Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Spotlight Series: Vietnamese Cultural Association
Written by Isabella Gielniak
Posted on April 14, 2022
April is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and we are celebrating with a series of articles highlighting different AAPI Organizations on campus and the diversity within them. For our final week, we are shining a spotlight on Jennifer Dao, a Vietnamese Cultural Association member who's made many friendships and memories throughout her involvement.
The Vietnamese Cultural Association (VCA) exists to share knowledge about Vietnamese culture, traditions, and language. VCA member Jennifer Dao is a second-year student from Holland, MI majoring in accounting. She is currently serving her first year as the secretary on the VCA E-Board.
Jennifer grew up in a Vietnamese household, and when she came to Grand Valley, she joined the VCA to make friends that shared her connection to Vietnamese culture. Attending meetings and planning events with VCA allowed her to also share her culture with the greater GVSU community.
"I don’t think my college experience would be half as fun if it weren’t for VCA," Jennifer says. "VCA is a place that I cherish, and hope that many more people will learn about."
If you are interested in joining an organization like Jennifer, check out more organizations like the Japanese Cultural Association, the Indian Association, and the Chinese Language and Culture Club. These organizations hold meetings and events to celebrate and engage in their cultures. All of these student orgs celebrate diversity within Asian American Pacific Islander heritage at Grand Valley, so if you are looking to learn more about your culture, visit LakerLink to learn more about each organization.
If you ever want to find a student organization where you belong, don’t be afraid to start looking: there’s a place for everyone at GVSU.