Psychology and Statistics. Her ultimate goal is to conduct research and analyze different socioeconomic issues to ultimately help drive research based policies and support underrepresented communities.
“I joined HCAP to learn more about issues related to the AANAPI community and how to make a difference as a Hunter student. HCAP has provided me with opportunities and resources to improve my soft skills and has become a support system at large. It has also introduced me to a precocious bunch of individuals (from whom I learn so much) and provided me a platform to help fellow Asian American students alongside these individuals who share the same values of giving back and making a difference.”
Leora Zhang (HCAP Leader, cohort 2)
Leora is a Korean-Chinese-American and a first generation immigrant college student. She is majoring in Psychology with Behavioral Neuroscience Concentration. In her free time, she likes playing the piano and reading books.
“I joined HCAP Leaders because I wanted to find a community that I belong to at Hunter and wanted to get out of my comfort zone by challenging myself and learning leadership skills.”
Megan Chan (HCAP Leader alumni, cohort 1)
Megan is an American-born Chinese. She is family-oriented. She studied Asian American Studies in Hunter College.
“I joined the HCAP Leaders Program to allow myself to gain exposure to working with people and also develop critical skills needed in my preferred line of social work. I would say my biggest gain from being an HCAP Leaders is the training, from facilitation, public speaking, teamwork, and learning about Hunter College resources.”
Nibras Karim (HCAP Leader alumni, cohort 1)
Nibras is a Bangladeshi American living in Queens. They’re currently studying political science and Asian American studies at Hunter College. Nibras has an interest in pursuing a career in politics in order to represent and advocate for the needs of Asian Americans living in NYC/ USA.
Naheed Hossain (HCAP Leader alumni, cohort 1)
Naheed Sultana Hossain is a senior at CUNY Hunter College. Naheed studied English with a minor in Adolescent Education. She is currently interested in looking at the ways technology encourages community growth in NYC.
Tina Zhang (HCAP Leader alumni, cohort 1)
Tina is an Economics and Accounting Minor. Tina loves nature as well as collecting unique leafs. Tina aspires to be a vehicle of change.
“I joined HCAP leaders in hopes of finding a community of like minded individuals who wanted to improve and/or challenge themselves professionally and personally. In addition to finding people to grow with. There were many highlights as a HCAP leader and one of them was seeing the fruition of our ideas become reality. Being able to uplift and play a supporting role to my fellow peers was also a very fun, challenging and eye opening experience.”
Jin Hee Yoo (HCAP Leader, cohort 1)
Jin Hee is Korean-American and a daughter of immigrants. She is majoring in Human Biology and minoring in Asian American Studies. In her free time, Jin Hee enjoys trying different cuisines, taking photographs, and spending time with her friends.
Kimmi Tsoi (HCAP Leader, cohort 1)
Maryam Mian (HCAP Leader, cohort 1)
Maryam is a Pakistani American who has lived in Queens, New York her whole life. Maryam studies psychology as a major and Asian American studies as a minor. She loves to bring out her artistic and creative side in everything she does!
“I joined HCAP Leaders because I felt like I could do more as an Asian American and as someone interested in issues often expressed concern revolving the Asian American community. I saw it as an opportunity to learn how to develop some really important skills in my free time while also being able to meet new people and maybe even make friends in new and different circles outside of my own. I think it’s really helpful for students to be able to learn all these skills and be able to get involved in a community and do something that matters all while making friends and meeting new people.”
Contact HCAP Program Director Caitlin Ho: ch1322@hunter.cuny.edu for questions about this program.