A. J. Kam

I’m a multiracial, gender non-conforming community planning student who seeks to do diversity, equity, and inclusion work for planning related organizations. I bring my lived experiences, expertise, and passion for social justice-based public service to every area of my life. I have a track record of identifying windows of opportunity and capitalizing on them all while maintaining a high degree of integrity, inclusivity, and enthusiasm.

 

My passion for leadership, continuous improvement, and sustainability was born out of my experience taking clubs and organizations like my High School’s Student Government Association and my university’s Design studio from task orientedness to goal orientedness. Through those experiences I learned how to locate the unique motivations of individuals and reframe organizational goals to engage and inspire people. Combined with my ability to adapt, problem solve independently, and communicate across language barriers and cultural differences due to my numerous study abroad experiences, I possess a unique combination of skills that I believe will help me fulfill the internship responsibilities with competitive excellence. Last but not least, I love the challenge of applying problem solving skills, principles of human centered design, and innovative and entrepreneurial thinking to issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

 

I know that whatever work I engage in I want to maximize my impact while maintaining my values. I believe in using the gifts and privileges I have been afforded to support historically marginalized people whose efforts throughout history have led to the rights and privileges that many of us enjoy today. I feel strongly about immersing myself in environments that will support and challenge me to operate with high ethical standards, act with transparency, and embrace excellence in everything that I do while driving meaningful outcomes and gaining new skills.