The Unofficial UPAAN Podcast: Recent Episodes
UPAAN
Through the Unofficial UPAAN Podcast, we hope to document the oral history of the ever-changing, multifaceted APA experience on Penn's campus across generations, as well as to share and highlight our alumni's stories, both from their time on campus as well as from their lives after graduation.
In this third episode of the UPAAN podcast mini-series celebrating the Asian American Studies program at Penn (ASAM), we hear from four students (or recent students) of the ASAM program about how the classes they took in Asian American Studies helped them process and develop their relationship with their Asian American identity.
Questions about Spring 2022's ASAM offerings? Reach out to the ASAM UAB: asamuab@gmail.com
Subscribe to the UPAAN Podcast at
- iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-unofficial-upaan-podcast/id1360178440
- Google Play: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkLnBvZGJlYW4uY29tL3VwYWFucG9kY2FzdC9mZWVkLnhtbA
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5sG0Lnu4y0zLYmomCnkZlH
Music by
- Phortissimo: https://open.spotify.com/artist/00MjWmMjhwysrOxMalUmjj
- AZKAL: https://open.spotify.com/artist/11bDEn3Ys2jFXV397dA4Bz
- Blue Dot Sessions: https://www.sessions.blue/
Special Thanks to
- Asian American Studies: https://asam.sas.upenn.edu/
- Pan Asian American Community House (PAACH): https://www.vpul.upenn.edu/paach/
- Penn Alumni Relations: https://www.alumni.upenn.edu/
Contact UPAAN at
- Website: https://www.upaan.org/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/upenn.upaan/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/upaan.upenn/
- Email: upaan/podcast@gmail.com
Editing and Production by Ninjaboi Media
In this second episode of the UPAAN podcast mini-series celebrating the Asian American Studies program at Penn (ASAM), we look at the early years of the Penn ASAM program, from the student and faculty activism to establish the program in 1996, to a budget cut crisis in 2008.
Subscribe to the UPAAN Podcast at
- iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-unofficial-upaan-podcast/id1360178440
- Google Play: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkLnBvZGJlYW4uY29tL3VwYWFucG9kY2FzdC9mZWVkLnhtbA
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5sG0Lnu4y0zLYmomCnkZlH
Music by
- Phortissimo: https://open.spotify.com/artist/00MjWmMjhwysrOxMalUmjj
- AZKAL: https://open.spotify.com/artist/11bDEn3Ys2jFXV397dA4Bz
- Blue Dot Sessions: https://www.sessions.blue/
Special Thanks to
- Asian American Studies: https://asam.sas.upenn.edu/
- Pan Asian American Community House (PAACH): https://www.vpul.upenn.edu/paach/
- Penn Alumni Relations: https://www.alumni.upenn.edu/
Contact UPAAN at
- Website: https://www.upaan.org/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/upenn.upaan/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/upaan.upenn/
- Email: upaan/podcast@gmail.com
Editing and Production by Ninjaboi Media
In this first episode of the UPAAN podcast mini-series celebrating the Asian American Studies program at Penn (ASAM), we take a look at the past, present and future of the discipline of Asian American Studies, from its origins in the 60s through student protest, to a survey of courses that Penn's ASAM program offers, to both the potential and challenges the field faces.
Learn more about the Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival at https://paaff.org/2021-season/
Subscribe to the UPAAN Podcast at
- iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-unofficial-upaan-podcast/id1360178440
- Google Play: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkLnBvZGJlYW4uY29tL3VwYWFucG9kY2FzdC9mZWVkLnhtbA
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5sG0Lnu4y0zLYmomCnkZlH
Music by
- Phortissimo: https://open.spotify.com/artist/00MjWmMjhwysrOxMalUmjj
- AZKAL: https://open.spotify.com/artist/11bDEn3Ys2jFXV397dA4Bz
- Kevin McLeod: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/
- Blue Dot Sessions: https://www.sessions.blue/
Special Thanks to
- Asian American Studies: https://asam.sas.upenn.edu/
- Pan Asian American Community House (PAACH): https://www.vpul.upenn.edu/paach/
- Penn Alumni Relations: https://www.alumni.upenn.edu/
Contact UPAAN at
- Website: https://www.upaan.org/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/upenn.upaan/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/upaan.upenn/
- Email: upaan/podcast@gmail.com
Editing and Production by Ninjaboi Media
A special mini-series of the UPAAN Podcast celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Asian American Studies program at Penn. Launching October 27th
Contrarian by Blue Dot Sessions
This is Part oneof a podcast with Kusum Soin - Be sure to check out Part Two Here: https://upaanpodcast.podbean.com/e/story-9b-kusum-soin-on-building-community-coming-to-america-and-learning-from-those-you-teach
After 18 years of serving as the Pan-Asian American Community House Office Coordinator, Kusum Soin retired in Spring of 2019. Colloquially known as the "PAACH Mom" Kusum served as institutional knowledge for the Asian American Community on campus, as well as an anchor for students and alumni alike. However, there is much more to Kusum than simply being the friendly face who greets you when you come to PAACH with great advice.
