Asian American Peace Officers of Georgia (AAPOG): APA Heroes & Advocates Awards Banquet.
AsianAmerican Peace Officers of Georgia (AAPOG): APA Heroes & Advocates AwardsBanquet.
Date: Thursday, September 19, 2013
Time: 6 pm.
Venue: Oriental Pearl SeafoodRestaurant, 5399 New Peachtree Rd., Chamblee, GA 30341.
Tickets: http://aapog.eventbrite.com/
RSVP: https://www.facebook.com/events/356100561164576/permalink/465906566850641/
Contact: EstrellaCramer, aapoginfo@gmail.com, 404-494-0362.
2013 AAPOG SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS
The Asian American Peace Officers of Georgia (AAPOG), a non-profit professional organization for officers of Asian Pacific American heritage affiliated with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies in Georgia, selected Tarika Dalmia, Brian Seo, and Angelique Stabile, as inaugural AAPOG Scholarship Award recipients.
AAPOG is pleased to announce its first AAPOG Scholarships will be awarded to Asian Pacific American undergraduates who intend to pursue careers in law enforcement and/or public service. 2013 AAPOG scholarship recipients will be formally inducted into the AAPOG Young Dragons which will grant them access to special invite-only AAPOG events and programs and make them eligible to participate in future AAPOG mentorship programs.
On Thursday, September 19, 2013, Tarika Dalmia, Brian Seo, and Angelique Stabile will be recognized along with all student scholarship recipients at the 1st AAPOG Asian Pacific American Heroes & Advocates Awards Banquet, which features keynote speaker FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Mark F. Giuliano, invocation speaker Elder Leonard Leo of Atlanta Chinese Christian Church North, and Atlanta-based Consul Generals who are serving as AAPOG Banquet Honorary Chairs.
Banquet proceeds benefit AAPOG Scholarship and APA Community Outreach Programs. The Banquet will also celebrate AAPOG's 1-Year Anniversary on the eve of an auspicious Asian holiday - Mid-Autumn Moon Festival. For more information, visit aapog.weebly.com and aapog.eventbrite.com
Tarika Dalmia
University of Georgia – Athens
Recommended by: Dr.Lisa Tornquist Rollot, Department Chair for World Languages
I am a Senior Youth Mentor for the Indian American Cultural Association, a group that promotes Asian culture throughout the nation and has an active Atlanta Chapter. As mentor, I encourage the youth to learn more about their Asian culture, appreciate the beauty of it, and empower them to use their cultural differences to help someone else that might be in need. I have helped organize several health fairs in Atlanta to help Asian minorities who do not have proper access to medical care. After graduating, I hope to work for the Fulton County Court System and more specifically, as a family and child social worker. Unfortunately, there are many Asian women and children who have been abused but are often too scared to speak up,so I hope to help these families leave an unsafe situation and become stronger people. I have always found the criminal justice system to be interesting and throughout middle and high school, I have always had a strong passion for helping my local community and serving those who are in need. I believe that my dedication to helping others will allow me to be an effective social worker and I hope to help those in the criminal justice system that are in need of advice, guidance, or encouragement. While the criminal justice system can be very intimidating, I think that the role of a social worker is to lighten the burden and to assist those in the system mentally and spiritually, so that they can emerge from the justice system as better people.
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Brian Seo
Georgia Tech
Recommended by: Dr.Jody Blanke, Professor of Computer Information Systems and Law
As a Korean-American citizen, a first-born son to two Korean immigrants, and the older brother in the family, I have been burdened with great culturally derived responsibility and expectations. I plan to graduate Georgia Tech with either a Pre-Law or Political Science minor, pairing it with my Business Administration major. With the experience I have gained through the various positions throughout various organizations, as well as observing the inequality in Georgia, the amount of intrinsic racism and malice, I have learned that it is too easy to allow complacency rule my life, or to allow someone else to step in for activism. But this is not the way to make or create results; rather, it must be my own individual self who sparks that change we so desperately need. It is by this, I dedicate myself to the practices of a life of public service and civic activism, no matter the difficulties that it brings. As a gay Korean-American, I plan and hope to inspire more Asian-American and LGBTQ individuals to find their strength through my accomplishments,and modify our nation’s status quo.
