Ashley Tjhung has dedicated her University of Michigan career to raising the voices of students of color across campus.
The public policy major from Rochester, Michigan, recently served as the managing editor of Michigan in Color, The Michigan Daily’s section that is created by and for students of color. In her role, she helped edit content, increase the section’s full-time staff, and expand section content to include editorials, feature stories and a pop-culture blog.
This year, Tjhung received a Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Spirit Award for her efforts.
Tjhung said Michigan in Color has given her the opportunity to learn how to be a good editor, writer and leader, as well as how to work with different groups of people with differing viewpoints or goals.
She said Michigan in Color plays a critical role on a campus where students can be siloed into smaller groups based on factors like their schools, interests and identities.
“Michigan in Color provides that platform that allows students of color to really amplify their voices across campus to reach people that they would not be able to reach otherwise,” she said.
Along with leading Michigan in Color, Tjhung served several campus organizations during her time at U-M, including as a peer adviser for community service for the Michigan Community Scholars Program, and as a program assistant for the Program on Intergroup Relations.
Tjhung said her future goals include receiving master’s degrees in public policy and business administration, as well as advocating on behalf of women of color through a nonprofit or advocacy organization.
“I think especially in women’s empowerment spaces — the institutional ones — there is a gap in resources and advocacy for women of color,” Tjhung said. “They tend to focus a lot on the needs of white women. While we’re seeing more intersectionality and more coalitions between different groups, I think it can be much improved.”