Part One of the Interview talks about Kusum's life growing up in India, coming to America amidst the Gulf War, and working in the Philadelphia APA community pre-PAACH
Part Two of the interview talks about how she got her position at PAACH and how the community has changed over time, as well as what she has learned from students.
Contact Kusum at
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kusumsoin
Subscribe to the UPAAN Podcast at
- iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-unofficial-upaan-podcast/id1360178440
- Google Play: https://play.google.com/music/m/Id4hw3bljskjesk2kp3ykx3ehfi
Music by Phortissimo
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/phortissimo/
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/phortissimo
Editing and Production by Ninjaboi Media
- Website: https://ninjaboimedia.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NinjaboiMedia/
Special Thanks to
- The Pan-Asian American Community House: https://www.vpul.upenn.edu/paach
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paachatupenn/
- Alumni Relations: https://www.alumni.upenn.edu
- UPAAN: https://www.alumni.upenn.edu/upaan
- UPAAN Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/upenn.upaan/
Email us with suggestions at upaan.podcast@gmail.com
This is Part two of a podcast with Kusum Soin - Be sure to check out Part One Here: https://upaanpodcast.podbean.com/e/story-9a-kusum-soin-on-building-community-coming-to-america-and-learning-from-those-you-teach
After 18 years of serving as the Pan-Asian American Community House Office Coordinator, Kusum Soin retired in Spring of 2019. Colloquially known as the "PAACH Mom" Kusum served as institutional knowledge for the Asian American Community on campus, as well as an anchor for students and alumni alike. However, there is much more to Kusum than simply being the friendly face who greets you when you come to PAACH with great advice.
Part One of the Interview talks about Kusum's life growing up in India, coming to America amidst the Gulf War, and working in the Philadelphia APA community pre-PAACH
Part Two of the interview talks about how she got her position at PAACH and how the community has changed over time, as well as what she has learned from students.
Contact Kusum at
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kusumsoin
Subscribe to the UPAAN Podcast at
- iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-unofficial-upaan-podcast/id1360178440
- Google Play: https://play.google.com/music/m/Id4hw3bljskjesk2kp3ykx3ehfi
Music by Phortissimo
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/phortissimo/
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/phortissimo
Editing and Production by Ninjaboi Media
- Website: https://ninjaboimedia.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NinjaboiMedia/
Special Thanks to
- The Pan-Asian American Community House: https://www.vpul.upenn.edu/paach
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paachatupenn/
- Alumni Relations: https://www.alumni.upenn.edu
- UPAAN: https://www.alumni.upenn.edu/upaan
- UPAAN Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/upenn.upaan/
Email us with suggestions at upaan.podcast@gmail.com
The Unofficial UPAAN Podcast is back after an 8 month hiatus! Apologies for the delays, but we are back on a monthly release schedule, bringing you in depth, lightly edited interviews with APA Penn Alum. This month, we meet up with the newly launched Rock the Boat Podcast hosted by Lucia Liu (C'10) and Lynne Guey. Through interviews with Asian American entrepreneurs, technologists, and creatives, the Rock the Boat podcast hopes to open a dialogue about the talent pipeline, change the narrative around what is possible surrounding unconventional career paths. I talk to them about their personal stories and how it ultimately led them to coming together to create this podcast, hunt for some tips for any aspiring podcasters out there, and get a preview of upcoming episodes featuring Penn alum. Be sure to give their podcast a listen! I've also included the first episode of their podcast within this one, where they interview their parents about "standing on the shoulders of giants" as the children of immigrants. Contact and Subscribe to the Rock the Boat Podcast at * Rock the Boat Podcast Website: https://www.gorocktheboat.com/ * Rock the Boat Podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rocktheboatnyc * Rock the Boat Podcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/RocktheboatNYC * Rock the Boat Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rocktheboatnyc/ * Rock the Boat Podcast / Lucia's Email: hello@gorocktheboat.com * Lucia's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucialiu1/ * Lynne's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lynne-guey-44b4a020 * Lynne's Email: lynne.guey@gmail.com * Lynne's Twitter: @heyguey * Listen on iTunes (https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/rock-the-boat/id1376829222?mt=2) * Listen on Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/66jtcB7miPhqmxEzPC6EBS?si=z1dmElzmQIqo86BdRLvjIg) * Listen on Soundcloud: (https://soundcloud.com/rocktheboatnyc)
