The past Sunday, CCIP J-1 interns were invited to attend the Youth Leadership Forum organized by China AIDS Fund. The event took place at the Sheraton East LaGuardia Hotel.

China AIDS Fund is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of medically, economically, and socially deprived children in China while cultivating heritage and leadership in youth of Chinese descent.

At the forum, CCIP J-1 interns listened to a variety of prominent Asian-American speakers, including Ti Hua Chang, an award-winning journalist, New York State Assemblywoman Yuh-Line Niou, and Charles Wang, a businessman and philanthropist who co-founded Computer Associates International, Inc. With their messages to the students, the speakers both educated and inspired.

"I was really motivated by the speakers," Julian, a student leader from the Nanyang Technological University, said after the forum. "Even though I'm still in school, it doesn't mean I can't be active in my community."

Another student from Macau added, "I greatly appreciated this opportunity because it allowed me to meet new people, and it was a chance to practice business networking skills. I was especially happy to meet students from the local Asian-American community."