APASA Community Dinner

By Interns Alexis Lee and Tram Nguyen

Date: November 21, 2025 | 6:30 - 7:30 PM | USC Campus, The Forum
Hosted by: Anika Nedunuri, APASA External Community Chair

5:30 PM - As we set up the tables in TCC Forum with red tablecloths, perfectly decorated and designated to each of our guests with printed name cards, I was in awe of the hard-work that Anika, our External Community Chair, put into this night. After months of outreach to community professionals, coordinating with local food vendors, managing RVSPs, and navigating the countless small details that come with hosting an event, Community Dinner 2025 had finally arrived.

This year’s Community Dinner centered around the theme of LIMITLESS. Within the APIDA community, expectations surrounding success can often feel restrictive and limited. Traditional ideas about career paths may define achievement in very specific ways, which can make it challenging for individuals to pursue paths that reflect their own passions and identities. “Limitless” challenged these ideas, celebrating individuals who have stepped outside of those boundaries and carved their own paths–people who remind us that success is not one-dimensional. Identity should never limit your ambition.

Community Dinner was split into three rounds with 25 minutes each. The evening was designed as a space where students could sit at tables with guests to listen, ask questions, learn, and reflect on topics about careers, culture, and identities. The guests represented a wide range of industries and journeys, many of which diverged from expectations that society often places on the APIDA community. Conversations flowed across tables, stories and even social accounts were exchanged.

Listening to the guests share their journeys made it clear to me that many of them arrived where they are today through unexpected turns and the courage to pursue passions that aligned with who they are. I was inspired, and I left the event motivated to explore my own passions more freely and to prioritize happiness and authenticity in my career choices. Looking back at the event, I wish I had more time to talk to each and every one of the guests. The theme “Limitless” was a reminder that success comes in different shapes and forms!

Thank you to Anika for organizing the amazing event, APASA, our student attendees, our sponsors (Emporium Thai, Celsius, Anua, and Tower 28), and most importantly, each and every one of the guests that made this night possible!

James Choi

YueTong Tsen

Aidan Han

Ryan Mac  

Hansen Lee

Joyce Ni

Keisha-Tara Watkin

Tiona Alilin

Mimi Miyamoto

Kitty Huang

Mekahl Sadiq

Minha Khan