Subscribe to the UPAAN Podcast at
- iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-unofficial-upaan-podcast/id1360178440
- Google Play: https://play.google.com/music/m/Id4hw3bljskjesk2kp3ykx3ehfi
Music by Phortissimo
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/phortissimo/
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/phortissimo
Editing and Production by Ninjaboi Media
- Website: https://ninjaboimedia.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NinjaboiMedia/
Special Thanks to
- The Pan-Asian American Community House: https://www.vpul.upenn.edu/paach
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paachatupenn/
- Alumni Relations: https://www.alumni.upenn.edu
- UPAAN: https://www.alumni.upenn.edu/upaan
- UPAAN Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/upenn.upaan/
Email us with suggestions at upaan.podcast@gmail.com
Congratulations to all members of the class of 2018 graduating today, and to all the new members of the UPAAN family!
One of these new members of the UPAAN family is David Thai (C'18), the recipient of the UPAAN Student Leadership Award for the class of 2018. The son of immigrants and a Philadelphia native, David has worked with others on campus to advocate and support the First-Generation-Low-Income (FGLI) community both on campus and in the Greater Philadelphia Area. In addition to serving as the chair of the PEER Mentoring Program, he served as the founder of the 7|8 organization for APA FGLI students, the Collective Success at Penn (an offshoot of his larger Collective Success nonprofit, which focuses on professional development for FGLI students), and as Programming Director for the 1VYG intercolegiate FGLI conference at Penn. All this while shifting majors from Pre-Med to Health and Societies and applying both for a Fulbright English Teaching Award and a fulltime job as an Operations Analyst in San Francisco for after that. UPAAN looks forward to working with David in the future to connect with future FGLI students.
Contact Our Guest at
- Email: david.thai.96@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidsthai/
- LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/david-thai-ba7097135
Subscribe to our Podcast at
- iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-unofficial-upaan-podcast/id1360178440
- Google Play: https://play.google.com/music/m/Id4hw3bljskjesk2kp3ykx3ehfi
Music by Phortissimo
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/phortissimo/
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/phortissimo
Editing and Production by Ninjaboi Media
- Website: https://ninjaboimedia.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NinjaboiMedia/
Special Thanks to
- The Pan-Asian American Community House: https://www.vpul.upenn.edu/paach
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paachatupenn/
- Alumni Relations: https://www.alumni.upenn.edu
- UPAAN: https://www.alumni.upenn.edu/upaan
- UPAAN Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/upenn.upaan/
Email us with suggestions at upaan.podcast@gmail.com
Ben Watkins (C'13) is the definition of an involved alumni. In addition to having served on UPAAN's very own national board, he also is involved in the planning committee for the class of 2013's 5th reunion this year. During his time at Penn, Ben was involved in a vertiable laundry list of organizations including but not limited to the Penn Taiwanese Society, Class Board, and Asian Pacific American Heritage Week. We talk about his upbringing in a multiethnic Taiwanese/Italian household, how he was able to find time and meaning in being involved in so many different things, and how to stay in touch with your APA identity post-graduation (he's also involved in the Taiwanese American Professionals NY chapter). We also touch on the fitness classes he's teaching, and his love for different types of cuisine and board games, and why class of 2013 should definitely come out to their reunion.
