Lisa Masai was a trailblazing participant in the first ever Nikkei Community Internship (NCI) class in 2002. Though she had little idea what she had signed up for, she enthusiastically took on the very challenging role of serving as a supervisor for JCYC’s annual Tomodachi Summer Program. In this role, Lisa assumed responsibility for managing a team of youth counselors and helped to oversee the care for a group of elementary school aged children for 9 weeks. Through Lisa’s experience that summer, she was able to see the triumphs and challenges of working for a non-profit organization. She saw the remarkable passion and dedication of the employees and volunteers, which she found refreshing and empowering. In addition to her service to JCYC, through the NCI program, Lisa and her class of interns were given the opportunity to sit down and speak with community leaders from various professions. It became apparent to Lisa that whether it be through the practice of law, business, historical documentation, or the provision of social services, that there are a variety of ways to advocate and contribute to the Japanese American community. After the NCI program, Lisa went on to serve as an officer for the University of California Berkeley’s Nikkei Student Union (NSU). She relied on the support and connections she made through NCI to organize NSU's first Culture Night, and to provide various volunteer opportunities for NSU members throughout the school year. In 2005, Lisa and fellow NCI alumni also helped to develop the Youth Track curriculum for the 2005 California Conference on the Internment of Japanese Americans. While in college, Lisa maintained connections with many of the organizations that she was introduced to through the NCI program. She volunteered with the organization formally known as the Japanese American Services of the East Bay (now J-SEI) where she developed an interest in working with seniors. Lisa went on to earn a graduate degree in nursing and is now a Nurse Practitioner for the VA Palo Alto Health Care System. She travels to homeless shelters, colleges, VFWs, American Legions, and libraries to provide medical services and enrollment assistance to veterans. Lisa is also a wife and mom. Lisa has come full circle and is now a member of JCYC’s 50th Anniversary Community Committee. She is looking forward to connecting with many alums of NCI in 2020 and celebrating JCYC’s 50 years of service to the children and youth of San Francisco.