2023-2024 AACC Senior Interns
Sarah Johnson
Class Status: Senior
Major: Cell Biology and Neuroscience
About Sarah:
Sarah Johnson is a current senior intern and a senior majoring in Cell Biology and Neuroscience and Minoring in Chemistry Education. Her favorite part of the Asian American Cultural Center (AACC) is the cultures she has learned about in her time interning here and all the great events she has attended. Sarah found the AACC through a flyer on the REXL and hasn't been able to forget it since. She has learned a lot about the APIDA community and the different experiences that affect their lives. Sarah loves anime, music, and movie reviews. Find Sarah at the AACC events and get to know her!
Isaiah Almero
Class Status: Senior
Major: Marketing
About Isaiah:
Isaiah Almero is currently a senior majoring in Marketing at Rutgers Business School. Isaiah hopes to work in the Sports & Entertainment Industry. Hailing from Central New Jersey, Isaiah has been fortunate enough to be exposed to a wide variety of cultures. His passion for learning more about various backgrounds as well as his own Asian identity has brought him to the perfect place to continue this: The Asian American Cultural Center (AACC). The AACC has helped him grow both in a personal and professional field. Whether it is assisting with peers as a Peer Mentor, or helping co-find Southeast Asians of Rutgers University (SEARU), a new student organization on campus, Isaiah is very happy to help make new memories for others. In his free time, Isaiah can most likely be seen passionately cheering on the New York Knicks, playing Tetris, and listening to his favorite musical artists TWICE, Nas and Michael Jackson.
Veeda Khan
Class Status: Senior
Major: Biology
About Veeda:
Veeda Khan is a current senior majoring in Biology with a minor in Creative Writing. She is a Pakistani-born Canadian currently residing in New Jersey. At the AACC, she enjoys eating and putting stuff up on the walls. Her poems and fiction can be found in Portland Review, Zone 3, and elsewhere. She is passionate about film, literature, and handwritten letters.
Ryan Polanco
Class Status: Senior
Major: Psychology
About Ryan:
Ryan Polanco is currently a senior and is majoring in Psychology. He is from North Jersey, but raised in the Bronx. He is a senior intern at the Asian American Cultural Center (AACC). He spent much of his time at the AACC studying, finding a quiet place to think, eating, or just there with his friends. While he may not be of APIDA identity, he still feels like he is a part of the community and is grateful for the AACC for welcoming him in with open arms. He speaks on how he has found many friends at the center, and has become a place of solace for him. He likes baseball, basketball, and American football. His favorite teams are the New York Mets, New York Giants, and Miami Heat. He currently is the captain of the Los Cabrones intramural team. You can find him going to the gym, cooking, walking his pugs.
Katy Ly
Class Status: Junior
Major: English
About Katy:
Katy Ly is a senior intern at the Asian American Cultural Center (AACC). She is from Central Jersey… And yes… Central Jersey is REAL… She is currently majoring in English and minoring in Asian American Studies. She hopes to become an Asian American literature professor in the future, with a few published books under her name. But in the meantime, she is on the path to become an English teacher. Her interest in exploring and learning about Asian American history has led her to find the AACC. There, she is able to further her understanding of the cultural diversity and multifaceted experiences regarding the APIDA identities. Some additional facts about her is that she loves to read, obviously, and watch anime, her favorite being Chainsaw Man.
Roma Prasad
Class Status: Sophomore
Major: Finance
About Roma:
Roma Prasad is a current sophomore majoring in Finance at the Rutgers Business School. She is from Manhattan and Queens. She is an intern at the Asian American Cultural Center (AACC). In the future, she hopes to work in a front-office finance role like Investment Banking or Asset Management. Their passion for social justice and learning about other cultures brought her to the AACC, where she learned about APIDA issues more in depth. She loves running, belly dancing, Bollywood, Anime, Kpop, and drawing/painting. Being an intern for the AACC has helped her learn professional skills as well as grow personally and she hopes to continuously learn and grow.
2023-2024 Peer Mentor Coordinator Interns
Colleen Tonra
Class Status: Junior
Major: History
About Colleen:
Colleen Tonra (she/her/hers) is a third-year student at Rutgers University, majoring in History and minoring in Asian American Studies. She is planning on pursuing a Master’s degree in Secondary Social Studies Education. She is a former Senior Program Coordinating Intern at the Asian American Cultural Center. Currently, she is a Peer Mentor Coordinating Intern at the Asian American Cultural Center, the founding president of Southeast Asians of Rutgers University (SEARU), a FIGS Peer Instructor on Asian American Studies, a second-year scholar at the Institute for Women’s Leadership, and a dancer in Haru: K-pop Dance Cover Club. In the future, Colleen hopes to use her experience to advocate for the educational needs of marginalized communities, particularly Southeast Asian Americans and refugees.
Arooj Amjad
Class Status: Junior
Major: Psychology and Human Resource Management
About Arooj:
Hi! I’m Arooj and I am a junior pursuing a double major in Psychology and Human Resource Management. I became a mentor at the AACC my sophomore year and it allowed me to be much more involved on campus and make a lot of new friends. Since I’m a commuter I always come to the center in between my classes or just to study so AACC truly feels like a second home. My hobbies include reading, painting, and UX design. AACC has really helped me expand my comfort zone and social circle and allowed me to be more involved with my community
Neda Sayyed
Class Status: Junior
Major: Communications
About Neda:
Hi! My name is Neda Sayyed and I am a junior majoring in Communications with a focus in public relations. I am double minoring in Digital Communication Information & Media and Asian American Studies. In the future, I hope to represent Asian Americans in entertainment and music agencies. I hope to work with them to bring light to their unique stories through creative outlets. I have co-founded RU Neolyora, the kpop appreciation club here at Rutgers to provide a safe space for students to discuss the problems of the kpop industry and to appreciate its culture. I’m grateful for all of the opportunities that AACC has given me as I’ve been involved at the center since I was a freshman and have learned so much about myself along the way.
Amena Samia
Class Status: Junior
Major: Supply Chain and BAIT
About Amena:
Hi all, I am Amena, currently a junior at RBS majoring in Supply Chain and BAIT. I hope to pursue a career in the cosmetics or fashion industry, to contribute meaningfully by improving working conditions in manufacturing countries. In my role as Mentor Coordinator, it brings me great fulfillment to see the positive impact I make in our students' lives. Ensuring inclusivity for students from diverse cultural backgrounds and beliefs, providing them with all different kinds of resources, and fostering a welcoming atmosphere at AACC are priorities that resonate deeply with me. I am forever grateful for all the opportunities that AACC has blessed me with and for all the incredible people I met who have helped me feel confident in embracing my identity.
