BRIDGE: JUSTINE BORINGOT

Coming from Southern Oregon in a city called Medford all the way to Corvallis, joining Isang Bansang Pilipino at Oregon State University was an experience in of itself, and it was ultimately what connected me back to my own identity. I have never been surrounded by so many people who looked like me up until that point. Growing up, I did not have a lot of friends who were Filipino, so joining the club was sort of a culture shock as well. Becoming a president of the organization allowed me the opportunity to influence and impact my fellow brothers and sisters, as I was also able to undergo the journey of rediscovering the person who was always within; the person I was always meant to be. As I came to my first NWFASA conference to connect with the other Oregon and Washington orgs, I was finally 

asking myself: am I Justin the American, Justine the Filipino, or both? As an individual who plants both feet in between these bridging cultures, it is imperative that we educate one another about the similarities we can acknowledge and respect, but most importantly celebrate and rejoice in the differences that make us special and unique. Over the years, I had to realize  that even though I was raised in the states, I will always come back to the roots and values which defined my parents, which defined my family, which defined IBP, and finally, the Filipino nation.

Justine graduated from Oregon State University in 2018, majoring in public health and minoring in business.