Get Involved
5 Reasons to Get Involved
1. PiA is your best self. It transformed our lives. It gave us perspective. It makes us interesting. Admit it, we've all played the Asian card with a date we're really trying to impress. Ticket to Japan: $1200. Hello Kitty stationary: $12. Ability to order in Japanese: Priceless.
2. PiA understands you. We actually like your stories and want to hear them. Spare your family or your friends, support PiA. (Mom, Daddy's telling the Tunghai stories again...)
3. PiA will spend your money well. At an operating budget of $1,000,000, PiA sends 150 fellows and interns to Asia at an average cost of $6,500. Do you really need the deluxe version of the George Forman grill?
4. PiA matters. Sure, you could buy a plasma TV -- but, in the words of Luke Davis '96, "What is more satisfying than giving someone else the opportunity to experience the very moments that meant so much to you?"
5. PiA matters now more than ever. The cultural bridges that we have built person-to-person for over a century uniquely position PiA to take advantage of growing opportunities in Asia and to foster understanding amongst cultures. Such understanding is as important as it has ever been. In the words of Juliana Gamble '99, "How lucky we are to have discovered what a small world it is -- and what a big part an organization like PiA can play in it." Sing it, sister.
6 Ways to Get Involved
PiA alumni play a crucial role in the continued advancement of PiA and our programs by contributing their talents, connections and resources in many ways. To support PiA and help us continue our 121-year legacy, you can:
1. Make a donation. Make a donation. Make a donation! Did we say, make a donation?
2. Host a PiA event in your region. Each year, we host alumni gatherings in New York City, Boston, Washington DC, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Beijing, Hong Kong, Bangkok and Singapore -- often thanks to the generosity of PiA alumni who open up their homes to us. We are always looking for new alumni hosts and unexplored locales ... why not Denver, Jakarta, Pittsburgh or that perennial PiA stronghold, Fayetteville? If you are interested in hosting a PiA alumni gathering, please email piaalum@princeton.edu or contact your local PiA Alumni Network Chapter Leader.
3. Connect with PiA alumni in your field. We are working on setting up a more expansive alumni mentorship program -- integrated into our new alumni website -- but in the meantime, returning PiA fellows and young alumni can still use your help! If you are open to sharing advice, guidance and thoughts on career paths or interests with these individuals, please indicate this using the tag(s) "Open to Inquiries" or "Open to Informational Interviews" on your profile on the Princeton in Asia Online Community.
4. Participate in PiA activities. We invite all PiA alumni to join us for INTERVIEWS in January (in Princeton and several major cities across the US or over Skype) and/or ORIENTATION in May (in Princeton). Come talk about your PiA experience, share your knowledge of a particular country, or just help applicants and outgoing PiA fellows think about what it will be like, what to pack, how not to pronounce that one tone in Thai, etc. Keep your eye out for seasonal emails from PiA HQ for more information.
5. Recruit more incredible PiA Fellows. Each year we receive a growing number of applications from colleges and universities across the country (and the world). There are only so many of these schools that the PiA staff can visit in person, so we are always seeking more alumni volunteers who can make presentations and discuss the PiA experience with prospective applicants at college and university campuses in their areas. Recruiting takes place primarily in late August, September and October, in advance of the PiA application deadline in early November.
6. Help keep your PiA Class spirit strong. Interested in helping PiA on crucial initiatives from the comfort of your own tatami mat? Eager to reconnect with some of your PiA compatriots, just not at a weekday happy hour? PiA is looking for volunteers to work (remotely) with us on building spirit and connections within classes and across the PiA community. If that sounds like you, please email piadev@princeton.edu.
