Asian American
Progressive Student Union
About Us
Asian American Progressive Student Union (AAPSU) was founded in the summer of 2020 by Amy Zhai and May Soemin. AAPSU is an organization that hopes to unite progressive Asian American student leaders and promote racial equity in the Asian American community.
This organization aims to address the racism within the Asian community and form alliances with other people of color. The purpose of AAPSU is to: create networks with other minority groups and produce translated educational resources and workshops to combat racism, colorism, and anti-blackness in our community; work with other advocacy organizations in order to address the segregation within MCPS; promote community development; promote Asian American rights and representation, and increase civic engagement within the Asian communities.
Although AAPSU was founded in Montgomery County, Maryland, we are expanding to other states across the country from South Carolina to Oregon. Each region focuses on issues that are relevant to them and will work with the main organization to provide the public with means of actions/education. Please email us through the contact page if you’re interested in forming a chapter in your state!
Our Mission
To unite progressive Asian American student leaders and promote racial equity in the Asian American community.
Meet our Team
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Executive Board
Nicole Chim
President
Nicole Chim is a senior at Colonel Zadok Magruder High School and serves as the President of the Asian American Progressive Student Union (AAPSU). Having been involved with AAPSU since eighth grade, she is honored to now lead the organization and continue its mission of empowering Asian American youth through advocacy, civic engagement, and cultural education. She hopes to expand AAPSU's impact through meaningful legislative advocacy, stronger community partnerships, and educational programming that uplifts AAPI voices across Montgomery County.
Joelle Butuyan
Vice President
Joelle Butuyan is a senior at National Cathedral School and is thrilled to continue her work with AAPSU as Vice President after serving as Public Relations Director. This year, she hopes to highlight each student's unique voice, ensuring that narrative and authentic outreach serve as bridges to opportunity and improved accessibility. She looks forward to working alongside an inspiring team to foster an inclusive community, dismantle barriers for AAPI youth, and amplify diverse perspectives across Montgomery County.
Mackenzie Cho
Second Vice President
Mackenzie Cho is a Junior at Walter Johnson High School and currently serves as the 2nd Vice President of the Asian American Progressive Student Union (AAPSU). She has been involved in Asian American advocacy for a few years now and is passionate about serving AAPI communities in the Montgomery County area. With AAPSU, Mackenzie hopes to create resources serving Asian American Students, AAPI representation in the curriculum, and write legislation to aid AAPI communities.
Heather Tu
Treasurer
Heather Tu is a senior at Springbrook High School and will continue serving as AAPSU’s Treasurer for the second year. She hopes to spread Asian culture across the entire county, especially in regions that lack representation. Throughout the upcoming year, her mission is to help fund more AAPSU initiatives to grow the next generations of Asian American leaders and advocates across Montgomery County. Heather looks forward to working with fellow board of directors to foster a strong community, aimed to accomplish AAPSU’s goals.
Merveil Nabine
Advocacy and Policy Director
Merveil Nabine is a rising sophomore at Seneca Valley High School and one of this year’s advocacy & policy directors. She’s delighted to be accepted onto AAPSU's director board this year and plans to host events that highlight Asian culture and resonate with many people’s personal stories and experiences. Although she’s not Asian, she admires Asian culture deeply because when she first came to this country, they were the ones who showed her and her family deep hospitality and helped them become stable through hard times, so seeing an organization like this inspired her to give back to the community that helped her so much. She is truly excited to work with such a great team that is as passionate about AAPI youth and making a real impact in our community.
Mahi Bakhru
Advocacy and Policy Director
Mahi Bakhru is a junior at Poolesville High School and is serving as the Advocacy and Policy Director of AAPSU. She hopes to highlight the importance of the Asian American community within the field of Advocacy and Policy. Through her work, she hopes to bring reforms and more attention to the history of the Asian American community in school curricula and legislation. She looks forward to leading AAPI representation initiatives and working with an amazing board of directors!
Thilini Don
Events Director
Thilini Don is a senior at Colonel Zadok Magruder High School and serves as an Events Director for the Asian American Progressive Student Union. She joined AAPSU to connect better with a community that is very close to her and to spread awareness of the culture behind Asian American students. She wants to empower those who feel underrepresented by the county and school system, making them feel seen and included through engaging events, cultural celebrations, and community initiatives. She is especially excited to help plan informative events that bring students together and celebrate cultural diversity.
Bo Liang
Events Director
Bo Liang is a rising junior at Poolesville High School and serves as an Events Director for the AAPSU. Inspired by AAPSU's mission of celebrating Asian American culture through empowering students through community, he joined the organization to help create meaningful opportunities for connection and cultural appreciation. As Events Director, he is excited to organize interactive cultural, educational, and service events that strengthen relationships between members, increase student involvement, and create an inclusive environment where every student feels welcome and represented.
Elise Yang
Public Relations Director
Elise Yang is a senior at Sherwood High School and serves as a Director of Public Relations. Elise first got involved with AAPSU as an APIDA task force coordinator and fell in love with AAPSU’s mission and community. She is dedicated to showcasing and highlighting the importance of Asian American culture through AAPSU’s media channels, and looks forward to creating content that embodies the heart of AAPSU and spreads awareness of pressing issues relating to the Asian American community.
Eleanor Files
Public Relations Director
Eleanor Files, one of this year’s Public Relations Directors, is a junior at Walter Johnson High School. In freshman year, she participated in AAPSU’s Advocacy Academy; in sophomore year, she served on the executive board as an Events Director, helping coordinate an event to support local author Rin-rin Yu’s publication of her children's novel, Goodbye, French Fry. She became involved in the advocacy community in efforts to uplift and celebrate all facets of Asian American culture. This year, Eleanor strives to assist in implementing AAPI cultural representation throughout Montgomery County’s social studies curriculum, especially at the elementary level.
Anna Yoo
Outreach Director
Anna Yoo is a rising Junior at Sherwood High School, and this year, she is serving as the Outreach Director of AAPSU. She is so excited to see how this organization will grow in the upcoming school year. As Outreach Director, she’s looking forward to the opportunity to reach out to AAPI Youth and foster an encouraging, kind community. She hopes to work passionately with the amazing team to make AAPSU uniquely special this year!
Jennifer Lee
Community Accessibility Director
Jennifer Lee is a senior at Poolesville High School. As Community Accessibility Director, she hopes to make AAPSU’s already amazing events more impactful this year. Through these initiatives, she hopes to educate the broader community on current issues facing the AAPI community while fostering a tighter-knit environment. Jennifer is excited to be a part of AAPSU and looks forward to a fantastic year ahead!
Giselle Zheng
Secretary
Giselle Zheng is a junior at Magruder High School serving as the Secretary for AAPSU. As a first-time member of the organization, she joined AAPSU to get more involved in her community and bring strong organizational skills to the leadership team. In her role this year, Giselle looks forward to keeping operations running smoothly and helping the organization achieve its goals.