Contact Ben at
- Email: alphawat@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alphawat/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benhwatkins/
- If you're in NYC, take his classes at https://306090fitness.com/
Subscribe to our Podcast at
- iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-unofficial-upaan-podcast/id1360178440
- Google Play: https://play.google.com/music/m/Id4hw3bljskjesk2kp3ykx3ehfi
Music by Phortissimo
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/phortissimo/
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/phortissimo
Editing and Production by Ninjaboi Media
- Website: https://ninjaboimedia.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NinjaboiMedia/
Special Thanks to
- The Pan-Asian American Community House: https://www.vpul.upenn.edu/paach
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paachatupenn/
- Alumni Relations: https://www.alumni.upenn.edu
- UPAAN: https://www.alumni.upenn.edu/upaan
- UPAAN Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/upenn.upaan/
Email us with suggestions at upaan.podcast@gmail.com
During Melanie Mariano's (N'16) time at Penn she was involved in, among other things, the Penn Philippine Association, Strictly Funk Dance Crew, the Asian Pacific American Leadership Initiative (APALI), and the alpha Kappa Delta Phi Sorority. After graduation she received the President's Engagement Prize from Amy Gutmann to develop a program through the Free Library of Philadelphia to provide health information to underserved communities in Philadelphia. She currently works at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and will be going back to school for her Masters in the fall. In this extra beefy episode of the podcast we talk about (among other things): what she learned from her different dance families; how to activate and maximize the voices of others who need it the most; the rigor of the nursing curriculum and the art and science of community health ; the role of cultural groups on campus and how to have faith in them after you leave.
Contact Melanie at
- Email: melanieasmariano@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melamari_
- Tiwtter: https://twitter.com/melamari_
Subscribe to our Podcast at
- iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-unofficial-upaan-podcast/id1360178440
- Google Play: https://play.google.com/music/m/Id4hw3bljskjesk2kp3ykx3ehfi
Music by Phortissimo
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/phortissimo/
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/phortissimo
Editing and Production by Ninjaboi Media
- Website: https://ninjaboimedia.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NinjaboiMedia/
Special Thanks to
- The Pan-Asian American Community House: https://www.vpul.upenn.edu/paach/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paachatupenn/
- Alumni Relations: https://www.alumni.upenn.edu
- UPAAN: https://www.alumni.upenn.edu/upaan
- UPAAN Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/upenn.upaan/
Email us with suggestions at upaan.podcast@gmail.com
Ramita Ravi (C'17), originally from Pittsburgh, has been training in various dance styles both Western and South Asian for most of her life. After nearly not coming to Penn she quickly found a home for herself in the performing arts community as part of Arts House Dance Company and Penn Thillana and eventually as Chair of the Dance Arts Council. She has appeared on So You Think You Can Dance Season 14 and has since begun working as a full-time dancer in New York City post graduation. We talk about how being a creative professional is a lot like being any other sort of entrepreneur / startup founder and how she will eventually return to Penn to complete her MPH while still dancing for a living as long as she can.
Contact Ramita at
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ramita-ravi-965a7799/
- Email: ramitaravi94@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ramita.ravi
- Website: https://www.ramitaravi.com/
Subscribe to our Podcast at
- iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-unofficial-upaan-podcast/id1360178440
- Google Play: https://play.google.com/music/m/Id4hw3bljskjesk2kp3ykx3ehfi
Music by Phortissimo
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/phortissimo/
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/phortissimo
Editing and Production by Ninjaboi Media
- Website: https://ninjaboimedia.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NinjaboiMedia/
Special Thanks to
- The Pan-Asian American Community House: https://www.vpul.upenn.edu/paach/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paachatupenn/
- Alumni Relations: https://www.alumni.upenn.edu
- UPAAN: https://www.alumni.upenn.edu/upaan
- UPAAN Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/upenn.upaan/
Email us with suggestions at upaan.podcast@gmail.com
Grace Truong (C'15), originally from California, was Co-Chair of the Civic House Associates Coalition, a sister of alpha Kapaa Delta Phi sorority, a member of Penn's Vietnamese Student Association, a founding member of Penn Speaks for Autism and chair of the PEER Mentoring Program. While she graduated from Penn as a pre-med, she ultimately decided to pursue another career path and is currently pursuing a JD/MPH dual degree at Harvard Law School and Harvard School of Public Health as a Zuckerman Fellow. She was also a Fulbright Fellow in the Philippines studying special needs education programs and most importantly is a master of puns.
