Join our conversation with MSU students Olivia Jakabosky and Stephanie Keene, the President and VP of the new Asian Student Interracial Association (A.S.I.A.) as we learn a bit of Filipino culture, their experiences in Bozeman, and the motivations behind launching the organization. A.S.I.A. strives to provide a comprehensive understanding of Asian nations, languages, cultures, and people among heritage and non-heritage students to enrich MSU and the local community. As MSU’s first pan-Asian association, A.S.I.A. also hopes to foster a community united in working towards a more inclusive future.

Olivia Jakabosky is a Conservation Biology & Ecology major with minors in Sociology and Global Studies and a passion for fostering communities which embrace diverse intersectional backgrounds. She is biracial Filipinx-White. Stephanie Keene is a PhD candidate studying the impact of lifestyle interventions on the gut microbiome and metabolic health. She is second-generation Filpinx and an advocate for BIPOC and graduate student voices on campus.

To learn more about A.S.I.A.’s activities, visit their website or visit them on Facebook or Instagram.