Stephanie TannyNominated by Brandon Iwamoto and Iimay Ho.
Describe your name.
T. Stephanie Tanny. Most people call me Stephanie. Some call me Stephtastic. I've had a variety of nicknames throughout my life that usually stick for just a few years. Or, why not, you can even come up a new name for me if you so desire.
How do you identify?
Activist. Artist. Spoken Word Poet. {Feminist. Survivor. 1.5 Generation Immigrant. Indonesian. Coloradoan. Snowboarder. Gamer. Yogi. Ally, striving to always be.}
Your passion issues?
Making sure that ALL disenfranchised identities, not just my own, are recognized, heard, and listened to. I am constantly inspired by other strong women who stand up against injustice. Also, socially conscious music and spoken word :).
Best advice someone has ever given you?
Follow your heart. Do what you love... I started off as an engineering major and switched my major 5 times. After sticking with Microbiology until the end of my junior year, I switched and graduated with Ethnic Studies and Sociology. Then, I was working in politics in Washington, DC for a year (including a fellowship with Congresswoman Judy Chu). I loved the issue areas I was in and people I was working for, but was constantly missing Colorado and my connection to the community. I'm happy to be back home in Denver now.
Who's your hero?
Those who aren't afraid to call their allies out on BS. Allies that listen.
Biggest lesson you've learned as an APA Woman?
My voice is important. My voice is important; taking up space is just fine and actually very necessary if we want to actually be heard. I am constantly learning and relearning these lessons.
What advice would you give to other Asian Pacific American women?
Don't forget to take care of your mind, body, and soul. Trust yourself and your intuition. Remember: you are amazing and brilliant and growing. Make some noise!
Why support NAPAWF?
Fierce APA sisters fighting for social justice? Heck ya! Support them because they support you.
Favorite guilty pleasure?
Going on adventures. Sleeping in. Video games. ICE CREAM! I once ate a gallon of cookie dough ice cream in one sitting... yum.
Brandon and Iimay say:
Stephanie Tanny is an ambitious, driven and passionate leader who, like a phoenix, has been reborn and recreated from her experiences and now a young, up and coming leader on the social justice battlefield. In addition to a live televised speech as one of the Campus Progress / Colorlines.com National Keynote Contest winners in D.C., Stephanie has a history of hard work and advocacy during her college career at Colorado State University.
Stephanie works for the Colorado Participation Project, which works with direct service nonprofits to politically engage the disenfranchised communities that they serve. She is also working on immigration reform and bringing a much needed APA voice to the movement in Colorado.
About the nominators:
Brandon Iwamoto - Brandon is a staff photojournalist at the Farmington Daily Times in Farmington, NM and a graduate of Colorado State University. Brandon's work has appeared in multiple publications such as the Denver Post, the Colorado Springs Gazette and the Loveland Reporter Herald as well as billboards, merchandise and promotional material for the Colorado Eagles Pro Hockey Organization. He has held internships with the Loveland Reporter Herald and Colorado Springs Gazette and participated in the Eddie Adams Workshop and Sports Shooter Academy, earning recognition from the faculties of both.
Iimay Ho - Iimay is a proud NAPAWF-DC board member, Chinese American, Southerner, queer, and "Mama Iimay" to her former OCA interns. She is the Operations Manager for The Management Center, so she makes sure everything in the office is working and everyone is getting paid on time so that her team can focus on making people in the progressive movement better managers. Iimay's movement home is Southerners on New Ground, a Southern, grassroots, intersectional, queer people of color organization. Iimay is a believer in organizing for long-term transformational change. She is grateful for her DC APA community and loves Korean BBQ and karaoke!
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To see the rest of the 15 APA Women Leader Spotlights, go here.
