With a few weeks left in the program, it was crunch time for the scholars to finalize crafting effective and error-free PowerPoint presentations of our summer research! After months of work, including reading articles and interview transcripts, writing analytic memos, relaying progress and discussing findings in meetings, and more, the scholars will present a condensed overview of our projects at the Summer HIV/AIDS Research Program (SHARP)’s annual Symposium.

I record my daily observations to give readers a sense of what feelings were building up inside of me and the process of preparing for this major event.

8/1 – I spent more time revising my PowerPoints. I was to give one in front of healthcare providers and community members at Asian Health Services in Oakland on Wednesday the 7th, and then a different presentation (but the same material) at the SHARP Symposium in San Francisco on Friday the 9th.

When I met up with the other intern (not SHARP-affiliated) on the research project, we reviewed our slides. What quotes would be best for describing participant experiences with providers, and what recommendations would we suggest to providers? It was challenging to pick out the quotes that best suited the themes; there were so many good quotes to choose from. We assisted each other with narrowing down the choices. Furthermore, I really enjoyed working with this colleague because we got to bounce ideas off of each other and get to know each other better. It made being in a new city across the country less lonely.

I had the most fun getting to make the PowerPoint aesthetically pleasing and complete with animations.

8/2 – SHARP had a seminar on Jail Health and HIV testing. This session encouraged me to think about resources offered in jail facilities and what opportunities existed for inmates to grow as individuals and reintegrate into society. People still have worth and potential to change their lives around, with the proper tools to do so. In my eyes, all detention centers should have basic healthcare such as toothbrushes, clean water, nutritious food, comfy beds, and preventive care.

WEEKEND

8/3 – A much needed sojourn was my day trip to Japan Town in San Francisco. There was actually a festival  that weekend so there were dozens of vendors under tents in a line down a street. People displayed art, apparel, skin care, handknit hats, windchimes, and more for sale. Children could play games and win prizes. Outside a mall were parked vintage cars for visitors to gaze inside and admire the details. By the Peace Pagoda was a stage for performers.

Walking through this Japan Town provided me with a warmth in my soul and a sense of familiarity. I gained a great deal of understanding of and appreciation for the culture during my study abroad in May, and then this small community in San Francisco still felt authentic to me in its own way. There are two Japan Center Malls: West and East. Both had a wide selection of restaurants and stores, including beauty shops (skincare, lip care, makeup), stationary, backpacks and anime merchandise, and a crepe stand.

Also worth noting is the Kinokuniya Book Store, with manga, books, and merchandise. Overall, I had a lovely and laidback experience of walking around and seeing what this community and mall had in store. I am also glad to support local business owners. I do wish that I bought art from locals!

8/4 – On Sundays, BART has limited hours and lines to get to San Francisco and I wanted to stay in the East Bay anyway. I spent a few hours admiring the murals in the Chinatown in Oakland. There is much history here and I felt welcome in the area. One of my future posts will be about Chinatowns in America and include their histories as well as my personal experiences in those spaces.

8/5 – Our final seminar was on the Origins of Black Poverty. This was one of my favorite sessions because the speaker was so compelling. She captured everyone’s attention and we engaged in discussion about the heavy history of people of African descent in the Americas and how poverty is generational. We still see repercussions of slavery and racism is alive and well, except that it is more covert and concealed. The session’s contents are what we all should be confronted with, in our school curricula and in our media. If people are not well-educated about history and a wide range of narratives, we continue to remain ignorant.

After that meeting, I conversed with a colleague via Zoom to go over our work. Then I emailed a principal investigator/SHARP leadership member my symposium slides for him to critique it some more. He said that it was more streamlined than my very first draft.

8/6 – I met up with my colleague to practice a run-through of our presentation for Asian Health Services! When we timed it, our presentation came to 40 minutes long, with each of us taking about 20 minutes to go over our respective sections. I was feeling anxiety about if I was rambling or not explaining enough, or if it would be boring to people. Nevertheless, my colleague reassured me that the presentation would go well.

For some peace of mind, I went over to Golden Gate Park. I checked this destination off of my bucket list. Starting from one end of the park, I viewed an enormous Dutch windmill and strolled along the path to look at grazing bison in their enclosure and sputtering sailboats in a pond. Also noteworthy were the Japanese Garden and the Conservatory of Flowers. I appreciated the Golden Gate Park immensely.

8/7 – After practicing my SHARP presentation in the morning at San Francisco Department of Public Health, I hurried straight over to Oakland to meet up with Dr. Tan and her other summer intern at a coffee shop. We spent a little bit getting into a positive and calm mindset. With our mentor, Ian and I got a final polish of the presentation slides. Dr. Tan emailed over a one-page table of recommendations for an Asian Health Services staff member to make copies to handout to people.

8/8 – I did another practice run of my symposium presentation in front of the director and my peers. Then I Zoom’ed with my mentor, who helped with the slides. It was truly helpful to prepare a script, slide by slide, and word for word. I made this script in a Word document, with the font size about 14, enough to be able to read while looking down from a podium. I was feeling extreme anxiety this day because literally the next day was such a major event for me and for SHARP. When I was home, I finished writing Thank You cards for some people of the program. I was instructed to practice a few more times at night and to not practice at all the next morning, because apparently you can overdo it.

8/9 – This was the day of the SHARP Symposium!
In the morning, an intern prepared breakfast for a couple of us. At SFDPH, we did more practice runs while in the conference room. My peers looked concerned and that was understandable; we wanted to do well.

