Lamar University’s Asian Business Student Association is aiming to grow and the group, founded in 2022, wants students to know who they are.
“We are an inclusive organization in the College of Business.” Samina Shaikh, ABSA president, said. “I know we say Asian, and I know we say business, but you don’t have to be Asian or business to be in ABSA.”
ABSA is involved in numerous events on campus and locally, and they also host professional events to help students prepare for their careers.
“You have to put yourself out there, network, and really make a connection with the other people,” Elaine Yang, ABSA treasurer, said.
ABSA hosts events centered around Asian culture and business-related.
“We host a Lunar New Year celebration,” Shaikh said. “We host a water lantern festival celebration. We’re about to do Holi, which is an Indian celebration. And then, because we’re also a business association, in a few weeks, on the 16th, we’ll have our annual Asian Night Market, where student businesses will come out and sell their products and market themselves.”
ABSA takes a different approach to its organization, Yang said.
“Not only are we professional, but we try to push the fun,” she said
Fernanda Larrazabel, ABSA marketing coordinator, said the organization is all-inclusive and welcomes students from all majors. Most of the College of Business student groups are specific, but ABSA aims for a more expanded membership.
“(Others are) just very professional, which I think is very good,” she said. “But I feel like we have a good mix of professionalism, and then also having fun and just being inclusive.”
Yang said the group relies on word of mouth to build its base.
“We’re really kind of bringing in our friends and telling our friends to bring people,” Yang said. “We’re basically doing a plus one, for now, and then eventually try to build off of that.”
ABSA aims to foster community, Shaikh said.
“It’s important that we’re here, and learning about people,” Shaikh said. “And then people can understand that they have a voice in every capacity, in a professional setting, in a social setting — they can come to make friends. They can come to learn about very important skills that you need to have in college. They could come to learn about Asian culture.”
ABSA’s upcoming events include a self-defense class in the Sheila Umphrey Recreational Sports Center, April 9, and the Asian Night Market in the Baptist Student Ministry Courtyard, April 16. For more, visit lamarabsa on Instagram.