UIUC Asian American Cultural Center

A self-proclaimed 1.5 generation Filipino American, Kenny Importante was born in the Philippines and grew up in Oxnard, California. He pursued history and global studies with an emphasis in Latin America for his bachelor’s degree at University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB). During his undergrad career, he was involved in residential life and student activism when he realized he wanted to continue working with college students. Kenny was thrilled to pursue his graduate work at UConn’s HESA program and serve as grad assistant at their Asian American Cultural Center. In the past, Kenny also served as an Assistant Resident Director at UCSB & UCLA where he led programmatic goals for the building he supervised. As the Assistant Director of the Asian American Cultural Center, he is responsible for advising student organizations, lead weekly programs, art exhibits, book club, and the overall development of the AACC Internship program. He is a great role model and connector, students and colleagues appreciate his warmth, insightful, and collaborative nature who executes tasks effortlessly. He is especially interested in developing student leaders, providing various opportunities for student involvement, and challenging students to become more aware of social justice issues.

Mai-Lin Poon, Assistant Director

Mai-Lin earned a B.A. in psychology and sociology at Bucknell University, and M.S.Ed and Ed.S degrees in Counseling and Counselor Education from Indiana University Bloomington. She was a graduate assistant at the Indiana University Asian Culture Center where she coordinated major programs and events, facilitated programs for student organizations, and supervised student interns and volunteers. From 2010-2012, she was an educator for Planned Parenthood of Indiana in Bloomington, Indiana. Mai-Lin is a second generation Chinese American originally from Elmira, New York.