Andy Tao Receives 2025 Scholarly Excellence in Equity and Diversity (SEED) Award

Andy Tao, a senior majoring in political science, has always been motivated to make the world a better place. "Political science matters to me," he said, "because we get to relearn history, recognize patterns, recognize injustice, and then propose ways to mitigate, heal, and prevent damage."

As the University of Minnesota does not have a specific pre-law track, Andy chose political science since it was the closest program to that. He enjoys, nonetheless, that the political science major has allowed him to double minor in business law and sociology of law, criminology, and justice. Having the opportunity to study various disciplines helps Andy feel like he's "getting the most out of [his] education."

Pursuing Community Engagement

During his three and a half years at the University of Minnesota, Andy has been involved in a variety of student organizations and campus offices. The opportunities he is primarily recognized for are working with the Multicultural Center for Academic Excellence (MCAE) and the Vietnamese Student Association of Minnesota (VSAM). He has also danced with Choreos UMN and K-MOVE. Andy currently has three job on-campus: Community Advisor in the residence halls, a student employee for MCAE, and the Lead Intern for the First-Gen Student Success Center in Appleby Hall. Previously, he worked as a Teaching Assistant for the Dr. Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Program for two years.

In working closely with MCAE for the last three years, Andy had the opportunity to serve as a student leader in planning MCAE Kickoff, an annual event similar to the University-wide Welcome Week for incoming students, which prioritizes the needs for BIPOC first-year and transfer students, to help them transition into college. With the First-Gen Student Success Center, Andy oversees events and programming that allow first-generation college students to be equipped with the tools they need to be successful in their academic, career, financial, and social wellbeing.

Through his involvement with campus student organizations, Andy "collaborated with fellow amazing people to foster meaningful dialogue, safe spaces, and communities for anyone regardless of background to come and enjoy Asian, Vietnamese, and other marginalized identity-based [and] -related events. These events were cultural," he reflected. "They were relatable due to shared experience and offered a space for people to come and create community."

Recognized for Excellent Work

In recognition of his exemplary work, Andy was recently awarded the 2025 Scholarly Excellence in Equity and Diversity (SEED) Award. The SEED Awards honor undergraduate, graduate, and professional students for their outstanding work advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion while at the University of Minnesota and in the community. Andy also received this award in 2024.

Andy is motivated in his work to advance equity, diversity, and inclusion by his desire to "uplift underrepresented demographics, break stereotypes, break open doors, create space and spotlight for people that look like me and share similar stories [or] identities."

Through all he does, he has learned that he's really good at this work and wants to continue to be a voice for those that may not be ready to speak up. "There's still so much left to do," he said. "I want more, I need more, we need more."

By Sophia Paschke, communications associate.