The idea of Baon stemmed from the simple joy of sharing food– of sharing parts of who we are. 

Let us take you back. The handmade lunch for school, the hodgepodge of leftovers taken home from the party, the sandwiches packed before going on that road trip with friends. The “lunchbox moment”. For these brief instances in time, your baon was front and center. It may have even been an extension OF you –your family, your memories. Were you proud of your baon? Ashamed?

In this one-day professional conference, SIFA and UniPro will divide you into your own ‘pamilya’ and guide you on discussion based workshops about what it means to be a Filipino-American, and how finding the commonalities in our past can lead us to understanding where we belong in the future. So, get fed!

Conference: Rudder Tower
401 Joe Routt Blvd, College Station, TX

8:30 AM - 9:30 AM - Registration / Morning Networking
9:30 AM - 9:50 AM - Opening Remarks / School Shoutouts
9:50 AM - 10:00 AM - Opening Keynote
10:10 AM - 10:30 AM - Break / Transit to Workshop
10:30 AM - 11:30 AM - Workshop Session 1
11:30 AM - 12:40 PM - Lunch (On your own)
12:50 PM - 1:50 PM - Workshop Session 2
1:50 PM - 2:00 PM - Transit to Workshop
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM - Workshop Session 3
3:00 PM - 3:10 PM - Transit to Main Hall
3:10 PM - 3:20 PM - Closing Keynote
3:20 PM - 3:50 PM - Closing Remarks / Announcements

Gala: Best Western Premier
1920 AUSTIN’S COLONY PARKWAY, Bryan TX

6:30 PM - 7:00 PM - Check-in
7:00 PM - 7:20 PM - Announcements & Awards
7:00 PM - 10:00 PM - Gala

Conference Location

Gala Location

Jessica Petalio

Speaker Bio: Jessica Petalio is a Ph.D. student at the University of Alaska Anchorage’s (UAA) Clinical-Community Psychology program emphasizing in indigenous, cultural, and rural psychology. She began her research on microaggressions during her undergraduate at San Francisco State University (SFSU). At SFSU, she began her journey as an organizer for SFSU’s rich network of Filipin@ American organizing and served as an educator for Pin@y Educational Partnerships. She has since continued her journey to Alaska, where she is the co-founder and advisor of Alaskeros Kasamahan, the only Filipino American student organization at UAA. As a doctoral student, Jessica has expanded her research and currently works with her graduate mentor, Dr. EJR David, to understand the relationship between Ethnic Identity and mental health. She hopes to use her experiences as a researcher, educator, activist, and organizer to create clinical and educational interventions that are culturally relevant and responsive for disenfranchised communities.

Beatrice Tesorero

Speaker Bio: Beatrice Tesorero is a San Francisco based High School English teacher specializing in college preparatory expository writing. Credentialed at Saint Mary’s College, she continues as a Master’s student whose work examines and challenges current conventions around the Asian American literary canon. A graduate of San Francisco State University, she was previously entrenched in the campus' rich history of student organizing. As an educator committed to creating equitable learning spaces rooted in social justice pedagogy, she cites her involvement with Pin@y Educational Partnerships as the space in which she laid the groundwork of her pedagogy.

Jeremy Keith Villaluz

Speaker Bio:Jeremy Keith Villaluz is an artist currently working on themes of migration and landscape through contemporary art and photography. An experienced educator, currently teaching at San Francisco State University and Skyline College, his recent work deals with the paradox of immigrant imaginaries amidst suburban development and resegregation.

His current project, Enclave, deals with his hometown of Daly City—a suburban town neighboring San Francisco that is also home to one of the densest populations of Filipinos outside of the Philippines. With the rapid socioeconomic and infrastructural shift the San Francisco Bay Area is experiencing, Enclave places Villaluz’ experiences in this established immigrant community at center and investigates the slippage of the socio-political legacies, relentless gentrification, and intergenerational families experiencing multiple notions of time, delay, and success.