Krizia Yao is a sophomore majoring in human development.

1. Tell us a bit about yourself — any clubs, hobbies or career plans for the future?

“My name is Krizia Yao, but most people call me Kay! I am a resident assistant (RA) in [College-in-the-Woods] Onondaga and cultural chair for the Philippine-American League. My hobbies tap into my creative side like experimenting with eye makeup, nail art, and crocheting! Another passion of mine is music, as a music minor who plays the alto saxophone. As for future plans, I aim to work in the nonprofit sector — focusing on low-income and/or LGBTQ youth. Being a first-gen low-income queer woman of color, I understand how important nonprofit work is in one’s youth and hope to pay it forward. ”

2. Why did you decide to run for this SA E-Board position?

“Being on E-Board for the Philippine-American League and an active member of other cultural organizations, I understand how impactful organizations are in uniting students and providing a home away from home. At a predominantly white institution such as [BU], they celebrate people of color as opposed to isolating them. My main goal is to diversify cultural organizations on campus. I’ve noticed how separately different organizations operate and want to be a stepping stone towards further connection. It can be hard to keep track of what’s going on with over 100 cultural organizations at [BU]. I hope to make exploring the cultural community more accessible and convenient.”

3. What is your platform?

“I want to push a general sense of togetherness amongst cultural communities on campus through promotion, communication, and multicultural collaboration. I aim to increase club exposure via monthly graphics of signature events and film overview videos of each organization, along with updating information for B-Engaged. I also hope to streamline communication amongst organizations and [their] general body members through an open discord server. Additionally, I plan to incentivize general body attendance for cultural events while encouraging executive boards to bond and host collaborative events. However, these are just a few of my plans, the rest will be up on my instagram page @kriziaforvpma!”

4. Why should students vote for you?

“Being one of the most demanding chairs for my organization, I possess professional and interpersonal skills that make me well-equipped for this position. In choreographing, performing and executing our largest event that showcases over 100 performers, I understand how to organize, lead and be part of a team. I have the passion, drive, and vision to enhance campus inclusivity. Being cultural chair for the Philippine-American League led me to my second family. I want to encourage others to find this kind of rare connection. We should run towards discomfort, break out of our bubbles, and explore what’s out there.”