The SHARP director and assistant shared some sweet mini cupcakes and a bundt cake with us that morning. Without their knowledge, the interns secretly bought bouquets of flowers for the both of them to celebrate their upcoming transitions to new chapters of their lives.

I was third in line to go up to present. I listened to my first two peers give great oral presentations. While sitting down and waiting my turn, it was difficult to stay calm and focused. When I was introduced, the director also told the audience why I pursued SHARP, which was along the lines of challenging myself and really ensuring diversity, inclusion and equity in public health.

As I proceeded to the podium, I had a shaky start and mumbled “Okay” while bracing a smile. During my practices, my peers said I had a soothing voice. I read from my script and made sure to make eye contact with people in the room. If actually looking in people’s eyes is intimidating, stare at the walls or windows. Stay poised and calm.

When my 10 minutes were over, we opened the room to questions from the audience. There were two inquiries, both of which were from SFDPH staff. One question regarded the transgender population in my sample, and the other question concerned adolescent mental health. I responded the best I could in that moment.

Then I quickly took solitary respite in a back room since the symposium program had a break before they continued with the other three scholars. Watching the rest of my cohort present, I was so proud. My peers are so worthy of praise!

The SHARP director shared her love for SHARP. After two years of leading SHARP to great successes, she had another opportunity. She spoke words of encouragement to our 2019 cohort and her thoughts about the whole experiences. The scholars sprung a surprise on her! We introduced the bouquets and cards to the director and her assistant. It was a wonderful occasion.

After the symposium, SHARP scholars and staff had Happy Hour at the restaurant/bar called Hazel.

LAST WEEKEND IN THE BAY AREA

8/10 – For a fun excursion in San Francisco, I rounded up two friends, one being an OSU alumna who had moved to the Bay Area very recently, and my neighbor-turned-friend. We went to a Cat Cafe, the Museum of Ice Cream, and Powell mall.

8/11 – With the same friends, we scouted San Francisco Chinatown! We looked around shops, had buffet food, and watched the magic happen at a Fortune Cookie Factory. We passed by a procession of lion dancers and other people in some ceremony. We paid a quick visit to the Historical Society. I did not get to view its exhibits; I just glanced around the gift shop and briefly sat in the video room. Next time, I will spend considerable time at SF Chinatown!

LAST WEEK!

8/12 – I worked on writing a personal statement for SHARP. This short paper would be a reflection of my research internship; it would include insights from informational interviews, key skills gained, and how my experience will further my goals. I also returned my laptop to the office so future SHARPies could use it. I gave away the laptop case I purchased so that it could go with the work laptop.

The group took a ferry ride over to Oakland and we shared a late lunch at a black-owned diner!

8/13 – I worked more on my CV and met with an SFDPH staff member (he was also a SHARP alumnus) for an informational interview! Immediately after, I almost missed the ferry from San Francisco to Alameda, where I would
take a break from reality with my mentor and her intern for some paddle-boarding.

8/14 – I did extensive cleaning at the apartment and then traveled to Oakland to meet my mentor at Octopus Literary Salon, which is now sadly and permanently closed. My mentor and I were on a Skype or Zoom call with fellow Asian Pacific Islander women who were grassroots organizers and activists for various rights. This organization is called NAPAWF. I will be looking further into this powerful community so I can continue to make a change and get my voice heard! I was happy to listen in on how their meeting went as they planned events.
https://www.napawf.org/

My mentor and I were joined by the other summer intern for a night of open mic. The topic was love and anyone could come up to say anything, whether it was on the spot or prepared beforehand. People shared poems, reminisced about past lovers, talked about their relationships with their parents, and sung while strumming their guitars. Everyone’s moment was different and so unique to them. It was very impactful and meaningful to be in a room with predominantly Asian Pacific Islander Americans and being open to experiencing something new and being vulnerable.

8/15 – On this bittersweet day, I met with Judy for the last time in person at UCSF. We examined our relationship over the summer and my feelings about SHARP. What aspects went well for me and what could be improved? I presented her a parting gift and returned home to pack and clean. We made plans to stay in touch and touch base during the middle of my semester at school.

8/16 – Last Day of SHARP / SHARP SEND OFF
I distributed my personal thank you letters to people around the office. I always want to leave a good impression on people and remind people of my gratitude. At our pizza party for lunch, we chatted and a staff member presented Jessica with a certificate of appreciation and achievement, and we thanked her once more for her work for SHARP.

8/17 – DEPARTURE DAY / SEE YOU LATER CALIFORNIA!

When checking out of my place, I had to leave belongings behind that I wanted to keep. However, sacrifices had to be made for the better. I felt uneasy about making it to the airport and making both of my flights to get to Cleveland. This was a full day of travel. I touched down in Cleveland around 10:50 PM. I was relieved to be home.

The very next day, I had to travel down to Columbus to move into my new apartment for the 2019-2020 school year.

Although I did not get much of a break before transitioning to another year of college, I would not have it any other way. This summer was such a fun time of exploration, insight, and discovery. I am very impressed by SHARP and how it has changed me and helped me prepare for my future. I am more confident in my ability to speak and to research areas of interest to me. I am also more confident in interacting with people. I look forward to what my friends and I will accomplish next.

All I can say is “Thank You” for a wonderful Summer 2019.