Each year, the Philippine Student Association hosts the largest Asian-American conference in the Midwest. FACT, which stands for Filipino-Americans Coming Together, unites Asian-American based groups to explore their culture and strengthen their community.

PSA, founded in 1919, is one of the oldest RSOs on campus and has been hosting FACT for 18 years.

The conference continues to grow in size each year, said Melorie Masacupan, PSA president and senior in LAS. It began very small, consisting of about 20 people, but this weekend it will host around 1,000 attendees.

The group’s mission involves educating Asian-American students on professional and educational development, as well as cultural awareness, and FACT helps them do just that, Masacupan said.

The conference will take place November 5th through 7th, beginning with Friday’s registration and opening ceremonies and ending with a variety show. Saturday will include a keynote speaker, three sessions of workshops, lunch and an open mic for delegates to perform.

“This is the biggest number we’ve gotten for preregistration. 955 people preregistered online and a couple more come the day of and sign up on site,” Masacupan said.

Students who missed the online registration can sign up on Friday anytime from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Asian American Cultural Center or Saturday at Gregory Hall from 8:30 a.m. to 11:45 a.m., before the workshops begin.

This year’s theme, “the Evolution of a Leader,” pulls from past themes as it touches on identity, passion, purpose and power. The workshops are split into “past”, “present” and “future.”

“I think ‘the Evolution of a Leader’ theme is universal,” said Allyson Andriatico, a senior in LAS.

The workshops geared toward representing the past range from the history of Filipino feminism to cultural dance, while the present workshops are more identity based. These include nursing and Filipino-American psychology workshops.

Future-focused workshops look to incorporate leadership development and include resume building, networking and more.

Sunday concludes the conference with a variety show. Some of the acts include features of modern and cultural dance and music acts with upcoming Filipino-American artists.

Overall, the conference looks to bring together the Asian-American community in the Midwest, while deepening the overall understanding of culture and realizing personal abilities.

“We’re empowering individuals to see what their full potential is, and at the same time learn more about their culture,” said Alex Roussos, a FACT coordinator and senior in LAS.

The conference’s focus on cultural development is only one of the reasons it is a valuable experience for attendees.. FACT gives groups from around the Midwest an opportunity to meet and network with each other.

“I’ve made so many friends because of FACT since my freshman year, and I’m still friends with them today,” Roussos said.