Andrew cao

(he/him/his)

Candidate for President

General Questions

What are some ideas or projects you would like to see implemented within UVSA Gulf Coast?
I would like to see our regional events and staff more interconnected. For example, Camp Delta, Date Auction, and Summit are all events held by the same leaders of the Gulf Coast. Why do they feel like different communities? Why are people advocating for one and not the other? At the end of the day it’s the same leaders and we’re representing the same communities. I think a cool idea is to implement achievement badges or patches. LOL like pokemon gym badges! The idea is to have each individual purchase a booklet and for each event they managed/attended award them with a badge. This can also be digitized to combat budget issues! Each person has a card that can be personally designed and when waved by a phone, it automatically brings you to a link with the individual’s profile. I think it’s super funny, easy to implement, and will provide an incentive for people to attend. Gatta catch em all.

What are the top three concerns within our region that you would like to improve on?
Currently our region faces a lot of adversity. Narrowing it down to three is pretty difficult LOL. Just kidding, my top three concerns are the following:

1. Internally the Gulf Coast Region needs a lot of work. Each individual school is becoming smaller and smaller, and after talking to several presidents of their respective school, it is becoming increasingly more difficult to keep member retention, find successors, and attend Gulf Coast events. I’d like there to be more communication from school to school. Successful school should give input on other school’s events and foundations. This is easy to do when you have friends who you feel like you can rely on, and ask for advice without feeling ridiculed or embarrassed. It’s important the GC e-board put on a strong front, but also be their friends. Let them know we actually care, we want to see them improve, we are a resource to be used for their advantage.

2. When compared to other schools in UNASVA, they all have so much pride to be a part of the Mid-West. To be a part of Nor-Cal and So-Cal. We have none of that… I want people to cheer and yell and be proud that they are a part of the Gulf Coast region. Nowadays it feels like an embarrassment. It feels like we have nothing to be proud of. We are a strong region, we’ve achieved so much, and it’s time we let everyone know that. 

3. I think one of the most obvious concerns is our bank account. The Gulf Coast has been beaten to a pulp! Word on the street is that with time, we’ll be flush with cash again. However, we shouldn’t be satisfied with just that. The wheels of justice move very slowly. While we wait we should be more proactive. We have so many individuals in our community who are so talented and willing to set aside time to volunteer at events like night markets or festivals. Selling goods at events like this are an easy way to raise thousands of dollars, it just takes a little bit of effort.

What is your strategy to promote and maintain leadership within the Gulf Coast through your position?
Ima keep it real… LOL. No seriously, I think it’s super important that everyone is accountable and understands their roles and responsibilities, but there are other things in life man. You want these leadership positions to feel seamless. It shouldn’t feel like a chore or a job. It should feel like an escape to get away from your studies, or nagging family. Having a good balance between leadership and friendship is the best way to promote and maintain leadership. When you're able to be transparent to these individuals, saying a simple, “Hey I didn’t get my tasks done can you cover for me?” or “I can’t make this event, I have dinner with my girlfriend.” This goes such a long way, but they have to be comfortable telling you and you have to be okay with it. Now when I say it keeps it real, it goes both ways. We have to be accountable for one another. If I disagree with something, Ima say it. If I see ways we can all improve, Ima say it. You're gonna have to understand it doesn’t come from a bad place. We work together to run an organization. It’s not personal, it’s business.

As the face of the Vietnamese community, how would you address and empower rising young leaders in regards to the politics and race in today’s society?
I think getting caught up in all that stuff is an easy way to divide communities. I personally don’t care about what’s going on in today’s society regarding race and politics. I'm also malinformed when it comes to this sort of stuff because I take no interest in it, not because it doesn’t matter. I’d love to learn more about the topic if anyone would want to educate me :). Now empowering young, rising leaders is something I’m pretty familiar with. Energy is infectious and they just want someone to tell them they can do it. Your biggest enemy is yourself. They just need the confidence to feel like you can do it. If you're not involved, running for a position and becoming a leader is a great place to start being involved. If you lack leadership experience… DUH YOU LACK LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE, THAT’S WHAT THE POSITION IS FOR… FOR YOU TO GROW AS A LEADER! Everyone grows into their positions; they just need a little guidance, and this goes for everything. The only thing stopping you is yourself. Just get started, JUST JUMP!

