In 1995, a group of five freshmen, Robert Campos, Jessica Chiang, Marc Cordon, Carissa Dimaculangan, and Barbara Redondo, informally met with a common interest, the fact that they grew up in Filipino households. Homesick and nostalgic, they would swap stories of having big wooden forks and spoons on their walls or poke fun at how their aunties and uncles couldn’t decifer their 'p's from their 'f's.
By 1996, the group had evolved into a viable entity and the Filipino Student Association was officially recognized by Emory University’s College Council. The organization’s first official appearance was at International Association’s Cultural Festival, in which FSA placed 1st in medium sized displays.
Led by its first president Marc Cordon, the group committed to keeping its laid back, ‘extended family’ type of culture. Word got out very quickly about this new organization’s unique feel and inclusiveness, and people began to take notice.
In only a short year, FSA was now looking at over 100 members and growing. FSA became a member of the Students In Alliance for Asian American Concerns, and had the second highest membership of Asian American organizations behind the Indian Cultural Exchange. The executive board hosted enormous potlucks, started a monthly newsletter called “The Brown Bag,” hosted annual fall break trips to Florida, held mixers with Georgia Tech FSA (which was starting up at the exact same time), competed in University of Central Florida’s Stud Pageant, and started an intramural sports team called “Brown Sugar.”
In November of the same year, the entire Southeast region was introduced to the Emory FSA at University of Florida’s Def Talent Jam 1996, when Emory won first place with their group, “The Brew’s Travellers (Marc Cordon, Brian Shim, TK Louis).
In 1997, FSA stayed at the forefront of leadership cultivation by starting up it’s ‘Leadership Committee’ for first year students. Freshmen from FSA would go through workshops, meet administrators, and plan projects with the goal that they would go on to lead FSA, Student Governement Associations, fraternities and sororities, and beyond. The program was so successful in its first year, that the Students In Alliance for Asian American Concerns approached FSA about adopting the program.
In 2001 FSA Emory made an impact on a national scale by hosting Transcend, an annual national conference put on by the non-profit organization, the National Filipino American Youth Association. Such national acts such as Rex Navarette were in attendance. Not to mention the debuts of recording artist titofelix and the Southeast premier of the movie “The Debut.”
Emory FSA is now approaching its tenth anniversary, and through the years, just like any organization, it’s had its ups and downs, but one thing has never changed…EVERYONE IS FAMILY. As we continue to write our own history, you will always be welcome to our extended family.
FSA History courtesy of Marc Cordon
