My name is Anisha, and I am currently a bilingual community outreach worker in ASIA’s Communications and Civic Engagement (CCE) department. I am also a former student of ASIA's International Community Empowerment Project summer program.
I joined ICEP more than a decade ago, in 2012, after learning about the program through my cousins who attended Akron Public Schools. My family was resettled in the Cuyahoga Falls area through the Refugee Resettlement program in 2009. At that time, there were fewer refugees in Cuyahoga Falls compared to Akron, so before joining ICEP, I didn’t have many Nepali friends. I remember feeling really isolated during that time, and I'm grateful that through ICEP I found a sense of connection and community. My time at ICEP holds some of my fondest childhood. My favorite aspects of ICEP were the ICEP store, field trips, and the cultural showcase. I participated in the program for two summers, and I still look back on those moments fondly.
At the time, I wasn’t aware that ICEP was connected to ASIA. As I got older, I developed a desire to serve my community, and after conducting some research, I discovered ASIA and its continued service to the local refugee population. Learning that ICEP was one of ASIA’s programs and that so many students from my community continued to participate in the program motivated me to join the program as a Youth Educator after finishing high school. Returning to teach at a program that had given my younger self so much was truly rewarding. I stayed on as a Youth Educator for about a year and a half before leaving to pursue an internship for my degree.
Even though I left to explore other opportunities, I always knew I wanted to return to ASIA in some capacity. While interning for Representative Emilia Sykes’ congressional campaign, I had the opportunity to organize a roundtable discussion at ASIA with Representatives Sykes and Representative Ted Lieu, along with other community leaders. The process of organizing the event and being back in ASIA’s office solidified my desire to return. Almost as if by fate, shortly after my internship concluded, my friend, Hsa Win, informed me about an opening in the Communications and Civic Engagement department. The opportunity felt like fate because CCE aligned perfectly with both my personal and professional goals.
In college, I studied political science, choosing my major with the intention of attending law school and gaining a deeper understanding of law and public policy with the hope was to one day serving my community. The work CCE does includes advocating for the AAPI community, raising awareness about policies affecting community members, and encouraging civic engagement was the perfect fit to serve the community within the field of my interest while also gaining marketable skills for future opportunities. I joined the CCE team in 2023 and have found immense joy in my work. I know that what I’m doing is making a difference in my community and helping to secure our future in our new home.
Working with CCE has opened many doors for my professional growth. Through my time in the department, I’ve gained valuable skills such as policy analysis and cross-cultural communication, which have helped me advance toward my future aspirations. These experiences led to securing prestigious internships with the U.S. Department of State and an upcoming fellowship with Representative Ted Lieu. As someone who hopes to work in the federal government, CCE has provided me with an invaluable launching pad for my career. I truly believe that without that, CCE and ASIA I wouldn’t have been able to accomplish so much.
I am eternally grateful to ASIA for its service to my community and the opportunities it has provided me. Looking back, I can truly say that ASIA has played a significant role in shaping my life thus far. I am just one of countless students and individuals in the community who have benefited from ASIA. Even though I will be heading to D.C. in the coming months, my heart will always remain with ASIA.
Anisha Lingden is a Community Outreach Worker in ASIA's Communications and Civic Engagement Team.
