CPP Community Members Speak at CSU AANHPI Summit
Two Cal Poly Pomona community members spoke at the inaugural California Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Student Achievement Program Summit at Sacramento State.
Dora Lee, assistant vice president of academic engagement and success, and Ephraim Tupe, a physics student and AANHPI Initiatives student assistant, participated in the summit’s plenary on Feb. 23.
Lee oversees a variety of academic engagement programs in the Office of Student Success, including AANHPI Initiatives; Bronco Navigators; Bronco Scholars; Early Assessment Program; First Year Experience; I Am First; the Learning Resource Center; PolyTransfer; Project CAMINOS; and the Reading, Advising, & Mentoring Program.
During the plenary, Lee and Tupe co-presented with Mt. San Antonio College’s Aida Cuenza-Uvas and Abhiram Pulichera on their collaborative AANHPI programs. Since 2021, the two institutions have worked together on summer programs, workshops and special events to help AANHPI community college students understand their transfer pathway. They’ve also partnered on PolyTransfer Advantage, a program for prospective transfer students, which has included a special AANHPI summer academy.
“This partnership has been very fruitful because we’ve prioritized co-strategizing and co-creating the student experience in our programs, addressed institutional barriers and worked with all levels of leadership at both CPP and Mt. SAC,” Lee said. “More than ever, community colleges and 4-year institutions need to partner together on student success. Our collaboration is a testament to that, especially for its impact on our local AANHPI community.”
Last year, CPP’s AANHPI Initiatives received $1.8 million in funding through the CSU Asian American, Native Hawaiian, & Pacific Islander Student Achievement Program (CSU ASAP). It powers a university-wide initiative to enhance the retention, success, and graduation of this student group, which included hosting Oceans of Opportunity: Pasifika College Day in the fall.
Tupe, who entered CPP as a freshman in Fall 2025, shared about his experience participating in the event. Through working with the AANHPI Initiatives team, he’s been able to enroll in an Asian American and Pacific Islander-focused ethnic studies class and will participate in an alternative spring break program in Hawai’i to learn more about Native Hawaiian sovereignty and colonialism. Attending Oceans of Opportunity was very meaningful to him.
“As one of the first in my family to pursue higher education, it was very important for me to see my people achieve success in their fields without sacrificing their culture,” Tupe said. “A handful of the high schoolers in attendance go to church with me, and after Oceans they talked to me about college life and how they were now thinking of going to school after graduation. I know that it was through Oceans that they were inspired to think about a life outside of our people’s usual path. I was glad to share my experience at the summit.”