On the evening of April 20th, MVNCI 2013 Court members had the privilege and honor to participate in the Asian American Women’s Alliance Scholarship & Recognition Awards Annual Banquet. The Asian American Women’s Alliance, or AAWA, was founded in August 1996 and is a volunteer-based, non-profit 501(c)3 organization. The mission of AAWA is to establish an alliance of members dedicated to building support among Asian American women in all walks of life through professional and personal growth. AAWA seeks to create opportunities for mutual learning & nurturing, mentor relationships, career & leadership development, personal & group support, and engagement in community services. You can find out more about them here: AAWA
Once the banquet began, the current court enjoyed the dinner and entertainment which showcased a variety of Asian American dance, music, and vocal performances. Following dinner, as the reception continued, Scholarship Awards were being received by select recipients.
The 2013 MVNCI court participated in an Asian Ethnic Wear Fashion show representing the many and diverse Asian American countries. Countries modeled by the Court members included:
Queen Yolanda represented Pakistan
First Princess My Ngan & Miss Talent/Miss Social Christie represented Vietnam
Miss Ao Dai Linda represented South Korea
Miss Congeniality Thao represented India
I, Miss Photogenic, represented Burma
We also had our pageant mentors, Kimmy & Kristine (KP) representing India and South Korea as well. Other countries represented by fellow models were America, China, Laos, Philippines, Japan, and Malaysia.
Prior to the evening, my ethnic outfit was Japan, however I ended up with the Burma outfit. At first, it was too big on me, but there’s nothing safety pins cannot fix! I LOVED the royal blue color!! It so vibrant and definitely an eye-catcher. This was definitely one of the highlights of the evening as the crowds were really receptive and engaging- especially during the guessing game ‘Where is this ethnic outfit from?’.
Shortly after the fashion show, we had the opportunity to go on stage and introduce ourselves. It was a little bit nerve-wrecking for me since it somewhat felt like a mini repeat of our pageant evening introduction! Then Queen Yolanda Vo introduced our organization, Miss Vietnam of Northern California Intercollegiate, what we are about, and invited banquet attendees to our Coronation and Charity Gala that is happening on May 5th.
Asian American Women’s Alliance was an evening full of great company, accomplishments, food, and entertainment with my gorgeous sisters. Thank you AAWA for having us as guests!
For more pictures from AAWA Annual Banquet, please visit our Facebook album here: AAWA + MVNCI