I am a UCF student in civil engineering major in the third year. I was an intern through the Organization of Chinese Americans (OCA) a national Asian American civil rights advocacy organization, and was placed in the United States Department of Transportation, Office of Civil Rights in Washington DC. Throughout the summer we participated in many programs where there were public speakers and Asian American leaders. The programs stressed the importance of the Asian American population to get involved in public policy, political activism, and community building. I am the past president of the Vietnamese American Student Association at UCF (VASA) and the current chair of the Asian Pacific American Coalition. The program teaches also the importance of having our community to be registered to vote and speak up for our rights.