As the midpoint of the school year approaches and academic intensity increases, students seek academic support from their advisories. Many Asian-American-identifying students have the opportunity to alleviate these stressors through an inclusive environment.
After receiving sufficient funding, the Asian American Pacific Islander Leadership and Affinity Program (LEAP) is able to continue fulfilling the needs of Asian-American students at the high school through a multi-grade advisory. This success is credited to the help of the Brookline Asian American Family Network (BAAFN), who created a petition and reached out to local administrators, teachers and families, who sought to keep the program alive.
Sydney Hou, who advises LEAP along with Jasmine Juo, said the program aims to provide an environment that combats harmful stereotypes while addressing cultural issues that Asian-American students may face.
“For Asian Americans, one of the biggest manifestations of oppression is erasure or invisibility,” Hou said. “I think just having the program and saying, ‘Actually, Asian-American students are there and need something’ is so important.”
As a result of the petition, LEAP was able to receive enough funding to be offered again. The funding includes prep time for teachers, student breakfasts and various field trips. Junior Fumi Kato said she especially enjoyed the field trip to the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) and looks forward to similar opportunities.
“I really enjoyed the field trip that we did last year,” Kato said. “We went to MFA and we went to see the Korean exhibit, and I really enjoyed having fun with my friends there.”
Junior Gabby El-Chemaly said LEAP also renders students with the opportunity to build connections through its tight-knit community and that she benefits from the positive environment that the advisers foster.
“My favorite part of LEAP is making new connections with people and the teachers like Sydney and Ms. Juo,” El-Chemaly said. “They make a really open environment where you can voice your opinions and talk about your interests, whether they have anything to do with being Asian or not.”
Kato said she also appreciates these connections with advisers and the effort they make to support students.
“LEAP is such a tight-knit group, and we know everybody by name and what kind of clubs they’re participating in,” Kato said. “I’m also really close with Sydney—she makes a big effort to greet us in the hallways and to check up on us if we’re doing poorly in school.”
For the future, Hou hopes to give students even more of a sense of belonging through LEAP and to grow the program so it connects with other Asian American communities at the high school.
“I think it would be awesome if LEAP could grow beyond an advisory,” Hou said. “My vision is that we can slowly start to piece it all together, but it’ll take time and a lot of work and a lot of people to be invested in it.”