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Making an ImPACt in 2024

May 2, 2024  |   Dei

In honor of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, we're excited to spotlight the personal experiences of coworkers, Sara Cooperkawa and Kenny Hsiao as members of our Pan Asian Council (PAC) Business Resource Group.

“Every day is a new opportunity to make a new
happy ending.”

The Pan Asian Council (PAC) theme for the year is “Making an Impact” – can you share an example of how you plan to make an impact within PAC in 2024?

This is my first time joining PAC as a committee member and I am excited to collaborate with my team to learn about and share all of the amazing cultures, experiences and traditions with everyone at CDW.

What’s your ethnic background and aspects of your culture that are unique?

Japanese American. My grandparents, teenagers at the time, were both sent to internment camps during WWII. At the time, my grandmother’s family owned an entire block in California, with a hotel, a grocery store, and a barber shop. They were told to only bring what they could carry. And even though they were born in the United States, it didn’t matter. They were forced to live in horse stalls with their families for years. Although this was a horrible occurrence, my grandparents would have never met (and I would have never existed!), had they not been interned. They met after settling in the same location after they were released from the camps. What I remember from my grandfather is that he was an American through and through. He fought in the 442nd Infantry Regiment, which was a fighting unit composed almost entirely of 2nd generation Japanese. He left the camps to fight for a country that put him in those camps. He would only buy American cars, he was so proud to be American. My grandmother has a saying, “shikata ga nai,” which translates to “it cannot be helped.” It’s a philosophy that emphasizes acceptance and letting go of things that are beyond our control. This helped her get through all of the tough times. 

Share a fun fact about yourself:

My last name, Cooperkawa is a combination of Cooper and Kurokawa (my maiden name). My five children and I are the only ones in the world (that I know of!) that have that surname. Also, my children’s names, Bryce, Mason, Grady, Casey and Dylan, spell out BMGCD. And if you are as old as I am, you will remember the company, BMG, that for a penny, would send you 12 CDs. Cool. BMGCD, an easy way to remember the age order of my kids. And no, it was not planned, but fun when discovered. 

“Control what you can control.”

The Pan Asian Council (PAC) theme for the year is “Making an Impact” – can you share an example of how you plan to make an impact within PAC in 2024?

As a member of the Professional Development committee, I am looking to explore potential opportunities with organizations external to CDW and help bring the PAC community together.

What’s your ethnic background and aspects of your culture that are unique?

Both my parents are immigrants from Taiwan. I’ve been fortunate enough to travel back a few times with them and it’s always a very humbling experience. One of my favorite things to do in Taiwan is explore the night markets. The night markets are iconic and offer a ton of amazing street foods like beef noodle soup or boba.

What ways do you celebrate your heritage?

Lunar New Year is always the biggest one. Every Lunar New Year, my whole family comes over and we all eat hot pot together. My grandma will show up decked down in a fancy traditional new year dress and then handout red envelopes to the grandchildren. The red envelopes symbolize good luck and prosperity. Typically given by elders to younger family members as a gesture of respect.

Share a fun fact about yourself:

I am apart of a non-profit called TAF (Taiwanese-American Foundation). It’s an organization that focuses on developing impactful skills and empowering the Taiwanese-American community. I grew up attending this conference and it has made a huge impact on my life. Now, I go back to volunteer year after year to help create a sense of cultural pride and identity among the younger generations.

Personal Mantra or best personal advice you’ve ever received?

One of the best advice I’ve ever received is “Control what you can control." I actually learned this here at CDW but it’s something that applies outside of our jobs as well. Things don’t always go as planned but at the end of the day, you can always control your emotions.

 

–CDW Coworkers

Learn more about our Business Resource Groups like PAC.

 

 

In honor of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, we're excited to spotlight the personal experiences of coworkers, Sara Cooperkawa and Kenny Hsiao as members of our Pan Asian Council (PAC) Business Resource Group.

“Every day is a new opportunity to make a new
happy ending.”

The Pan Asian Council (PAC) theme for the year is “Making an Impact” – can you share an example of how you plan to make an impact within PAC in 2024?

This is my first time joining PAC as a committee member and I am excited to collaborate with my team to learn about and share all of the amazing cultures, experiences and traditions with everyone at CDW.

What’s your ethnic background and aspects of your culture that are unique?

Japanese American. My grandparents, teenagers at the time, were both sent to internment camps during WWII. At the time, my grandmother’s family owned an entire block in California, with a hotel, a grocery store, and a barber shop. They were told to only bring what they could carry. And even though they were born in the United States, it didn’t matter. They were forced to live in horse stalls with their families for years. Although this was a horrible occurrence, my grandparents would have never met (and I would have never existed!), had they not been interned. They met after settling in the same location after they were released from the camps. What I remember from my grandfather is that he was an American through and through. He fought in the 442nd Infantry Regiment, which was a fighting unit composed almost entirely of 2nd generation Japanese. He left the camps to fight for a country that put him in those camps. He would only buy American cars, he was so proud to be American. My grandmother has a saying, “shikata ga nai,” which translates to “it cannot be helped.” It’s a philosophy that emphasizes acceptance and letting go of things that are beyond our control. This helped her get through all of the tough times. 

Share a fun fact about yourself:

My last name, Cooperkawa is a combination of Cooper and Kurokawa (my maiden name). My five children and I are the only ones in the world (that I know of!) that have that surname. Also, my children’s names, Bryce, Mason, Grady, Casey and Dylan, spell out BMGCD. And if you are as old as I am, you will remember the company, BMG, that for a penny, would send you 12 CDs. Cool. BMGCD, an easy way to remember the age order of my kids. And no, it was not planned, but fun when discovered. 

“Control what you can control.”

The Pan Asian Council (PAC) theme for the year is “Making an Impact” – can you share an example of how you plan to make an impact within PAC in 2024?

As a member of the Professional Development committee, I am looking to explore potential opportunities with organizations external to CDW and help bring the PAC community together.

What’s your ethnic background and aspects of your culture that are unique?

Both my parents are immigrants from Taiwan. I’ve been fortunate enough to travel back a few times with them and it’s always a very humbling experience. One of my favorite things to do in Taiwan is explore the night markets. The night markets are iconic and offer a ton of amazing street foods like beef noodle soup or boba.

What ways do you celebrate your heritage?

Lunar New Year is always the biggest one. Every Lunar New Year, my whole family comes over and we all eat hot pot together. My grandma will show up decked down in a fancy traditional new year dress and then handout red envelopes to the grandchildren. The red envelopes symbolize good luck and prosperity. Typically given by elders to younger family members as a gesture of respect.

Share a fun fact about yourself:

I am apart of a non-profit called TAF (Taiwanese-American Foundation). It’s an organization that focuses on developing impactful skills and empowering the Taiwanese-American community. I grew up attending this conference and it has made a huge impact on my life. Now, I go back to volunteer year after year to help create a sense of cultural pride and identity among the younger generations.

Personal Mantra or best personal advice you’ve ever received?

One of the best advice I’ve ever received is “Control what you can control." I actually learned this here at CDW but it’s something that applies outside of our jobs as well. Things don’t always go as planned but at the end of the day, you can always control your emotions.

 

–CDW Coworkers

Learn more about our Business Resource Groups like PAC.

 

 

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