Engulfed by the sounds of lively conversation and music around me, I go back to shuffling the papers in my hand, trying to see who’s next on stage. Having identified the next speaker I scan the pavilion, trying to spot them. As they get settled with the microphone, I take a step back. A great sense of pride swells around me; just two hours ago, the pavilion was nothing more than some tables and benches. But through the work and dedication of the Edina Asian American Alliance Festival Committee, we’d managed to make it into a lively space for our community to gather, celebrate, and be together for our first annual Asian American Pacific Islander Month Festival.

To see our months of planning, preparation, and long email chains finally come to life was an experience I’ve never felt before. Not only to see how many community members showed up to speak, table, and support but also to know that this was a product of our hard work. For us, community building and change making is a clunky process, but it’s authentic. Where parents, students, and community members used to work toward the same goals in our district separately, the Edina Asian American Alliance had brought these levels of the district together to address our concerns as one.

Personally, this isn’t something I thought was possible before. Adults don’t listen to students, right? They’re not really asking my opinion. However, I soon realized that my perspective as a student was not only valuable to our endeavors, but actually guided our work. For EAAA, changemaking means harnessing the power of our different viewpoints and collectively deciding our actions. Through my work with EAAA, I’ve not only grown closer to my Asian American identity but I’ve also found a distinct pride for the work we do together. There will hopefully be many more years of festivals and celebrating together. In the meantime, I’m reminded every day of how our work is sustained through our dedication to each other, our community, and our pride in our identities.