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Angelique Stabile
Clayton State University
Recommended by: Dr. Emran Khan, Associate Professor of Criminal Justice
Being of Asian descent is an honor in itself. I am Fijian/Indian and Italian, both of my parents were born here, but my grandparent's on my mother's side of my family were born in Fiji. I am planning on graduating this Fall 2013 from Clayton State University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice. From there I plan on working for a local police department here in the state of Georgia as a patrol officer while pursuing a master's degree in public administration. I want to be in the criminal justice field because I feel that public service runs in my veins. My grandfather when he came to this country became a police officer for the city of San Francisco. I have found that the ambition to help others is what drives me and pursuing a career in criminal justice is my dream.
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About the Asian American Peace Officers of Georgia (AAPOG)
The Asian American Peace Officers of Georgia (AAPOG) was established on September 11, 2012, as a non-profit professional organization for peace officers of Asian Pacific American heritage affiliated with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies in Georgia. AAPOG is affiliated with the National Asian Peace Officers Association (NAPOA). The AAPOG Scholarship Program will build the pipeline of APAs entering law enforcement and public service careers. The AAPOG Community Outreach Program helps fulfill AAPOG’s mission to promote the safety and well-being of Asian Pacific Americans in Georgia. Website: aapog.weebly.com
EMCEE TEAM
ANU SUKUMAR
Senior Deputy Sheriff, Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office
Anu Sukumar started with Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office in November 2007. He always
dreamed of becoming a police officer, growing up in an Indian family that was not an option. After
graduating from college with a Business Administration degree, he worked for the IRS and when
they transferred him to Kansas City he began exploring other career opportunities. In 2007, an
opportunity availed Sukumar to do the job he always wanted, to be a cop. Sukumar obtained his
P.O.S.T certification as a peace officer and as a Field Training Officer. Sukumar is currently
working a Senior Deputy Sheriff and FTO. Sukumar is a founding member of the Asian American
Peace Officers of Georgia.
APARNA BHATTACHARYYA
Executive Director, Raksha
Aparna Bhattacharyya is executive director of Raksha, a Georgia-based non-profit that promotes
a stronger and better South Asian community through confidential support services, education
and advocacy. Aparna recently was named a “Champion of Change” during a ceremony at The
White House for her work on behalf of battered women in the Asian-American community.
Aparna has also received the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council's Eagle Award in 2006 as
well as the 2010 Gender Justice Award from the Georgia Commission on Family Violence. The
recipient of numerous awards and nationally recognized trainer, the Atlanta native currently
serves on the board of the Georgia coalition Against Domestic Violence and the National
Immigrant Women’s Advocacy Project.
CHICCO SHEA
Officer, Clarkston Police Department
Chicco Shea was born in Taiwan, grew up in Hawaii, educated in California, started up in New
York and finally settled down here in Georgia and became a police officer with DeKalb County
PD in 2000. Shea is currently a patrol officer for Clarkston PD. Shea became an officer, because
he felt the need to serve and give back to the community. One of the major reasons for him to
join the force was the rapidly growth of Asian population in Metro Atlanta. He believes being a
member of AAPOG will help Asian Pacific Americans to reach out to other communities, so we
can join hands to promote the safety of our community. Shea is a founding member of the Asian
American Peace Officers of Georgia.
IRENE THOMSON
Crime Scene Supervisor, Gwinnett County Police Department
Irene began her employment as a Crime Scene Specialist with the Gwinnett County Police
Department in October 2007 after graduating from Virginia Commonwealth University with a
Bachelor’s degree in Forensic Chemistry. In July 2010 she obtained her P.O.S.T. Certification as
an Identification Technician. In December 2011 she was promoted to the position of Crime Scene
Supervisor. Irene has been a P.O.S.T. Certificated Instructor, teaching courses to police recruits
and seasoned officers on a variety of Crime Scene topics. From March to May of 2013 she
attended and graduated as a member of the 33rd Session of the National Forensic Academy.
Just recently she received obtained her Certified Crime Scene Analyst Certification from the
International Association for Identification.
