Championing the Journey: The Establishment of the Asian American Center at UNC

In the summer of 2019, a group of UNC students formed the Asian American Center Campaign Team with the mission of realizing an Asian American Center on campus. Just nine months later, the AAC was approved by the Board of Trustees—the quickest approval of an official center in UNC history.

Ray Palma ’23, Selina Shi ’23, and Brandon Torng ’24 spoke about the journey to the center’s opening and its impact since.

This event took place on February 9, 2022, as part of The Road Back to Chapel Hill, a six-part online series.

About the speakers

Ray Palma ’23

Ray is a third-year scholar studying public policy and business administration with a Spanish for the professions minor. Originally from Durham, North Carolina, he attended Riverside High School.

Ray joined the efforts to establish the Asian American Center in the fall of 2020. Starting as a member of the development team, he worked with Caitlin Nygren ’22, Selina Shi ’23, and Brandon Torng ’24 to raise the $5 million endowment goal. Included in these efforts were a regional, virtual alumni engagement event for prospective West Coast donors and a similar event for North Carolina alumni. Since spring 2021, Ray has expanded his efforts and now serves as co-director of development for the campaign.

Beyond the campaign efforts, Ray serves as the student member of the UNC Board of Governors, president of the UNC Association of Student Governments, treasurer for the Daily Tar Heel’s board of directors, and a certified Mental Health First Aid instructor. The scholar is also a member of Phi Beta Kappa, the most prestigious academic honor society in the United States. Ray loves photography, trying new foods, and going for walks across campus. After graduation, Ray plans to take a gap year to travel before pursuing a joint JD/MBA degree.

Selina Shi ’23

Selina is a third-year scholar majoring in business administration and computer science with a history minor. She is from Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, where she attended Cranbrook Schools.

Selina joined the Asian American Center Campaign team in fall 2019 as a member of the development team tasked with the goal of raising the campaign’s $5 million endowment. After serving as a development co-director for a year, Selina was elected as campaign director in spring 2021, where she leads the campaign team in integrating student voices and engagement within the UNC Asian American Center.

Outside of the campaign team, Selina is a consumers and industrials sector head for the Reynolds Investment Fund, a student-managed long equity fund at Kenan-Flagler Business School. She also loves to cook, read, and spend time with her dog, Po. After UNC, Selina plans to work in international finance.

Brandon Torng ’24

Brandon is a second-year scholar majoring in business administration and minoring in philosophy, politics, and economics; and entrepreneurship. Originally from McLean, Virginia, Brandon attended St. Albans School in Washington, D.C.

Brandon joined the Asian American Center Campaign (AACC) team in fall 2020 with the goal of helping create open spaces on campus for Asian American students to gather. He began as a member of the campaign’s development team, working with UNC alumni and other donors to raise funds toward the initial goal of $5 million over five years. This year, he’s serving as the vice director of the AACC, working with center staff and the campaign team to organize events and increase campus outreach in the center’s first in-person year.

In his free time, Brandon enjoys playing piano, watching movies, and playing basketball with his friends. He is also on Carolina’s club baseball team and an active member of the UNC Wealth Management Initiative and the Carolina For The Kids Foundation. In the future, Brandon hopes to start his own business, and he’s particularly interested in sustainability and social responsibility within the restaurant industry.

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