Wendy Goes to UNAVSA-14 Conference to Unlock the Present!
Few weeks ago, I was fortunate to attend the Union of North American Vietnamese Student Associations’ (UNAVSA) 14th Annual Leadership Conference at the Westin Hotel in my hometown, New Orleans, Louisiana. For those who do not know what it is, UNAVSA is a partnership organization that works alongside with other regional Vietnamese Student Associations (VSAs) across the North American continent (Yes! That includes Canada as well!) to promote leadership development, professional development, cultural awareness, and education. Every year, UNAVSA host its annual conference to gather all students and members of their VSAs to attend workshop, listen to keynote speakers, learn more about the Vietnamese culture, and so much more. Like I said in the introduction, I was fortunate to attend the conference especially since it was in my hometown. However, I would not have gotten the opportunity if I was not awarded a scholarship to go from the Union of Vietnamese Student Associations in the Gulf Coast (UVSAGC) Region. Thanks to the organization, I had another opportunity awaiting for me.
Photo Credit: Nick Pho Nguyen
When I arrived to the Westin Hotel, I was excited to see majority of my friends across the Gulf Coast Region (LA, MS, and AL) attending the conference with me as well. We were greeted by the UNAVSA staff members who directed us to register in with the UNAVSA’s registration team. Everyone was welcoming. The hospitality team definitely made a great impression by greeting us and creating small talks with us. So far, the first day was starting off well. Once we registered, settled into our hotel rooms, and got dress, it was time to meet at the ballroom so that the conference can finally begin. At the conference, all the attendees were grouped into “families.” The family that you were in was the family you will be with majority of the time throughout the conference. This was a way to promote networking and building new relationships with many attendees from across the nation. I will have to say that I was not active in most family activities because I did have to leave to practice for a performance for UNAVSA’s Cultural Show. However, I did put effort to get to know the people in my family after each day the programming end.
Each day, there was a list of activities that we had to go through. From workshops to keynote speakers to even regional group discussions, it was always a full day of learning and improving. I enjoyed every workshop I attended. I loved listening to all of our top three candidates for our next Collective Philanthropy Project (CPP). (If you want to know more about CPP, check out UNAVSA's website here.) I definitely enjoyed the professional development side of UNAVSA. However, there were setbacks at the conference that I did not like, but that can definitely be saved for another day. (If you are curious, feel free to ask me personally!) Overall, my experience was average. I would not say it was the worst experience yet I would not say it was the greatest experience I ever had either. Would I go again? Maybe, because I believe that a second chance might be a game changer for me. As for my first UNAVSA experience, it was average. For those who are curious or interested in going, I recommend going so that you can experience it yourself. Keep in mind that this is my personal experience. For you, it might be different, so give it a shot and go with an open-mind.
Much love, Wendy
PS: I am a Fleur De Ladies’ dancer and we performed at UNAVSA’s Cultural Show. Here is a link/video below to check out our performance!
Dancers at 0:15
Center of stage: Wendy Dang & Don Nguyen
Left to right of stage: Jenny Le’Dang, Huyen Nguyen, Linh Nguyen, Nancy Nguyen, Theresa Nguyen, & Sophia Tran