University High School

Club Purpose:

Engage in all events and activities dedicated to raise awareness of autism.

Club Goals:

 Provide volunteering events that allow members to participate in the support and awareness of autism. Provide fundraising events that raise club revenue to be donated to autism foundations at the end of each year.

How Our Club Started

As the president of my high school’s TACA club, I can hardly believe the long way our club has come since it first got started. The origin of this club started with my first encounter with autism. I first got to know autism during my sophomore year, when I volunteered at a bowling event with autistic teenagers. At the time I did not know much of autism, except that it affects the social skills of those diagnosed with it. At the bowling event, I talked to and got to know many teenagers there with autism. The experience had a lasting impression on me and thus, when the agency TACA came up during my internship during my junior year (Pacific Life Foundation), I immediately listed it as my first choice and received it. Over the summer of my junior year I worked as an intern at the national TACA foundation at Costa Mesa. Working alongside my supervisor Violette and other colleagues inspired me to become more involved with autism. At the start of the year, I decided to start my own autism club at my high school. The club started out on a shaky footing, but now boasts more than 20 members. I am proud to say that my club has come a long way and, in its journey, grew with more and more members each dedicated to help the autistics. If you are interested in our club, don’t hesitate to give me a call!

Thank you,

Vivian Lu

2010-2011 Club Officers

President

 Vivian Lu

Co-President

Sayaka Yoshikawa

Secretary

Kelly Lee

Publicity

Pooja Selvan

Elizabeth Giering

Treasurer

Lisa Shin

Historian

Connie Oh

Activities Coordinator

Adrian Kwak

2009-2010 Activities

• Club Kick-Off
• Other fundraising events