2022-2023 AACC Senior Interns
Geneva Lew
Class Status: Senior
Major: Sociology
About Geneva:
Hi, I'm Geneva Lew! My pronouns are she/her, and I am currently a senior in the School of Arts and Sciences, majoring in Sociology and minoring in Social Justice & Political Science. I am passionate about activism within the APIDA community and hope to continue my journey in creating a more socially just and inclusive society no matter how big or small. The AACC has become my home ever since I transferred here and got involved with the mentee and junior internship program. As a senior intern, I have been able to make so many connections and grow as a person, they have helped me become more sociable and determined and the AACC is easily the most memorable part of my Rutgers journey. In the future I hope to help various communities and serve within NGO organizations. I am so grateful to have met the people I have here at the AACC and gained such valuable knowledge and experience during the last two years.
Om Patil
Class Status: Junior
Major: Information Technology and Informatics
About Om:
Hi, my name is Om. I am a junior at the School of Communication and Information majoring in Information Technology and Informatics with a minor in Digital Communication Information and Media. The AACC is my second home on campus. I fell in love with the building and all of its programs as a work study student, and I am so thrilled to be working with the wonderful APIDA organizations and students that flow in and out of the AACC. I've learned some important lessons about Asian American identity and culture at Rutgers and have made some of my best memories and friends here at the AACC. I hope to see the center continue to flourish for years to come!
Mitra Raveendran
Class Status: Junior
Major: Information Technology and Informatics
About Mitra:
Hi, I’m Mitra Raveendran! My pronouns are she/her. I am a junior majoring in Information Technology and Informatics. I’m minoring in Psychology and DCIM. In the future, I aspire to be a UI/UX Designer. I was first introduced to the AACC as a federal work-study student. The AACC felt like a safe place where I could stay, finish homework, and meet new people. I later joined the Junior Internship to gain leadership skills and learn more about my Asian identity. I understood my identity as an Asian American and gained new friends through the internship. I was able to improve my public speaking skills and become more creative. AACC has become a home away from home, and I’m glad I can continue working there as a Senior Intern.
Neda Sayyed
Class Status: Sophomore
Major: Undecided
About Neda:
Hi! My name is Neda Sayyed. My pronouns are she/her and I am a sophomore looking to go into Communications with a focus in Public Relations. I’m seeking in the future to go into marketing or to go into the media/entertainment industry. I was first introduced to the Asian American Cultural Center by finding a flyer for the Mentor-Mentee program in my dorm when I was a freshman. Coming from my high school, I needed a space to explore my background as a Pakistani American and was also interested in learning more about Asian culture. I joined the mentor-mentee program, met so many new people, and my mentor guided me with any help that I needed. Through the program, I learned about the Junior and Senior internships, and I applied to both. The junior internship taught me a lot about Asian cultures and the historical contexts behind them, meanwhile also helping me grow as a person by encouraging me to learn about my own identity. The experiences I’ve had at the AACC taught me how to be creative through work while still being true to myself.
Colleen Tonra
Class Status: Sophomore
Major: History and Secondary Education
About Colleen:
My name is Colleen Tonra. I am a sophomore double majoring in History and Secondary Education. In addition to being a Senior Intern and Manager at the Asian American Cultural Center, I am an AACC mentor, Internal Affairs Chair in the Rutgers University Student Assembly, an Institute for Women’s Leadership Scholar, and an active member of Haru. I was introduced to the AACC my freshman year when I applied and was accepted as a Junior Intern. The Asian American Cultural Center has become a second home for me while at Rutgers University. I have been offered wonderful opportunities through my involvement that are going to be crucial in my future career as a teacher or historian. Not only have I been equipped with professional tools, but the AACC has allowed me to explore my own identities as a Thai-Chinese-Irish-Scottish American. During my time at the AACC I have become a more productive, educated, outspoken member of my community. I would like to uplift my community in the way that the AACC has uplifted me.
Kevin Hu
Class Status: Sophomore
Major: Finance
About Kevin:
Hi, I’m Kevin. I’m currently a sophomore majoring in Finance at Rutgers Business School. The AACC is a place for me to be myself around people who are supportive and accepting of everyone. Being part of the programs the AACC offers has helped me become more social with others with its accepting and nurturing community. In addition, the AACC has made me feel more comfortable being in front of others and voicing my opinions. Overall, being part of the AACC community makes me feel relaxed, empowered, and accepted. I have become a better leader with the experiences the AACC has provided me.
2022-2023 Peer Mentor Coordinator Interns
Anjelica Solomon
Class Status: Senior
Major: Information Technology and Information
About Anjelica:
Hi, my name is Anjelica Solomon! My pronouns are she/her, and I am currently a senior in the School of Communication and Information majoring in Information Technology & Informatics, with minors in Business Administration and Human Resource Management. I learned about the AACC during my freshman year when I joined the Mentoring Program as a Mentee. The following year I joined again as a Mentor, and the year after that until now I became one of the Peer Mentor Program Coordinators managing the program! The AACC is my home away from home, a safe space for me to relax, study, eat at, and bring my friends to enjoy! Working at the AACC has allowed me to meet so many people and make new friends, and it’s been a rewarding experience watching our Mentors and Mentees bond together!
Donna Zhang
Class Status: Junior
Major: Finance
About Donna:
Hello, my name is Donna Zhang. I am currently a junior at Rutgers Business School majoring in Finance and minoring in Real Estate. I first heard about the AACC Mentoring Program when I was a freshman and joined as a mentee. I was able to meet many new people and overall had such a wonderful time in the program that I joined again as a peer coordinator intern my sophomore year. As a Peer Coordinator at the AACC right now, I have been able to challenge and grow my leadership skills while getting to meet many new friends. Our mentors and mentees are so amazing and being able to witness their friendships grow is definitely one of my favorite parts of the role.
Amena Samia
Class Status: Sophomore
Major: Business Analytics and Information Technology
About Amena:
Hi all, I am Amena. I'm currently a sophomore at RBS studying Business Analytics and Information Technology. This is my first year playing a big role with AACC as a Mentor Coordinator. Being part of AACC has not only led me to meet so many wonderful, and welcoming people but also connected me with amazing resources and opportunities for growth that I have been utilizing. I am so grateful I found the AACC such early on in my Rutgers Journey because I feel so much more comfortable at Rutgers because of it. I am so excited to see myself and AACC grow.
