Asian-Pacific Islander-Middle Eastern Alumni of William & Mary (APIM)

LAUNCHING APIM: A story about the inaugural APIM alumni Advisory Board

As an integral part of the William & Mary Alumni Association, the APIM Alumni Association consists of alumni who self-identify as Asian, Pacific Islander and Middle Eastern with incredibly diverse heritages and experiences who are working to foster a greater sense of community at William & Mary. Our mission is to honor and explore our diversity in order to bridge alumni in cultivating a vibrant community where all APIM alumni belong. Our vision is to ensure that APIM faces and voices are a core component of William and Mary's present and future identity.

A team of volunteer leaders from APIM Alumni and other alumni groups convenes throughout the year for Leadership Circles — focused, action-oriented discussions on how to better serve alumni in these communities and encourage engagement, leadership and philanthropy.

For an overview of the work that the APIM Alumni Leadership Circle has completed, including details on the transition to becoming an Alumni Advisory Board, please feel welcome to review this PowerPoint created by Tara Eskander '07. 

Statement of support in the wake of the circumstances in Afghanistan:

"We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly." - Martin Luther King, Jr.

The situation in Afghanistan is heartbreaking, and it has no doubt directly affected W&M alumni and the W&M community more broadly.

The Asian, Pacific Islander, and Middle Eastern (APIM) Alumni Leadership Circle recognizes the plight and volatility affecting Afghans right now. We are conscious of the shared feelings that arise from instability at home and with one's identity. Though the APIM Alumni Leadership Circle does not engage directly in advocacy on matters of government action or legislation, we know that individual alumni are involved and advocating vigorously in both their professional and personal capacities.

We are hopeful that the people of Afghanistan, Afghans in the diaspora, and the world community will see that the tides will turn to once again see a safe and prosperous homeland in Afghanistan.

William & Mary is hosting various opportunities where you can speak with policymakers or learn from Professors or others who have been involved in the region through the years. 

[Interview] U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan: A Q&A with Rani Mullen

[Interview]  All I Am Hoping For Is A Miracle: William & Mary Graduate Sarina Faizy '21 Fears For The Future Of Her Native Afghanistan on WHRO news

[Counseling Centers]

Refugee Behavioral Health - SAMHSA 

American Counseling Association: Counseling Refugees: Addressing Trauma, Stress, and Resilience  


Asian Centennial Celebration Events
Asian Centennial Celebration Events

William & Mary celebrated the Asian Centennial commemorating the admission of Chen Pu-Kao '23, the first student from Asia, and celebrated the contribution of the preceding generations of students of Asian, Pacific Islander and Middle Eastern descent during the 2021 - 2022 academic year. This auspicious milestone allowed us to reflect on the onset of inclusion amidst the overwhelming exclusion of African Americans from matriculating in the university.

Inagural W&M Asian Centennial Awards Honor Influential Alumni

Virtual Engagement Opportunities
Virtual Engagement Opportunities

Exciting news for William & Mary: The university moved from a 3.5 to a 4 out of 5 on the National Campus Pride Index in 2022!

william--mary-campus-pride-index---4star.png

William & Mary alumnus, Joe Carlin '78, M.B.A. '80 created a tool to assist W&M alumni in negotiating the complexities of their identities. The Identity Matrix, as he so aptly named the exercise, is a great opportunity to uncover and reflect on how your identities have developed and will continue to develop over the course of your lifetime. Please watch Joe's short introductory video before completing the identity matrix at your leisure!
Created February 2022 on behalf of the W&M Latinx alumni community

Engage through Social Media
Engage through Social Media

Looking to connect with fellow alumni on social media? Be sure to like and follow the W&M APIM Alumni page on Facebook or join the Facebook Group! You will receive updates about upcoming events and have an opportunity to make connections with alumni near and far.

