Hayley Doan

(she/her/they/them)

Candidate for President

General Questions

What are some ideas or projects you would like to see implemented within UVSA Gulf Coast?
There are a couple projects that I would love to see implemented within our region. To begin, I would like to see all the school’s within our region connect more with one another. Besides regional events such as Date Auction, it can be difficult to really get to know members within the other schools. I would like to combat this by having more personal events that welcome everyone within our region. For example, the Mississippi schools have Eggroll bowl. I would like to implement something similar, but have it open to every VSA member within our region. Another idea I would like to implement is doing community service within our region, but on a larger scale. Many of the VSA’s already do acts of community service, however I think it would be nice to see everyone in our region participate in such a thing together. This not only brings our community closer together, but also it gives all of us a great opportunity to network and connect as well.

What are the top three concerns within our region that you would like to improve on?
One concern I would like to improve on is the sense of community within our region. Personally, I feel as though our sense of community hasn’t been as strong ever since COVID, and therefore, I would like to rebuild that and make it feel more like we are part of one big family rather than VSAs who happen to be a part of a region. I want each member of our region to feel as though VSA is their home away from home, and that if anything were to ever occur, they have a community they can lean on for support. 

Another concern within our region that I would like to improve on is outreach. It can be discouraging at times when no one in the region attends VSA functions at other schools, and so I would like to encourage the new GC board (along with other members in our community) to try and make it to other VSA events when possible. With that being said, it’s not as though the VSA’s in our region aren’t supportive of each other, however I do believe that outreach could be a bit better. 

Lastly, I would like our region to improve on the location of regional events if possible. During my time in VSA, all regional events have always been held at New Orleans, and this can make it difficult for certain schools to attend such events since the distance is so far. I would like to propose the idea of maybe switching the location every year so that it’s not always the same few schools who are having to make the 4 hour+ trip to attend events. 

What is your strategy to promote and maintain leadership within the Gulf Coast through your position?
I would encourage everyone within the Gulf Coast to support and empower one another, while at the same time, acting ……

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?
Nowadays, I believe that topics such as politics and race can be a touchy subject and overall, uncomfortable for some to speak upon. With that being said, during my term, I would like to encourage all members within our region to be more open-minded as well as mindful when it comes to discussing such topics. I want to motivate others to not only step outside their comfort zone, but  to also act as leaders when they witness some sort of injustice. It can be easy to stand ideally and watch things happen, even when we know it’s wrong. However, ignoring an issue will not make it go away. Instead, I want to stimulate proactive conversations within our region to address topics such as politics and race. This way, we know how to tackle such a conversation, and we’ll be able to do so in a respectful manner. 

What are some ways to honor our organization’s professionalism?
I believe that there are a few ways in which we can honor our organization's professionalism. To begin, when conducting meetings or attending other school’s events, I believe that it is within everyone’s best interest to remain respectful and act accordingly. By doing so, we are able to maintain our professional image. Furthermore, another thing we can emphasize is keeping VSA matters within that specific VSA. In order to honor our organization’s professionalism, I want to emphasize to everyone that personal VSA matters should not be spread to other member’s in our region, especially if it does not concern them. This is not only out of respect, but also to keep things as professional as possible. I believe that if certain internal VSA matters are to be brought up, it should be done in the context of trying to resolve an issue rather than just wanting something to talk about.

What is your stance on how UVSAGC should interact with other community organizations? 
I believe that UVSAGC should be professional when interacting with other community organizations. With that being said, I believe that it would be of interest to assist other community organizations with their projects. By doing so, we can not only build good relationships with other community organizations, but help them accomplish their goals as well. 

How would you deal with your eboard having burnout?

In the case my eboard is dealing with a burnout, I would call for an eboard meeting to discuss this sole topic. I believe that burnouts are inevitable, and at one point or another, one is bound to occur. My approach to dealing with one is by speaking to every eboard member to understand the core reason as to why they’re experiencing one. Depending on their reason, I would adjust accordingly. I would listen to every board member’s concern and let them know that if they’re in need of a break, I would be more than willing to give them one. It’s unreasonable to expect everyone to be at 100% at any given time, and I believe the best solution to this is to listen to one another and provide support as needed. I never want my eboard to feel as though they are not allowed to allocate time for themselves if they are in need of it, so I would let them know that it’s ok to step away from their duties for a bit if need be. 

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

First, I would talk to said eboard member to try and see if we can find a resolution together, or a compromise. I understand that at times, life can get difficult to where completing one’s duties (in this instance, eboard duties), isn’t very manageable. However, with that being said, I would offer to have the rest of the eboard take over the duties for a bit to allow some time for the other eboard member to figure things out. In the case that the eboard member still wants to step down and a compromise/solution can not be made, I would respect their decision and wish them the best of luck. Sometimes things don’t always go the way we expect them to, however I believe that we must respect everyone’s choices, especially if they believe that they are making the right one.

How do you make sure other positions stay accountable for their roles?
To begin, I would be sure that everyone has a clear vision as to what they’re doing, why they’re doing it, as well as when they need to get their duty done by. The first step when it comes to assigning jobs is to make sure everyone understands exactly what they’re doing. Next, I would make sure to let my eboard know that if at any point they need assistance or have questions about anything, to please speak with the other eboard members as needed. Although each and every one of us has our own roles and duties that we must complete, at the end of the day, we are a collective eboard. Therefore, we are here to assist one another and should not be afraid to ask for help when needed. To continue, I would periodically check up on everyone’s progress to make sure that they’re doing what they need to get done and if not, I would address the issue accordingly. By doing so, I can stay updated with where everyone is at, what still needs to get done, and how we can accomplish the job in an efficient manner. 

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

I believe the most important thing within our eboard is having good communication and a love for what we do. I have always viewed VSA as a group of people who are working together to meet a common goal: To spread the love and appreciation we all have for the Vietnamese culture. With that being said, it is vital to listen to one another, and to make sure we are truly listening to each other rather than just waiting for our turn to speak. Miscommunication can lead to serious internal issues in the long run, so if possible, I would like to avoid this at all costs. Furthermore, I want to make sure the entirety of eboard enjoys what they are doing, rather than looking at their job as a chore. VSA is an opportunity for us to escape the duties of school, work, etc. With that being said, I want everyone to feel proud of what they’re doing and to feel happy that they’re doing it.

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

I believe the biggest downfall of VSA is the fact that every year, it seems we have an issue with a VSA in our region on the brink of dying. In order to combat this, I want to be able to give every VSA the resources along with the support that they need to stay strong as an organization. What will set me apart from past presidents is that I will do my best to assist every single VSA within our region as needed, and I want to be able to connect with each school on a personal level. That way, they feel comfortable coming to me for things such as help, advice, etc.