Every week for the past couple of years, Bryan Kim could be found honing his leadership skills in a bungalow at San Gabriel High School.
He is one of 20 students who participate in an after-school program called Project HOPE, which started more than two years ago when APALC collaborated with UCLA’s Project HOPE to develop student leaders at San Gabriel High School.
Before the program, Bryan was reluctant to stray from his normal routine of attending class and then leaving for home after school. Back then, Bryan said he was not confident and had low aspirations for his future.
“I was having a difficult time in school,” the 17-year-old said. “I was enrolled in special ed during my first two years.”
Kim, who is Cambodian American, attributes his difficulties in school to his family moving to the United States.
“My family left Cambodia before I was born, and ever since then, there has been a struggle to adjust to American society,” he said.
Some of those struggles include the language barrier and also the clash between Bryan’s more American ideals and his parent’s Cambodian values. Bryan recalls that he used to be more individualistic in this thinking compared to his parents’ familial outlook.
Things began to change his sophomore year, when a school librarian encouraged him to participate in extracurricular activities. After searching through different programs, Bryan stumbled upon Project HOPE.
After school, the students of Project HOPE transform an old bungalow into a space for leadership training. Here, students receive skills through workshops, guest lectures, and hands-on projects.
Bryan then became involved in APALC’s umbrella program, the Student Leadership Network, which combines similar after-school programs at Mark Keppel High School and Alhambra High School.
Bryan says that these programs helped him become more outgoing and vocal about community issues.
“Usually when I go to PTA meetings and assemblies, I get the vibe that people think all Asian American students should automatically be enrolled in AP courses,” he said. “I want to show them that this is not the case.”
This year Bryan became the president of the Business and Technology Academy at the school and also played a leadership role in Project HOPE’s push to advocate against budget cuts to the public school system in California.
“I’ve come a long ways from before,” he said. “I used to be very shy and I now I feel comfortable speaking up about almost anything.”
In the fall, Bryan will be attending Cal State Los Angeles as a business and film major. He aims to give back to Project HOPE and SLN by sharing his experiences from the program and letting others know about its ongoing success.
His long-term goal is to become a producer or director and maybe even own his own media company.
“I’m very confident about my future,” he said. “Project HOPE and SLN gave me the foundation to say what’s on my mind, gave me the push to want to do something about the issues, and just go for it.”
-- Written by APALC San Gabriel Valley Youth & Community Coordinator Mike Pedro
