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Finding Your Chosen Family: Building Cultural Community and Representation at DeGroote
June 2, 2026
Contributed by: Angelica Babiera
Finding belonging can shape the entire student experience.
At DeGroote, students like Vanessa Zeng are building spaces where culture, identity, and professional growth come together. As she co-founded the DeGroote Asian Student Association (DASA) with Lian Carlo Ramirez, Vanessa helped create a community rooted in representation, mentorship and genuine connection.
From launching impactful initiatives to collaborating across student groups, DASA shows the power of inclusive leadership and what’s possible when students come together to build something bigger than themselves. Because at its core, it’s more than a club, it’s a chosen family.
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