What are some ways to honor our organization’s professionalism?
I think this is heavily overlooked. With VSA and specifically USAGC having so many moving parts, it’s impressively professionally run by simple students and young adults. There is a time and place for everything. I think VSA can be seen as a place to meet new people and just have a good time. Behind the scenes this is only possible because of the professionalism from every e-board member and the community. Every organization has a standard to uphold. It’s important that we are always respectful of one another and their space. Internal issues should be dealt with internally and any misinformation being spread can really negatively impact the organization and it’s image.

What is your stance on how UVSAGC should interact with other community organizations? 
I think it would be super beneficial for us to do collaborations with other community organizations. This could easily expand our numbers and show that we have the strength and capabilities to work with larger organizations. These connections can also lead to so many other opportunities in the future. I think even the local VSA’s should start doing collaborations with other organizations on campus. Again, this could lead to increased member count and new connections/resources.

How would you deal with your eboard having burnout?

I think this goes hand in hand with what I mentioned previously. You want these leadership positions to feel like an escape, not like a chore or job. You need them to feel comfortable enough with you to say, “Hey I need a break from all of this.” WHEN not if burnout occurs you need to address the situation, let them know it’s a normal occurrence, and just listen to them. If they need a break, give it to them and be ready to take on their duties/evenly delegate them to the rest of the e-board. You're in this as a team! We leave no one hanging. I will say burnout usually lasts a while and you don’t wanna just let your team take on your work forever. Easing back into your position is a good way to test the waters and take some of the pressure off your teammates to eventually reclaim your responsibilities.

What are your feelings if any eboard member wanted to step down?

Every position in VSA is done voluntarily. We cannot force any one individual to do anything. We don’t get paid to be here. We are here because we want to be. When that is no longer the case, the only thing we can do is sit and listen. If we can’t find a way to compromise and keep them, then farewell (salute emoji). I’d definitely feel a little hurt, but sometimes things happen and your perspective shifts. I’d wish them the best and appreciate the time and efforts they spent towards this community.

How do you make sure other positions stay accountable for their roles?
I think the best way to make sure positions are accountable for their roles is to lead by example. When others see that you are on top of your tasks, present at every meeting, and respond in a timely manner, it just makes them want to do more. Being on top of your tasks also makes it easier to keep track of their roles. Making sure everything is done with high quality and in a timely manner. Doing monthly check in’s or periodic 1 on 1s can also help you understand your e-board’s needs and upcoming schedule to better prepare for upcoming events.

What do you feel is the most important thing within your eboard?

The most important thing within the e-board is to make sure our goals are aligned. It’s important that we all know what we’re working towards and the changes that we want to see/make happen. If one person wants to see more involvement in UNASVA and the other wants to focus more on the local VSA’s that’s a big difference. Compromising and coming to a common goal and similar mindset can help us be more unified. Change doesn’t happen overnight and to see true change we’ll all have to put our 100% into one goal at a time. 

Vibe too though… we needa have a good vibe…. I just wanna have a good time. We need to get along, we need to have fun. Fun is fun.

What do you think is the biggest downfall of VSA and what will set you different from past presidents?

The biggest downfall of VSA was Covid-19 and the embezzlement. Honestly we’ve had some rough years. They put us through the ringer. Fortunately I got to see a little glimmer of what it used to be like my freshman year. I think what sets me apart from other presidents is my passion and energy towards VSA. I have had the opportunity to work with so many amazing individuals and when I think about all my past experiences I just get excited about the future. This kind of mindset and energy is infectious and I think I can infect all the VSAers.