On-Demand Webinars
On-Demand Webinars

Building Community in the Workplace
Originally aired March 3, 2022
Presented by Erika Moritsugu ’94, S. Douglas Bunch ’02, J.D. ’06, Nina Cavazos ’13, Rita Sampson ’89 and  Amandeep Sidhu ’00
What does it mean to bring your whole and authentic self to work? How does diversity strengthen community in a workplace? Watch introductory remarks by alumna Erika Moritsugu ’94, senior executive in U.S. Government, followed by a discussion moderated by Erika with W&M alumni S. Douglas Bunch ’02, J.D. ’06, partner at Cohen Milstein and chairman of Global Playground, Nina Cavazos ’13, director of corporate relations at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, Rita Sampson ’89, senior executive in U.S. Government, and Amandeep Sidhu ’00, partner at Winston & Strawn and co-founder of the Sikh Coalition.

From Foundations to Fronteirs: Chinese American Contributions to the Fabric of America
Originally aired on December 8, 2021
Ray Zeng, director of programs and key initiatives of the Committee of 100, presented From Foundations to Frontiers: Chinese American Contributions to the Fabric of America, an Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) report that has been commissioned by the Committee of 100. The Committee of 100 has turned the report into a series of campus discussions giving the highlights of the content, and then 'opening the floor' for a discussion on how the Chinese American and AAPI community can move forward.

Combating the Invisibility of Middle Eastern and North African Identities in American Health Care
Originally aired on September 29, 2021
Elyas Bakhtiari, assistant professor of sociology at William & Mary, presented on how to incorporate Middle Eastern and North African Americans into health disparities research. Professor Bakhtiari discussed the implications of population categorization, defining races and ethnicities, how the 9/11 terrorist attacks have impacted the way that Middle Eastern and North African Americans are categorized, and the effects of institutionalized racism.


W&M APIM Professionals: Celebrating and Strengthening our Community
Originally aired on June 17, 2021
Presented by Clem Cheng ’86, Clarissa Delgado ’09, Baiyin Murphy ’10, Amandeep Sidhu ’00
W&M alumnus Clem Cheng ’86, SVP of HR at Comcast, moderates a discussion with fellow alumni, Clarissa Delgado ’09, COO and co-founder of Teach for the Philippines, Baiyin Murphy ’10, general partner at Indicator Ventures, and Amandeep Sidhu ’00, partner at Winston & Strawn, on overcoming career challenges and their thoughts on the current environment for the APIM community.
Enjoy a sneak peek of the program!

 

 Asian-Pacific Islander-Middle Eastern Commencement 2021
Originally aired on May 20, 2021
During the Khatalampay Ceremony for Asian, Pacific Islander and Middle Eastern/Southwest Asian (APIM) graduates, participants received a stole designed by Roberto Jamora, the Asian Centennial’s distinguished fine arts fellow. The design features the Asian Centennial flower logo to represent all of the university’s APIM groups and incorporates purple, pink, green and gold colors. Its name comes from a combination of multiple scarf traditions across Asia and the Middle East.

Volunteer
Volunteer

Would you like to raise your hand to provide career advice to current students, serve on panels with fellow alumni or participate in various William & Mary events throughout the year? If so, email us to raise your hand for activities that are of interest to you!

Get Involved with Professional Networks
Get Involved with Professional Networks

Does your company or organization have opportunities that would be perfect for William & Mary alumni? Are you willing to give career advice or are you embarking on a new career journey? If so, use William & Mary Alumni Professional Networks to connect with the One Tribe One Network community!

Alumni Admission Resources
Alumni Admission Resources

William & Mary has a growing network of alumni volunteers who remember their W&M undergraduate experiences fondly and want to help with the college admission process for prospective William & Mary students. Whether you were a first-generation student or a member of a legacy family, we hope you will join us! Have a high-school student of your own? Check out the resources offered by the W&M Alumni Association to help with the college admission process.

Upcoming Events

Stay connected and in the know about upcoming events.

Giving Opportunities:

For more information:

  •  Ivana Marshall ,  Associate Director, Alumni Engagement and Inclusion Initiatives
  •  (757) 221-7514
  •   immarshall@wm.edu