2007 Filipinas Magazine Achievement Awards

Youth Leadership : Steven Raga
Sponsored by State Farm Insurance Companies

When it comes to time management, Steven Raga has it down to a tee. Not the type of student to neglect his studies, he can often be seen working on his laptop or reading on the subway train in-between attending meetings for the numerous organizations he’s involved with. This routine is nothing new for the 23-year-old. It has been a part of his daily life for the past five years.

Raga is the national executive chairman of the Filipino Intercollegiate Networking Dialogue (FIND), a 15-year-old organization dedicated to promoting “unity and cooperation of Filipino students.” He is responsible for mobilizing students for integrated action on community affairs, dealing with U.S. and foreign issues concerning Asian/Pacific Islanders, coordinating twice yearly national conferences for students and raising funds for the organization. Raga has held the position since May 2005.

The native New Yorker’s involvement with FIND began when he joined the Philippine United Student Organization (PUSO) at Stony Brook University, which was part of FIND’s third district (schools affiliated with FIND are categorized into seven districts depending on what state they represent). After serving as PUSO’s president from 2004 to 2005, Raga became the national director of FIND, a position he currently holds apart from being national executive chairman (the title requires him to oversee the organization as a whole). He was the national executive secretary from 2005 to 2006. Raga was one of three people who led FIND’s spring conference this year.

Being a “leader” is new territory for Raga, who says he didn’t become active in student leadership until his involvement with PUSO. When he realized that the club also needed to focus on learning about Filipino culture besides “making Filipino friends,” Raga decided to run for president and won. It was his first ever leadership position. The stint paved the way for Raga’s involvement with the Filipino American community.
In 2004, he became the Youth Empowerment Program Intern for the Jamaica, New York-based Filipino American Human Services Incorporated where he facilitated history workshops and assisted in developing empowerment programs for Fil-Am youth. A year later he interned at the New York Philippine Consulate, organizing international conferences for Philippine investment, collecting and evaluating research data, editing projects for developing international business weeklies and managing speakers’ itineraries. Raga works on political and social issues relevant to the Filipino community as a volunteer for the Philippine Forum. He is a member of the board of directors of the Filipino Children’s Fund, the national youth director for the National Alliance for Filipino Concerns, East Coast co-executive director for the SANDIWA National Youth Organization and executive director and co-founder of the BINHI Filipino American Historical Society, which educates students about Filipino culture and history.

Raga says he’s most comfortable leading young Filipino Americans. “That’s the people I interact with the most. It’s easier to convey my thoughts, messages and ideas towards those individuals. We talk the same language.”

Raga hopes to receive his master’s degree in public policy this summer from Stony Brook University and plans to study international human rights law at American University in Cairo, Egypt.

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