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ABOUT US

ASIAN STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization specializing in soft skills coaching for students and professionals, as well as a diversity-driven job board for early career professionals. We believe that skills such as ​professional networking, promoting yourself, and job interviewing can be the deciding factor between you and another job candidate.

We have years of coaching experience with students of all cultural backgrounds and skill levels who have gone on to work their dream jobs.

​And best of all, our workshops are fun and engaging. Invite us to campus and upload your resume to our diversity-driven job board!

OUR TEAM

Board of Directors

​Shane Carlin (He/Him/His)
CEO & Founder, Coach
​LinkedIn

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​Shane Carlin's professional career has been in fundraising and Student Affairs where he was the Director of Development for Student Life and Scholarships at Northwestern University, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Advancement at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Carlin has also worked as the Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations at the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA), as well as in Residence Life and Housing at Miami, Northwestern, and Capital Universities.

He is a Korean American adoptee where he grew-up in northern Kentucky. Carlin earned his Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Communications from the University of Kentucky and his Master of Science in College Student Personnel from Miami University. 

​Carlin not only has over 20 years of experience in higher education administration, but also has mentored students in international settings. Besides his expertise in higher education, Carlin is an experienced public speaker. He has been invited to speak at universities from coast to coast. In addition, he was a speaker for TEDx Lakeshore East in 2011. Internationally, Carlin presented the “Western Way of Networking” to students at Hong Kong University Science & Technology (HKUST) and managers at General Electric (GE) in Shanghai at the China Technology Center. ​

 
Amanda Sabal (She/Her/Hers)
Director of Operations
LinkedIn​

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Amanda Sabal has been in the IT industry for over 10 years and has worked for top companies such as IBM, Allstate, and Walgreens. Alongside building her career, Amanda believes in giving back through volunteering with various organizations.  Her early roots of volunteering are with ALPFA and ProHispanica (formerly NSHMBA), both a member based organization with a mission to build professional  leaders in the community. This has laid the foundation of where Amanda’s leadership skills where built and strengthen through various projects.

A recent project Amanda has curated and facilitated which received high recognition  titled “Uncovering the surge of racism and crime in the Asian community”. This discussion has taken place during the Covid-19 pandemic highlighting the impacts of the blame of the covid-19 virus on the Asian community from government to ground zero. 

​Katie Zeng (She/Her/Hers)
Assistant Director of Finance
LinkedIn​

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Katie Zeng is a senior studying at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She will be graduating in May 2021 with a concentration in Statistics and double minors of Business and Microeconomics. She has also been the Treasurer for the National Society of Collegiate Scholars since her sophomore year. She appreciates having a busy lifestyle, which is one of the reasons why she starts her day at 7AM. However, when she does find herself with free time on her hand, she is most likely heading over to the gym, taking pictures of her cat or testing out new recipes in the kitchen.

David Harbin (He/Him/His)
Director of Technology
LinkedIn​
 

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David Harbin is a highly-motivated computer engineer and IT director, experienced in support and network infrastructure for multi-user and remote locations. He’s adept at communicating with key stakeholders in assessing project needs, and leading high-performing and multi-disciplinary teams in fast-paced environments. His career started in higher education, designing support methodologies and IT governance for the campus help desk, training and mentor student employees. He has since consulted for a wide variety of diverse industries, including health care, nonprofits, real estate firms, fin-tech startups, pharmaceutical labs and many other large corporations. While attending the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, David served as an officer and advisor in the Philippine Student Association. Not only was he an active member of the organization, he dedicated his time on campus to improving the quality of student life for minorities and underrepresented communities. He did so through his philanthropic work, multicultural advocacy programming as a resident advisor, keeping a weekly column in the Daily Illini focused on social justice issues, and assisting with FACT conference delegation for 5 years. He also led a number of initiatives in his journalistic field, including writers' workshops at local middle-schools, revitalizing the National Association of Black Journalists, fundraising and community outreach in Champaign, and more.David enjoys collecting video games from all eras, playing competitive chess, analyzing baseball statistics, powerlifting, reading and hiking.

Ryan Nishimoto (He/Him/His)
Director of Operations/HR
LinkedIn​

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​Ryan Nishimoto started his academic journey at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), where he entered as an Electrical Engineer and graduated as a Computational Astronomer. While at UIUC Ryan played the Tenor Saxophone in the Marching Illini, where he served as marching and music section leader. He was also an active member in the Philippine Student Association, where he learned more about his Filipino half through cultural dance. Upon graduating he started volunteering with the Japanese American Citizens League's (JACL) Kansha Project, which helps Japanese-American youth connect with their identity, history, and community. It was here Ryan learned of his grandparent's experience during World War II, where they along with every other Japanese-American citizen were taken from their homes and placed in incarceration camps following the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Reinvigorated, Ryan then went on and got his masters in Computer Science at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), where he researched with medical professionals on rehabilitation through Virtual Reality and Astronomers on scientific visualizations for non-scientific viewers. He is now a Data Engineer working in the healthcare field, wanting to inform and educate people through data. Outside of work Ryan enjoys playing video games, watching shows and movies, finding new recipes to cook, and staying active.

