College dean picked for White House panel
The director of the Asian American Resource Center and associate dean of students at Pomona College was sworn in Sept. 21 at the White House as a new member of the President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.
Sefa Aina, who has been at Pomona College since 2005, is a founding member of Pacific Islander Education and Retention, which does tutoring and mentoring for youths in Carson, Long Beach and Inglewood. He is also a founding member of the National Pacific Islander Educators Network and Empowering Pacific Islander Communities.
"I feel extremely humbled and grateful for this honor," Aina said in a news release. "A lot of the work that I've been associated with, and have probably gotten too much credit for, is the work I've done with students."
Aina, who applied for this post, was one of 20 positions out of more than 2,500 applicants.
Aina said the commission will meet at least twice a year in Washington D.C. and probably confer each month.
great job Sefa! how awesome.