AAOP has been a young person-led, mostly femme and queer-led organization since 2016 and while you may have met staff and young leaders in community events, while volunteering for canvassing or even in the past, who are the people behind AAOP? Over the next few weeks, we’ll be re-introducing AAOP staff! Get to know who is part of AAOP, our likes and dislikes, experiences and stories.
Next up is Saylia, Youth Program Coordinator!
Favorite Part of Your Role: Seeing the work that the youth are doing. Creating spaces for youth to grow as individuals and as organizers/leaders. Having space to manifest and create changes.
Least Favorite Part of Your Role: Any legal things or obstacles that makes it difficult to do what we want to do.
What inspires your work? The ideal world of how I wish things could’ve/should’ve been like. My privileges of being able to speak up and not be endangered by doing so. Everything and anything I’ve seen can spark an idea of projects/activities that could be done. My passion for the issues I’m working on. I think wanting to see a positive growth for both myself, the youth and with the work I’m doing also inspires my work. I’m not sure what inspires my work, but I’m sure the environment I’m in has a huge impact on it.
Life motto or quote that inspires you: Be the voice for those who aren’t able to i think is something that really drives me to do the work that I’m doing. I think with being the voice also comes empowering others to speak up too. But besides that a quote that really resonate with me is “I hope there are days when your coffee taste like magic, your playlist makes you dance, strangers make you smile, and the night sky touches your soul. I hope there are days when you fall in love with being alive.” I really like this quote by Brooke Hampton because it’s a constant reminder for myself to live each day and to really enjoy the process of it all rather than just those few big end goal.
Share a story or a memorable moment that happened while at AAOP:
My favorite care package I got was when Clara gave me cups of coffee creamer and it really made my day because it was a really thoughtful gift. And the back story to it is, I would just eat the coffee creamer powder stuff on its own whenever I was at the office. And every time I drink coffee it would just be filled with creamer.
One of my favorite sit down interview type of session was with Ngoc who I think was a fellow. But it was really nice because that was my very first time I really got to sit down with someone and talk about my heritage being karen, and Asian American and being a refugee. And somehow we also got to talking about my sexuality and even my religion, and that was one of the first people I talked really deeply with at AAOP and they really made me feel heard and not out of place at all. And overall Ngoc was just really amazing and I hope I spelled their name right.
Whenever we have a staff social and it’s late, leyen would always tell me to text if I got home and that makes me feel really safe and cared for. I am 19 and legally I’m classified as an adult but being classified as an adult sometimes is scary because you no longer have that lawful protection that says you can’t do this or that to them because they’re a minor.
Every time and anytime I’ve talked about a project or activity idea with someone at AAOP or through AAOP has always been the greatest experience. It be a motivational booster.
Testimonies from other staff:
Probably holds the record for most collected VR’s and VP’s in one setting. Lol – Jeffrey
I had the pleasure of working with Saylia in a few capacity and each time, I’m amazed with her work and the things that she have accomplished and the things that she will accomplish. I love seeing her transformation from youth fellow to youth leader to now youth program coordinator. – Vang Xor
I remember sitting down in summer of 2019 and interviewing Saylia and she dropped so much knowledge and curiosities that just impressed me so much. She’s grown from a youth program participant to youth leader and she’s part of the team. I’m so glad she’s part of the team! – leyen
I am so thankful for Saylia’s leadership and support in running the youth program! I can always rely on her to take the initiative to identify and solve problems, come up with creative ideas, and improve our work. There are so many instances that I can point to in which I have felt lost about what to do, and she has offered critical ideas that made it easier to move our work forward with intentionality. I couldn’t ask for a better person to work alongside in the youth program! – Clara