APAA holds gala for esteemed alumni
Distinguished alumni were honored at this year’s USC Asian Pacific Alumni Association Gala.
On April 10, the USC APAA gave various awards to Trojan alumni of Asian Pacific descent such as USC Parents Association co-presidents Debbie and Ben Wong; the CEO of Ito En, Yosuke Honjo; Olympic gold medalist Sammy Lee; and the assistant head coach of the Seattle Seahawks Haruki Rocky Seto.
David Ono, co-anchor of ABC 7 Eyewitness News, served as the master of ceremonies.
This year’s gala marks the most recent effort by APAA to raise money to support future generations of Trojans. Since 1984, APAA has distributed over $1 million in scholarships to more than 450 students. Last year, the organization awarded numerous scholarships to 61 students. In a promotional video for the gala, current APAA President Karen Wong reminded alumni “return, reunite, and reengage” and to reach deeper to assist the next generation of leaders.
Several hundred people came to show their support for the APAA. APAA Executive Director Grace Shiba opened the yearly Scholarship and Awards Gala with welcoming remarks followed by a performance by the Trojan Marching Band and the USC Song Girls. APAA Associate Director Alex Chang and Manager Angela Teng were among those who ran the event event to ensure smooth facilitation.
Lee received the APAA 2015 Legacy Award for his previous involvement in the community. As the first Asian American gold medalist, Lee shared the hardships he experienced at a time where he faced racial discrimination and could not access “white-only” public pools. To combat this, he would jump into piles of sand to train for spring board diving. The 94-year-old gave an energetic “fight on” before leaving the stage.
James G. Ellis, dean of the Marshall School of Business, was in attendance to present the Leadership Award to Yosuke Honjo. Honjo is an advisor to the Honjo International Scholarship Foundation, a member of several organizations such as the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and an active member of the U.S.-Japan Council.
Seto received the Leadership Award for not only demonstrating his strengths by leading the Seahawks to their 2014 NFC championship, but also for his various contributions to the APAA and the Trojan family.
Lastly, Ben and Debbie Wong were bestowed with the APAA 2015 Service Award for their involvement in the Trojan community. Both are heavily engaged in USC affairs. Currently Ben Wong serves on the board of the Center for Asian Americans United for Self-Empowerment while Debbie is on the Kappa Alpha Theta advisory board.
Every year, APAA applauds the efforts of outstanding members of the Asian Pacific Islander Trojan Family while recognizing current USC APAA scholars for their endeavors. An information booklet handed out at the gala explained that the goal of the event is not only to highlight the accomplishments of past and present Trojans but also to help future generations which demonstrated the need for great financial assistant.
“We are not only recognizing students because of their [financial] need. We also want to recognize high levels of achievement within API students,” APAA President-Elect Jaime Lee said.
The USC APAA supports the advancement of Trojans by building relationships between alumni and students by providing a voice for the Asian Pacific Trojans. A video highlighting some of the current and previous APAA scholars was presented during the ceremony. The purpose of the video was to demonstrate the impact of the scholarships on students and how APAA’s continual endeavor to provide them translates into success for all of USC.
“I was able to get involved with a lot of Asian American communities outside of USC. That’s really enabled me to seek out other stories and other histories,” current APAA scholar Andy Su said.
Patrick E. Auerbach, associate senior vice president for alumni relations, explained that the mission for the APAA and the importance of garnering more support from the community.
“The APAA is very specific to the community, but part of the mission of the APAA is to grow great support for the university on a greater scale, and to be that entry point for some alumni,” he said.
Guests provided support for the APAA’s future endeavors with bids on both live and silent auction items, which were donated by more than 100 contributors. Among the items was a customized, one-of-a-kind USC Darth Vader mask. Others gave direct donations during and after the gala.
The USC East Asian a capella group, Trogons, provided live entertainment during the event’s dinner by singing their rendition of Disney’s “Make a Man Out of You.” Cinematic Arts alumni Jon Paul Puno, accompanied by Ashley Hoe, closed the evening with a special performance of Andrea Bocelli’s “Because We Believe.”