Her Campus (HC): How long have you been involved in AASU?
Jully Dong (JD): I’ve been involved since my freshman year. I started out just going to GBM’s, but I was mainly involved with the LEAD (Leadership, Exploration and Development) committee during my first year. It wasn’t until my second year when I became the secretary that I got really involved with the organization.
HC: What led you to join the organization to begin with?
JD: Growing up, I never found a community where people had similar backgrounds that I did. I always struggled to balance my American and Chinese cultures. Coming to FSU, I wanted to find a community that shared similar experiences that I did in growing up as Asian Americans.
HC: What kind of community does AASU provide for students?
JD: AASU is a pretty diverse organization and we provide a haven for people who are of Asian descent and for people who are interested in Asian culture. A lot of people think they need to be of Asian descent or to be Asian American specifically to join AASU, but that’s not our purpose. We create a bond between our members where not only do we attend events together, but we actually hang out and study together or grab lunch. It’s cliché, but we’re really like a family. AASU has grown in size and in our connections with one another since my freshman year.
HC: When did you start holding officer positions in AASU? What has that experience been like leading up to being Director?
JD: My sophomore year I was the secretary. I wanted to use that position to get more involved in AASU and further develop my social and leadership skills. My junior year I decided to go for programming coordinator because being the secretary was a behind-the-scenes job and being the programming coordinator allowed me to get out of my shell and plan more events at the forefront of it all. That position allowed me to grow into the person and leader that I am today.
HC: What does AASU mean to you? Why is it an important organization on campus?
JD: AASU represents the Asian American community on campus. As one of the SGA identity-based agencies, I think it’s important to know Asian American history and culture and promote that to students through social, educational and cultural events.
HC: What made you decide to go for the director position?
JD: Honestly, I didn’t want to go for the director position at first. I’m a bit of an introverted person so I’m not very good at small talk. My original plan was to go for the assistant director position, who works with the affiliate organizations’ presidents—people I already had met and knew so I would feel more comfortable working closely with them. The former director, Stephanie Lee, convinced me to apply to be the director because she saw the potential in me that I didn’t see in myself.
HC: You graduate in May – what do you hope to achieve in your last semester with AASU?
JD: For my last semester, I really want to push AASU further than it’s been before. That’s why during our upcoming Heritage Month we are holding so many new events and discussing topics we have yet to previously explore.
HC: Tell me about Heritage Month.
JD: Heritage Month is March 6 through April 18. This month holds all our signature events, including AAMP’D (Asian American Music, Poetry and Dance). We always invite a guest performer that’s heavily involved in the Asian American Community, such as past performer; YouTuber and singer AJ Rafael. We are also bringing back the keynote speaker event this year.
HC: What will you miss most? The least?
JD: I think I’ll miss attending all the events and getting to see everyone basically every other day the most. I’ll miss being in Thagard all the time during my office hours where I get to talk with other agency leaders every week. I definitely won’t miss how busy I am, it can be hard to take a break and step back from AASU when I constantly have so much going on.
HC: What’s one thing you wish everyone knew about AASU?
JD: Don’t be scared—come join us! We’re a large, diverse community where you’re sure to fit in. We have a lot of fun together (and sometimes we have free food at our events.)
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