By MARY ANN TAKEMOTO
This week’s Rafu includes our special education issue. This is one of the essays submitted by local education leaders.
To be honest, it was never my intention to become an academic administrator. Growing up in Gardena as a first-generation college student, I had not considered the full range of career opportunities that would be open to me. I planned to follow in the footsteps of my older siblings and study biology in college.
I was fortunate to receive a scholarship to attend a liberal arts women’s college, Barnard College, at Columbia University in New York City. It was a transformational experience and I developed a passion for the study of psychology. I had a part-time job in the Psychology Department and did research with one of the faculty members, furthering my interest in the field.
Upon graduation, I chose to pursue a Ph.D. program in clinical psychology at Indiana University. I thought that a career in clinical psychology would allow me to do a variety of things, such as do clinical work in a hospital or school, teach at a university, or do private practice – all things I have been able to do.
Having lived in diverse environments all my life, it was quite a shock living in rural southern Indiana. I was the first Japanese American to go through the clinical psychology program at Indiana, one of the oldest psychology graduate programs in the country. There were only a few students of color in the program, and fewer in the city of Bloomington, which contributed to feelings of isolation and marginalization.
I was shocked that there were no women faculty in the clinical psychology program, especially after attending a women’s college. I was fortunate to meet a retiring faculty member at Indiana, Dr. Harry Yamaguchi, who introduced me to a professional organization called the Asian American Psychological Association.
I had never met an Asian American psychologist before, so it was amazing to me to meet a small but growing number of Asian American psychologists from across the country. Many of these relationships have continued over the years and played an important role in my professional development.
When I look back on my career, I am reminded of the importance of connection – finding a professional community and having good mentors. I know that I would not have been successful without them.
My first “real” job was as a staff psychologist at the UC Irvine Counseling Center. When I arrived on campus in the late ’80s. UCI was still considered a young campus (only 23 years old) with 15,000 students. The student population has more than doubled since that time. Being a smaller campus, it seemed easier to get to know people and work collaboratively across departments. The campus community was diverse and a welcome place to call home.
I served as chair of the Asian Faculty and Staff Association and advisor to the Asian/Pacific Student Association. In the early ’90s, I attended my first APAHE (Asian Pacific Americans in Higher Education) conference and became connected with a larger network of AAPI staff and faculty. This organization served as another important professional organization for me and I would serve as a board member later in my career.
I assumed different administrative roles in the Counseling Center at UCI and was fortunate to meet Dr. Joseph White, a prominent senior African American psychologist, who provided mentorship and guidance to me as a young professional. He included me on different projects and opportunities and I became part of Dr. White’s “freedom train” of diverse young psychologists.
During that time, I taught one or two courses per year at UCI, where AAPI students comprised about 30% of the population. There were few courses on AAPI-related topics, and a course I taught on Asian American psychology regularly had over 200 students . It coincided with a growing development of multicultural psychology within the field.
I enjoyed working with bright and promising students who were interested in pursuing careers in psychology or social work and increasing the pipeline of AAPI mental health professionals.
Students were frustrated by the lack of an Asian American studies program at UCI. It was through student activism and protest on campus, as well as the support of the local AAPI community, that campus administrators listened and made a commitment to a future Asian American studies program. It began as an interdisciplinary program in 1991 and the Asian American Studies Department was formally approved in 2003.
I was proud to be part of a department that has grown and flourished over the years, now offering a major, a minor and a graduate degree in Asian American studies. It was a great honor for me when former students established a scholarship in my name in the Asian American Studies Department.
I was at UCI for 16 years and felt very established there. I enjoyed the work and the students, and had wonderful colleagues. Unexpectedly, an opportunity presented itself for me to take a position in the CSU system. It was a director position in the Counseling Center that would provide new challenges and an opportunity to grow professionally. I decided to pursue a new chapter at CSULB.
One of the factors that drew me to CSULB was the opportunity to work with Alan Nishio, who would be my direct supervisor. I had never had a Japanese American or AAPI supervisor before. While Alan was well known as an iconic community leader and activist, sometimes people forget that he had a “mainstream” job as associate vice president of student services at CSULB, where he served for many years.
Alan was an exceptional role model, mentor and friend. Even though he retired a year after I got to campus, we remained in contact until his passing in late 2023. Alan was able to integrate career, activism and family in a seamless fashion and he made a significant impact in many areas. His loss continues to be felt deeply by many on the campus and in the community.
At CSULB, I began as director of the Counseling Center but took on additional administrative responsibilities as I became assistant vice president, associate vice president, and eventually vice president of student affairs. My portfolio became broader and I oversaw a range of services including Health Services, Disability Services, and Career Services, among others.
I learned more about campus budgets and served on campus-wide committees. My position allowed new opportunities to connect with colleagues on other CSU campuses. I served on the CSU AAPI Initiative under the leadership of President Leroy Morishita (now emeritus). This initiative promoted higher education for low-income, first-generation AAPI students and in Long Beach, our target was the local Cambodian community.
As I became more involved in student affairs and participated in national conferences, I was fortunate to meet Dr. Doris Ching, who has become a trusted friend and mentor. Doris served as vice president of student affairs at the University of Hawaii and was the first AAPI and woman of color to be elected president of our national student affairs organization (NASPA). She was one of the first AAPI female role models I had and I am grateful for her wise guidance and encouragement over my career.
In 2020, I was honored to receive the NASPA award named for Doris Ching – the Shattering the Glass Ceiling Award — for making an impact on the AAPI community and student affairs profession.
From my early career days at UCI, we frequently talked about the lack of AAPI leaders on the campus, even at mid-level management. As I began to take on higher administrative positions, the lack of AAPI representation became even more apparent. In 2022, only 3.6% of college presidents were AAPI.
While AAPIs are strongly represented in higher education, especially at the student level, there is a scarcity of AAPI top academic leadership. We have not advanced as much as other ethnic groups, and need to have a better understanding of the barriers that persist for AAPI leadership.
Shortly after I got to the CSU, I was fortunate to participate in a program known as LEAP Advance. For the past 28 years, this unique program sponsored by LEAP (Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics) and APAHE aims to increase the number of AAPI educators in top leadership positions.
Dr. Audrey Yamagata-Noji and Henry Gee have worked tirelessly to bring together a faculty of experienced educators, including college presidents and other executives, for the program. Through experiential learning and connection to role models and mentors, this outstanding program has helped prepare the next generation of AAPI leaders in higher education. I have continued to return to LEAP Advance as a faculty member and mentor.
I feel extremely grateful to have had a fulfilling career in higher education in both the UC and CSU systems. When I look back, I am reminded of the importance of connections – finding a supportive community, having mentors and being part of professional organizations. These would be important and helpful throughout my career.
There are many pathways to top leadership positions in higher education, and I hope that younger AAPI professionals will consider a career in this arena. After 32 years in higher education, I decided to retire in 2021. Alan Nishio encouraged me to join the board of LTSC (Little Tokyo Service Center), an organization that he served diligently since its early years. I was happy to do so and continue to be impressed with the incredible work that LTSC does. I have connected with Changing Tides, one of their programs that focuses on mental health.
Mentors have stressed the importance of “giving back” to the community and to the profession. I recently completed my term on the board of APAHE, but continue to be involved with other community organizations. There is still much work to be done, but I am encouraged by the next generation of AAPI leaders who are coming up behind me and will make a significant impact on the field of higher education.