Organization
Khmer Alumni Association
The Khmer Alumni Association (KAA) is an association of Cambodian American alumni and professionals in Orange County, Southern California, founded in 2012.[1] Its members come from many professional backgrounds and work together to support opportunities for the Khmer community as a whole.[1] The association states that its mission is to promote the empowerment, success and continued involvement of alumni of Khmer student organizations and of professionals in the Cambodian American community.[2]
History
Members of the association's Advisory Board helped put together a Student Resource Manual for new and existing student organizations. It was prepared for the 2011 Khmer Student Coalition Conference, hosted by United Khmer Students at UCLA and The Cambodian Family.[3]
The association later held a series of Soirées. Its fifth, "Passports to the World," honored the 2019 winners of its Student Scholarship and Leadership Award, along with the participants and volunteers of its Mentorship Program.[4] Chef Maurice Yim of PowWow Pizza Company prepared the appetizers, Chef Allen Prom of Yeak Inc., a maker of Cambodian American hot sauces, cooked the dinner, and Chef Jaymes Bunchean made a traditional Cambodian dessert.[4] Items were raffled at the event, among them a red Fender Squier Stratocaster guitar donated by Gerald Ishibashi and signed by the South Coast Repertory cast of Cambodian Rock Band. Proceeds from tickets and donations paid for the association's community events and programs.[4]
Programs
The association's work rests on three areas: alumni networking, involvement with Khmer student organizations, and community support.[2] It offers student organizations experience, expertise and resources to help them sustain themselves, and it aims to link them with the wider community. Among the resources it points students to is the Khmer Student Coalition.[3]
As of 2018 its active programs were the Khmer Alumni Association Mentorship Program (KAAMP), KAAfe Talks, Khmer Hungry Games, a Scholarship Program and Alumni Spotlight. Its Networking Socials were then inactive.[5] Through Alumni Spotlight, the association recognizes one Cambodian American alumnus each month on its Instagram account and Facebook page.[6] The KAA Leadership Award, established in 2017, recognizes a student who has served the Cambodian community.[7]
Community
Membership is open to everyone, and the constitution bars denying membership on the basis of race, sex, age, color, religion, sexual orientation or disability. There were no membership fees when the constitution was published.[2] Members meet monthly and as needed, and only voting members vote on club business.[2]
An Advisory Board of five members runs the association's logistics, finances, records, website and social media, and it meets at least once a month. Each advisor serves a one-year term from July to June, with no limit on the number of terms.[2]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Khmer Alumni Association, Who we are
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Khmer Alumni Association, Constitution
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Khmer Alumni Association, Resources
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Khmer Alumni Association, home page
- ↑ Khmer Alumni Association, Programs
- ↑ Khmer Alumni Association, Alumni Spotlight
- ↑ Khmer Alumni Association, news page (2019)