SEA CLEAR History

The Southeast Asian Campus Learning Education and Retention (SEA CLEAR) project at UCLA was established in 1998 by the Vietnamese Student Union (VSU) to represent Southeast Asian students and to educate them about Southeast Asian community issues.

SEA CLEAR is a part of the great tradition of student-initiated, student-funded, and student-run projects. In 1998, VSU created SEA CLEAR to serve the needs of the historically under-represented Southeast Asian community. During its modest beginnings, SEA CLEAR started off with just Peer Counseling. Currently, SEA CLEAR consists of five components: Peer Counseling, Mentorship, Internship, Wellness, and Transfer.

Why the Lighthouse?

Catering our services to Southeast Asian (SEA) students, SEA CLEAR recognizes the shared historical narrative that many of our SEA students have. As a result of the political tensions in many SEA countries during the 20th century, the SEA diaspora consisted of waves of mass migration to other countries. Boat travel was one of the most common methods used to travel to a new country and was filled with high risk of being lost at sea.

The lighthouse symbolizes an entity that can light the way for those lost at sea and guide them towards safer shores. The sentiment of guiding the way for others is one that SEA CLEAR embodies. Our staff members and services are here to help students navigate their way through the higher education system.