Contact Grace at
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gracetruong/
- Email: gptruong@gmail.com
Music by Phortissimo
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/phortissimo/
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/phortissimo
Editing and Production by Ninjaboi Media
- Website: https://ninjaboimedia.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NinjaboiMedia/
Special Thanks to
- The Pan-Asian American Community House: https://www.vpul.upenn.edu/paach/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paachatupenn/
- Alumni Relations: https://www.alumni.upenn.edu
- UPAAN:��https://www.alumni.upenn.edu/upaan
- UPAAN Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/upenn.upaan/
Email us with suggestions at upaan.podcast@gmail.com
The PEER Mentoring Program run out of the Pan-Asian American Community House (PAACH) had their annual winter retreat to New York City and met with alumni in the city. We had mentor and mentee pairs interview each other about their partners' time at Penn, both the time that has passed for the upperclassmen, and the time to come for the freshmen.
Interview pairs: Sabino Padilla & Milly Pil, Kanika Mohan & Meghana Iyer, Sarah Shin & Jamie Chung, Connie Chen & Eaton Lin
Music by Phortissimo
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/phortissimo/
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/phortissimo
Editing and Production by Ninjaboi Media
- Website: https://ninjaboimedia.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NinjaboiMedia/
Special Thanks to
- The Pan-Asian American Community House: https://www.vpul.upenn.edu/paach/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paachatupenn/
- Alumni Relations: https://www.alumni.upenn.edu
- UPAAN: https://www.alumni.upenn.edu/upaan
- UPAAN Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/upenn.upaan/
Email us with suggestions at upaan.podcast@gmail.com
Jin Kim (C'16), originally from Texas, was among many other things (a twin, a semi-competitive Super Smash Brothers Melee player, a sometimes monk, a lover of male fashion, vinyl and arthouse films) the chair of the Asian Pacific Student Coalition during his time at Penn. During his time as chair, he focused on driving the conversation around mental wellness in the APA community and on campus at large. He currently works at Flexport in San Francisco.
Contact Jin at
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jin-kim/
- Email: kjinsung@gmail.com
Music by Phortissimo
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/phortissimo/
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/phortissimo
Editing and Production by Ninjaboi Media
- Website: https://ninjaboimedia.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NinjaboiMedia/
Special Thanks to
- The Pan-Asian American Community House: https://www.vpul.upenn.edu/paach/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paachatupenn/
- Alumni Relations: https://www.alumni.upenn.edu
- UPAAN: https://www.alumni.upenn.edu/upaan
- UPAAN Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/upenn.upaan/
Email us with suggestions at upaan.podcast@gmail.com
Apologies for the sound quality issues! We're still working things out!
Varshil Patel (MT'14), originally from New Jersey, was the business manager for the world-famous a capella group Penn Masala, as well as a facilitator for the Asian Pacific American Leadership Initiative (APALI). After graduating from Penn, he has had an interesting career path, going from Big Three consulting firm (Bain) to startup (Fundera) to trying to make his own ed-tech startup (Strive) before currently working at Flatiron Health.
Contact Varshil at
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/varshilpatel/
- Email: varshil3@gmail.com
Music by Phortissimo
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/phortissimo/
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/phortissimo
Editing and Production by Ninjaboi Media
- Website: https://ninjaboimedia.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NinjaboiMedia/
Special Thanks to
- The Pan-Asian American Community House: https://www.vpul.upenn.edu/paach/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paachatupenn/
- Alumni Relations: https://www.alumni.upenn.edu
- UPAAN: https://www.alumni.upenn.edu/upaan
- UPAAN Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/upenn.upaan/
Email us with suggestions at upaan.podcast@gmail.com
Apologies for the sound quality issues! We're still working things out!