Scholar Profile

Olivia Lin

A profile of 2005 APIASF scholarship recipient Olivia Lin from New York City. Lin is a 2005 APIASF scholar attending Hunter College in New York City, majoring in media studies and minoring in Asian American studies.

By Olivia Lin

My family and I lived in a cramped apartment on Mosco Street in Chinatown, New York City, for almost a decade before we moved to Brooklyn. I remember snippets of my childhood: eating sweet soup dumplings in the morning, walking one whole block by myself to deliver a lunch box to my dad, dancing on enormous music disks with my siblings, and sitting behind a huge counter while my dad assisted customers. We had a happy childhood, full of fun, mischief, and love from my parents. They emigrated from Hong Kong in their early 20s to find a more successful life. They worked hard for every penny they made, often coming home late in the evening. Although they were exhausted from a twelve-hour workday, they still found the strength to cook dinner, teach me how to count coins for math class, and get us ready for school every night.

People usually admire heroes, thinkers, or other influential figures. I admire my parents because they are the hardest workers I know, and inspire me to always try my best. They taught me that every dollar is important, and that education, along with determination and enthusiasm, is the way to success. I applied for the APIASF scholarship because my parents would need financial assistance for my tuition. APIASF was also the perfect fit for my activities and personality. I remember feeling anxious and hoping that my leadership experience would help me during the selection process. I couldn’t believe it when I received a phone call a few months later: I was a 2005 APIASF Scholar.

Since then, college has been so much more than I expected. Although I am in the Macaulay Honors Program at Hunter College, which pays for tuition and dormitory costs, the $2,000 has helped me pay for pricey textbooks, transportation, food, and other living expenses. It helped me during my first year because it is difficult for freshmen to work while adjusting to college. I made new friends and learned about the city in a way that I never had before. I take advantage of every opportunity that comes my way. I am vice president of a community service club, and founded the Coalition for the Revitalization of Asian American Studies at Hunter (CRAASH). As a Media Studies major and Asian American Studies minor, I served as head intern at Media for Humanity, a non-profit organization that aids disadvantaged kids, facilitated workshops on Asian American issues at Chinatown Youth Initiatives, and was a Campus Consumer Consultant for GlaxoSmithKline, USA. This spring, I will intern in the Public Affairs Division at M. Booth, a public relations firm.

With my Macaulay Honors study grant fund, I traveled to South Korea for the 41st International Youth Camp, New Orleans with Habitat for Humanity, and University of Utah for internship training. I am currently studying abroad with a film class for January 2008 in Tokyo, Japan, and hope to study abroad in Bangkok, Thailand for the fall. These experiences would not have been possible without the help of APIASF and its generous supporters. It is a unique organization that will continue to support and guide new Asian American student leaders, and will shape their college years and future careers, as it did for me.