One beautiful day in August, I stepped onto campus at the University of Illinois and suddenly felt this empty feeling because I didn't have anyone to share this moment with. The only people I knew on campus were my teammates, and I was eager to create even more friendships that would last a lifetime. Little did I know, when I walked into our Union and walked into the cubicle for the Philippine Student Association, it would change my life forever.
The first couple of months into my freshman year as a PSA member were very exciting. I got to meet all of the other freshmen in PSA, and I was suddenly added to huge Facebook group chats, Snapchat groups, and instantly gained more followers on social media. Now, the people in this freshman class are some of my closest friends because we have gotten to grow through college together. With this, I began to build my PSA family.
In Filipino culture, an older brother is referred to as a "kuya," an older sister as an "ate" (pronounced ah-teh), and a younger sibling referred to as an "ading." So, similar to a sorority or fraternity, PSA has created an "AKA" program, AKA standing for Ate, Kuya, Ading. With being in PSA for well over a year now, my family has grown so much. In October of my freshman year, I picked up one kuya and subsequently 3 siblings. Today, I have a total of 4 kuyas, 1 ate, 19 sibs, and now 3 adings of my own. If only I could tell myself when I first walked onto campus, nervous about whether I would be able to find friends, that I would be more than ok.
Some may think, "wow that is a huge family, you must not be able to make meaningful relationships with all of them," but the AKA pairing process is very particular about who they match who with, and I think all of my family members are perfect fits. It is easy for me to tell you a special memory I have with each and every one of my AKAs. Once you get a family like this, you're part of it forever. I am thankful for my family because they have given me the chance to share those typical college experiences with someone by my side. From late night studying to mental breakdowns, surprise birthday parties to fundraisers, ice skating, lunch at the dining hall, and impromptu trips to the movies, I couldn't imagine going through the trials and tribulations of college with any other amazing group of people.
Another perk of joining PSA was just getting to really meet other people and learn about their experiences. When you get to spend a lot of time with the same group, it becomes really interesting to see how they approach things and to hear their story. The great thing about PSA is that I got to see how we are all very similar but different at the same time in regard to the Filipino culture in our lives. For some of us, we had very similar experiences with parents who immigrated here from the Philippines and raised us in a fairly traditional Filipino household. Others who, although were Filipino, were raised more Americanized and joined PSA to learn more about the culture. Even more interesting, there are many people in PSA who aren't even Filipino! They either joined because they had so many Filipino friends before that they knew so much about the culture already or because they heard about how great our organization was and just wanted to embrace the opportunity to learn about a culture different from their own.
I think that the coolest part about our organization is just the plain scope of what we do to help empower our members and spread the greatness of the Filipino culture. One of the unique things that happens at our University is a conference that we host called F.A.C.T. or Filipino Americans Coming Together. Members from Filipino Clubs all around the nation travel to our campus to become delegates for a weekend and participate in workshops, listen to guest speakers, and watch an amazing variety show that raises money for various charities. Even with that experience alone, it was so great to meet people from around the US who share the same amount of love for the Filipino Culture.
In a couple of weeks, we're even holding a Filipino Culture Night on campus that is open to all! It starts with a traditional "kamayan" meal, which is basically a meal where the food is served across the table set on long banana leaves, and you eat with your hands. It's then followed by a show that is filled with dance performances and a plot line that has to do with the Filipino culture. For example, this year's FCN puts an emphasis on the fact that regardless of one's level of knowledge of the culture, how we were raised with it, or how we chose to show it, no one can take away the fact that no one can take that Filipino blood from away you.
Aside from these two big events throughout the year, there are so many smaller events that I have been able to participate in to grow my knowledge of the culture. We hold Filipino movie nights where we come together and watch the movie with subtitles so those who do not speak the language can still enjoy the movie. In addition, there are various workshops that teach about different dialects of the Philippines and even the multitude of cultural dances that our culture has created.
This year, the Philippine Student Association is celebrating its 100-year anniversary, and it is easy to see why this organization has been able to thrive this long and will continue to thrive for years to come. It is because of the relationships that its members have been able to build and the love we all share for each other. Because of PSA, I have grown to have a greater understanding and appreciation for my culture and a bigger heart through the people that I have met and come to love dearly. Although I haven't been able to participate in everything that I've liked to, I am so proud of what my PSA family has accomplished, and I can't wait to see how much further I can grow with this family.
