The Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs (CAPAA) and the Asian Pacific Islander Community Leadership Foundation (ACLF) are pleased to announce the selection of three 2014 Fellows: Brianne Ramos, Jintana Lityouvong and Kryselle Manzano.
Brianne Ramos is a Chamorro-Filipino American born in Guam and raised in Olympia, Washington. She currently attends the University of Washington and will receive her bachelor’s in Medical Anthropology and Global Health with a minor in Diversity.
She currently serves as the President of the Micronesian Islands Club at the University of Washington and works as a student ambassador for the Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity. Her interests are in equal access to healthcare and education for the Asian Pacific Islander (API) community, and works with programs like the Pacific Islander Opportunity Network for Educational Equality and Representation (PIONEER) and the Pacific Islander Partnership in Education (PIPE) to help students access higher education as well as increasing the retention rate of APIs in college.
Jintana Lityouvong is the daughter of Laotian American refugees and has lived across the west coast. With past involvements in the International Examiner, the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA), and the Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC) in Washington D.C, Lityouvong has a passion for working with the API community, for the API community. She is currently a senior at the University of Washington majoring in Culture, Literature and the Arts and has dreams of either writing the great Asian American novel or becoming a political speechwriter.
Kryselle is a 2nd generation Ilocano/a-Filipino/a American born and raised in Southwest Seattle. She graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in American Ethnics Studies with a concentration in Asian American Studies.
Manzano is a community organizer devoted to spreading awareness and engaging the public with concerns that may affect the community. She has experience in planning, organizing and coordinating various events within the greater Seattle, University of Washington, and around western Washington. She is currently taking active leadership roles in Pista Sa Nayon, API Chaya in planning their annual Vigil, as well as interning for the Dorothy and Fred Documentary detailing a pioneering Filipino/a American couple and their contributions to the community.