I got involved with Mochi through meeting Maggie Hsu at an event. Through Mochi Magazine, I have met many very talented people. I started Mochi as a recruiter and had the chance to speak to many passionate candidates- many of them are currently taking active roles on the Mochi team. I am really excited to see what Mochi would become in the future, and how it would continue to empower Asian American women.

I found Mochi through an Ed2010 posting for a Blog Editor and was intrigued. An online site for Asian American teen girls?? Where was this when I was 16? Through Mochi, I met many talented women who are passionate about a spectrum of issues girls face—from relationships to fashion to politics. And getting this writing and web experience was great for when I applied for jobs later at Cosmo and the website for The Colbert Report.

I started writing for Mochi in the summer of 2012. I found myself drawn to internships in the beauty editorial industry but never had an opportunity to pitch ideas or write articles. I was so excited when I saw that Mochi was looking for a beauty editor and immediately applied. When I originally sent in my application, I thought I’d be writing only beauty stories, but I’ve had a lot of great opportunities to interview amazing people inside and outside of the beauty industry. Mochi has been great for my personal and professional growth!

As an Asian American growing up in Hawaii, I was always surrounded by great Asian American role models. However, I felt that there wasn’t a specific voice in the media world that represented the viewpoint of young Asian Americans, especially for girls. I met a Mochi writer at an event in LA while I was in college, and after talking with her about the publication I was immediately interested in contributing.

I got involved because I love fashion and writing and wanted to explore this outlet further and Mochi Magazine was a great place to start this. I love the people I get to work and meet with. My most memorable experience was our Spring 2013 Self Made issue because I got the chance to style Ellen Wong! She was great and super fun to work with.

One of my classmates from Chinese school contacted me about the Director of Recruiting position at Mochi. Given my interest in working in admissions and recruiting, I hopped on! I love the people I interact with. Everyone’s full of energy and exciting ideas! My most memorable Mochi experience was doing the photo shoot for Ellen Wong, one of the actresses in The Carrie Diaries and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. She commented how comfortable my high heels were!

I met Stephanie Wu, our editor-in-chief and co-founder, at an event the summer after I graduated college. Steph and I connected really well and she told me about Mochi. Growing up, there wasn’t a magazine or online publication that spoke to Asian American teens and their struggle to combine the two cultures. Mochi is that magazine, and I wanted to be a part of its mission. What I like most about Mochi is being part of a strong community of successful and ambitious young women who are making a difference. Our staff comes from various career backgrounds and interests, and coming together to share our ideas and put out a great issue every season is the most rewarding experience.

I found out about Mochi when the co-founders spoke on a panel at the ITASA East Coast Conference held in NYC. I had been thinking about ways to explore my journalistic interests and thought this was a great way to start writing and get more involved in the Asian American community. The best part about working with Mochi is getting to meet other members of the staff who all come from diverse backgrounds and places in their lives.

I started Mochi because of a girl named Rayne. In high school, I joined a big sib program for adopted children from Asia. I quickly realized that girls like Rayne didn’t have traditional support systems and needed a community of other Asian American “sisters” with which to explore their heritage. I met Rayne when she was 4 and cannot believe that she herself is in high school today!

Working with Mochi Magazine was inspiring and absolutely helped paved the way for my current job at Ketchum PR. I learned how to promote a publication from the ground up and manage a small staff at an early stage in my career. One of the most rewarding experiences was being able to speak at the ASPIRE (Asian Sisters Participating In Reaching Excellence) conference in 09, while still in college! I remain a huge supporter of the magazine and volunteer to help out at events whenever possible!

As an avid magazine reader, I always noticed the lack of of Asian American females as models and writers. When I discovered Mochi, I was thrilled to see that it was a publication both for Asian American females and by Asian American females, and knew I had to get involved somehow. I love the community of strong Asian American women on staff. Our brainstorm sessions before each issue is when we all really come together and work as a team. The diversity and talents each individual brings to the table is what makes Mochi.