WOONSOCKET – The University of Rhode Island recently honored Woonsocket native and 2024 Woonsocket High School graduate Jason Chen as a 2026 Asian Cultural Ambassador.
The recognition came during an annual luncheon hosted by URI’s Multicultural Student Services Center, honoring student leaders in the university’s Pacific Islander and Asian-American community.
Chen will serve as a resident assistant for the Chinese Flagship Program Living Learning Community at URI next year. He was nominated for this award by faculty in URI’s Chinese Flagship program.
Chen is a rising junior and double-major in Chinese and business (supply chain management). Faculty members in the University’s Chinese Flagship Program say that Chen is an outstanding representative of the program and the broader Asian community on campus.
“He is a devoted community builder in the flagship community, whether participating in tea times or helping to plan Chinese New Year and Mid-Autumn festivals. “He is at every event, ready to volunteer, perform, and help peers and faculty,” said professor Yu (Joyce) Wu. “Jason’s dedication to helping others succeed reflects both his generosity and his passion for fostering a supportive learning community. He is kind, diligent, and deeply committed to promoting Asian culture and community engagement. He exemplifies the qualities of a true cultural ambassador.”
As vice president of the Chinese Game Club, he also helps promote Chinese culture at URI by organizing activities that integrate language learning with traditional and modern Chinese games. These events provide opportunities for students from varied backgrounds to engage with Chinese culture in an accessible way.
The annual program brings speakers to URI each spring to talk about their own educational journeys and how those intersect with heritage. Sociologist Vivian Shaw from Loyola University delivered this year’s keynote address on April 30 in the Memorial Union.
This year’s other Asian Cultural Ambassador Award winners are:
Kalsoom Fatima
A landscape architecture major from Cranston, Fatima is president of the South Asian Student Association.
“Collaboration across different cultural backgrounds allows individuals to learn from one another, challenge assumptions, and build mutual respect,” she said. As a Pakistani student, her involvement in SASA allows her to share her cultural identity while inviting others to engage with it, she said. Fatima grew up in Pakistan, experiencing culture as something rooted in language, food, traditions, and shared gatherings. She strives to bring that sense of community to URI and has helped provide events that invite students from all backgrounds to experience South Asian culture.
“These events are not just about celebration, but about creating opportunities for connection and understanding,” she said. “I want our events to feel open and welcoming to everyone.”
Fatima said she is looking forward to creating spaces that encourage celebration and dialogue and hopes to advocate for a broader, more accurate understanding of Asian cultures, moving beyond surface-level appreciation toward deeper understanding.
Alyssa Tsukada
A first-year Ph.D. student in biological oceanography at URI’s Narragansett Bay Campus, Tsukada said collaboration between people of different backgrounds is foundational in problem-solving. Tsukada grew up in a small town in Alaska. When she headed to Washington state for her undergraduate degree, she met others from different backgrounds and learned new ways to view and approach things.
“While some fear that diversity leads to division, it more often introduces possibility,” she said. “When approached with openness, differences become strengths. Collaboration across cultures fosters innovation, empathy, and adaptability. When individuals with varied experiences work together, they arrive at more innovative solutions.”
One of the best ways Tsukada said she has found to connect with her culture and share it with others at URI is through food and art. She has shared her creativity at the Graduate School of Oceanography winter artisans’ market and developed workshops for URI students to try Japanese crafting techniques. She said these events help open important conversations around Asian-American identity. She also has a Studio Blue exhibit now open at the Bay Campus.
Sophia Zeyl
Zeyl was nominated for her award by Hae Ree Jun, assistant professor of Japanese, based on work bringing together URI’s Korean Special Interest Group with the University’s Japanese Language Salon.
“Sophie’s work clearly shows why it is so important for people from different cultural backgrounds to work together,” said Jun. “Her efforts reflect genuine curiosity, long-term dedication, and a willingness to engage seriously with perspectives different from her own.”
Zeyl has self-studied Korean since high school and received a Demers Scholarship to study abroad in Korea, also serving as a student representative for URI study away programs. The South Kingstown resident pursued an honors project on Korean politeness, examining how cultural values shape everyday communication. She has helped build a welcoming environment for students interested in Korean language and culture and participated in campus-wide initiatives with the International Students Center as a Global Peer Ambassador. She graduated from URI in May with degrees in economics and sociology, and plans to remain involved as an alumna.
The students were presented with Cultural Ambassador Awards provided through the sponsorship of longtime engineering Professor Qing (Ken) Yang, the first person from the Chinese mainland to join the faculty at URI.
“I feel a strong sense of gratitude toward this remarkable institution,” Yang said. “As Asian Americans, we should take pride in our cultural heritage and strive to further enhance this esteemed institution in the years to come.”
The annual program is hosted by URI’s Multicultural Student Services Center with Dining Services and the Office of International Students and Scholars. All MSSC programs and events are open to the entire URI community.
