Candidate for Director:
Armbien Sabillo
I am Armbien Sabillo (he/him), and I am honored to be considered for the position of Co Director of the Mentorship Committee.
I have benefitted greatly from FBANC’s Mentorship Program and Komunidad Conferences, and I hope to give back to my community by maintaining and adding to the excellence of these programs.
My goals for both programs are threefold: Interdisciplinary, Interactive, and Inclusive.
First, I would like to encourage both programs to be more Interdisciplinary. There is strength at the intersection of different ideologies, and I believe that FBANC would be enriched by contributing our legal expertise to and collaborating with other professional groups in the Bay Area. As someone whose training is at the intersection of science, technology, and law, I am well-suited to forming connections and establishing collaborations with other groups in service of our community. For example, we could establish social, professional development, and community service events with Pilipinx students in the Bay Area in the fields of medicine, engineering, finance, art, and others. Similarly, Komunidad could feature how law intersects with policy, medicine, etc to address the needs of the Pilipinx community.
Second, as we emerge from the isolation of the pandemic, I would like to reestablish the deeply Interactive components of our mentorship programs. As public health safety permits, I would like to spearhead programming that bring mentors, mentees, and mentorship family groups together for social and professional development events. And as discussed above, I believe that these interactions would be enriched by connecting with student and professional Pilipinx groups in other fields.
Third, I would like to collaborate with the Board to truly emphasize our theme of Inclusivity. I would like to expand programming on mental health topics unique to our community, establish initiatives to welcome QPOC and other intersectional identities within the FBANC family, and empower students and FBANC members to explore and pursue different career paths in and out of the law. My goal is for the next generation of Pilipinx lawyers and policymakers to have the tools to self-reflect and pursue their true passions, and this can be made more possible through FBANC’s inclusive environment that encourages personal growth.
I feel deeply connected to the Pilipinx-American community here in the Bay Area, which has been my home since I moved from the Philippines at age 12 with my family. For many years, I have volunteered my time to serve our community, from being a health educator at the Mabuhay Health Center in SoMa, to working as a Tagalog translator for SFPCI naturalization clinics. As such, I would be honored to contribute my time and expertise to the board’s mission, all the while learning from the other board members. Thank you for your time and for reading this statement.