The Overseas Youth Cultural Ambassador Association (FASCA) San Francisco Chapter held the 2024 U.S. Presidential Volunteer Service Award ceremony and Christmas tree lighting ceremony at the South Bay Overseas Chinese Education Center on December 14th (last Saturday). This year, there were a total of 25 award recipients, including 16 gold award winners.
The day’s events were organized and hosted by FASCA members and began with the presentation of the U.S. Presidential Volunteer Service Award. This honor symbolizes the highest recognition of volunteer service, with levels of gold, silver, and bronze based on service hours, representing over 250, 175, and 100 hours of community service within a year, respectively.
Director Zhuang Yashu of the Overseas Chinese Education Center and other distinguished guests presented certificates, medals, and pins to the 25 award-winning FASCA members.
Zhuang Yashu congratulated all the FASCA youth who received awards and expressed gratitude to parents, teachers, and community leaders for their long-term support. She emphasized the Overseas Community Affairs Council’s focus on the growth of overseas youth and encouraged youth to engage in public services through the FASCA platform, promoting unity, mutual assistance, and achieving common learning and growth goals. She urged everyone to continue working hard together to showcase Taiwan on the world stage.
During the event, a Christmas tree lighting ceremony was held where FASCA members wrote down their wishes for the new year on cards, hung them on the Christmas tree at the Overseas Chinese Education Center, and shared their hopes for the future. Director Zhuang Yashu and other community leaders joined in the lighting ceremony, offering blessings for the young people’s aspirations and wishing for the fulfillment of all their dreams.
Sixteen-year-old FASCA member Allison Brown received the gold award for accumulating approximately three hundred hours of community service. She participated in lion dancing, diabolo, acrobatics, and performances by the Three Princes of the Electric Sound group in FASCA. Allison mentioned that she initially joined FASCA based on her mother’s suggestion but gradually discovered the tight-knit community that allowed her to learn about Taiwanese culture. She acknowledged that without FASCA, as someone with only half-Taiwanese heritage, she would have had limited opportunities to participate in activities related to Taiwan.
She mentioned accumulating around two hundred hours of service in FASCA. Each team practices for about two hours per month, and if one participates in four teams simultaneously, along with at least two hours per performance, the time commitment adds up significantly. Despite investing a substantial amount of time, she believes that all the effort is very worthwhile.
The Overseas Youth Cultural Ambassador (FASCA) was established in the North American region by the Overseas Community Affairs Council of Taiwan in 2011, aiming to cultivate the “service, culture, heritage, and leadership abilities” of overseas second and third-generation youth. Through collaboration with various overseas Chinese education centers and exceptional instructors, tailored training programs are designed to meet local needs, such as Taiwanese cuisine, diabolo, calligraphy, performances by the Three Princes of the Electric Sound group, and indigenous dance, allowing youth to gain in-depth understanding of Taiwanese culture and strengthen their identity with their own culture and heritage. ◇