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2025 IMAGE Magazine
The OCA National Intern Alumni Issue
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Celebrating over 35 years of OCA's signature youth empowerment program
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Dear Advocate,
We are proud to announce the 2025 issue of IMAGE Magazine—a special edition honoring the 35th anniversary of OCA's signature internship program. It took over 18 months to put this issue together, which includes interviews and written profiles of over 30 alumni, and a dozen works from the alumni, including excerpts from their memoirs, tasty recipes, beautiful illustrations, and more.
OCA members will be receiving their physical copies of the zine soon, but in the meantime, you can read the magazine now at ocanational.org/image.
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This year's magazine cover was designed by Cindy Anh Thư Nguyễn, an artist, educator, and daughter of immigrants based in Austin, Texas. Cindy’s work centers around creating brave spaces for community well-being, environmental health, and youth leadership. Her work often informs her art practice, as she illustrates alternate worlds where extinct animals have futures, landscapes are healing, and diasporic memories become sites of joy and remembrance. Cindy was part of the OCA intern cohort of 2018.
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"With this year’s Image Magazine theme, I reflected on my experience back when I was an intern. What comes up for me are feelings of: optimism, aspiration, belonging, and gratitude. The summer of my internship happened during a pivotal period in my life. I had just graduated college and landed a dream job in DC. I found friendship amongst fellow interns who all rooted for each other. I also moved far away from home and made a space of my own to call home. In this illustration, I captured a snapshot of what my desk looked like at the time: filled with things that were important to me. An open journal, some plants, and a photo of my intern cohort during convention. Through this illustration, I hope to highlight the collective experiences that former and current OCA interns share, as well as celebrate the spirit of the internship."
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Your support for OCA empowers the next generation of leaders.
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For over 35 years, OCA National Center's internship program has placed nearly 600 students to work at federal agencies, congressional offices, nonprofits, and companies. Since then, our alumni have held over 380 top management positions across a wide array of industries, over 150 positions across major boards and government commissions, and even served as a member of a presidential cabinet. With the generous support of our donors like you, our program continues to improve. In the last five years, OCA has...
- Increased the summer internship stipend from $2,500 to $5,250
- Provided housing scholarships to support low-income interns during their ten weeks in Washington, D.C.
- Purchased bedding and business professional clothing for interns unable to afford them.
Giving to OCA is easy. Your tax-deductible donations directly fund one of the longest-running internship programs in the nation's capital for college students interested in uplifting the AANHPI community.
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OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates is a national social justice organization of community advocates dedicated to improving the social, political, and economic well-being of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs). Learn more about our work at ocanational.org/about.
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