Kathleen Stark (She/Her/Hers)
Director of Marketing
LinkedIn

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Kathleen Stark is a social media strategist by day, helping brands navigate their online presence and paid content plans. Over the years, she’s had the pleasure of working with companies like Ubisoft, Lunchables, Mondelez, Labcorp, and Bumble Bee Foods. She started her advertising journey at the University of Illinois at Urban-Champaign, where she was involved in numerous student organizations including AAF (American Advertising Federation), Smashing Illini, and PSA (Philippine Student Association). She was an active member in PSA, where she got to learn more about her Filipino side. She participated in events like the FACT conference, where she served as a photographer for 2 years and a FACT manager her senior year. Outside of work, Kathleen enjoys playing video games, competing in a shuffleboard league, going to the gym, and seeking out the newest trends on TikTok.​

Staff

Avalee Cruz (She/Her/Hers)
Technology Intern
LinkedIn
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Avalee Cruz is a freshman studying computer science at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, with a goal in life to make connections. Raised in Hawai’i to a Filipino Chamorro family, she began her interest in STEAM with Lego League robotics in seventh grade and since then participated in FIRST robotics, the Aerospace Academy, and volunteered at the Challenger Summer Space program. As an extrovert, you’ll see her talking to people in her free time along with playing the piano, video games, or reading classic literature.

Ali Duong (She/Her/Hers)
Graphic Design / Operations Intern
​LinkedIn

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Ali Duong is a Digital Media Design student at the University of Kentucky. She is the social media manager of a small family-owned business and is very passionate about the graphic design field. Ali is also a proud member of Kentucky's first and only Asian-interest sorority, Delta Phi Lambda Sorority, Inc. Outside of school, she enjoys listening to music, drawing, experimenting with nail art, and journaling.

Aermon Hanna ​(he/him/his)
Business Development and Videographer Intern
LinkedIn

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Aermon Hanna is currently a student at Belmont University pursuing a B.B.A in marketing and business systems & analytics. He is also currently enrolled in the Vanderbilt ROTC program, expecting a commission into the United States army by the summer of 2026. At Belmont University, he is a brand manager for the Fitness and Recreation program, overseeing video and photo creation for that department. He is also an active member of numerous business organizations on campus such as AMA, DECA, and Enactus. Over the course of the past 3 years, Aermon has released two short films and two documentaries, one of which was a documentary showcasing why there was a rise in Asian hate crimes and what was the cause for that issue. Over the course of drafting, filming, and editing the documentary, he has created valuable connections with API Mid TN, the TN NAAAP chapter, and the TN Chinese American Alliance. He enjoys filmmaking and the process that follows it.  During his free time though, his hobbies include cooking, going to the gym, and creating video and photo content for other people.

Rachelle Laurel (She/Her/Hers)
Graphic Design Intern
LinkedIn

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​Rachelle Laurel is currently pursuing a marketing degree at Middle Tennessee State University. Passionate about languages, she has the state seal of biliteracy in Spanish and is minoring in Japanese. You’ll also find her working as the Literature Review Editor and Social Media Manager for the University’s magazine, Collage. Aside from school, Rachelle enjoys reading, painting, writing short stories, and making coffee.

Jessica Liu (She/Her/Hers)
Technology Intern
​LinkedIn

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.​Jessica Liu is a student pursuing a BBA degree in Management Information Systems at Texas A&M University with a growing interest in software and website development. On campus, she is involved in Chinese Student Association as a member of the Media Team where she takes photos and edits video footage for the organization. Passionate about traveling and having new experiences, Jessica plans to study abroad in  Jönköping, Sweden during Spring 2024. Born and raised in Sugar Land, Texas, Jessica enjoys exploring the Houston nightlife and loves trying new and different cuisines in the city

Anna Luu ​(she/her/hers)
​​Graphic Design Intern
LinkedIn

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Anna Luu is a student pursuing a B.A. in International Studies and a minor in Japan Studies at the University of Kentucky. She is one of the founding members of Kentucky’s first Asian-interest sorority, Delta Phi Lambda Sorority, Inc. Within the sorority, she has held various chair positions such as Recruitment Chair and New Member Educator. Outside of school, Anna enjoys spending time with her friends and family, as well as sketching and painting. ​

  Gracie Singleton (She/Her/Hers)
  Content Writing Intern
  LinkedIn

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Gracie Singleton is a Marketing and Economics student at Belmont University with a passion for creativity and writing. In school, she is an active member of the American Marketing Association, DECA, and Alpha Gamma Delta. Throughout the last few years, Gracie has worked with artists to help boost their social media/content creation. Outside of school, she enjoys volunteering, reading, and spending time with friends. ​

   Edmund Zhu (He/Him/His)
   Operations Intern
   LinkedIn
    

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​Edmund Zhu is currently a student at Lipscomb University pursuing a biology degree on a pre-dental track. With a strong sense of service and curiosity, you will find him working across the globe on medical mission trips to support underrepresented communities or culturing and experimenting with cells in the university lab. Throughout his time at Lipscomb University, he has pushed for many changes through the Student Government Association (SGA) and the Asian Connection (ACON) affinity club. Using his developed leadership skills, he hopes to work, in the future, through his own dental practice to serve others in need. Outside of school, he enjoys activities such as reading, playing basketball, and cooking with his family at their restaurant. 

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We are always looking for talents to join our growing team! Take a look at our open positions.