Tea Club brews connections across campus

Kayleen Tran grew up watching her parents drink tea, and her job at a boba shop in high school showed her how the beverage can foster community.

Tran, ‘26, joined Lehigh’s Tea Club her first semester, and when the club put out a call for executive board applications, she knew she wanted to get involved. 

She said she applied for the secretary position, but when the board decided to disband the next year, she became the president instead. 

Only two of the other members remained, so she staffed the rest of the board with friends willing to help. She had never led a college club before and said there was a steep learning curve, but she grew her leadership skills through the position. 

“I had to learn a lot throughout the way,” Tran said. “I’m grateful for the opportunity because I feel like this is a club that has become a great part of my experience here.” 

At first, the club’s events didn’t have much participation, and she said they only attracted people who were already friends with executive board members or had a passion for tea. 

The club has since expanded its membership. Tran said the club has found success through effective marketing and shifting from many smaller events to fewer, bigger ones.  

Evan Qi, ‘26, is a member of the Tea Club executive board and said he believes the club’s ability to expose people to new things is what makes it special.

Each month, the club holds an event where students can try various kinds of tea and participate in a tea-themed activity. Many of these events also educate students about the cultural significance of the teas they sample. 

Beyond enjoying a drink with others, Tran said the club has become a way to connect and build community. 

She said her main mission is to bridge gaps between people who are in different classes and areas of study with a common interest. 

“What I like seeing a lot is people that don’t know each other get to talk and intermingle and learn about each other just because they came to an event about tea,” Tran said. “I’ve slowly realized that I see different faces now coming, which I really love.”

The Tea Club’s executive board poses for a group photo at an event Sept. 27 in HST 101. The board hosted the event to give students the opportunity to relax with tea and connect with others. (Courtesy of Tyler Lewis)

The club is always trying to increase its diversity and appeal to new groups on campus, and Tran said anyone with an interest in the beverage is welcome at their events 

While tea is rooted in Asian culture, Tran said she doesn’t want people to think it’s a cultural club. 

“Another thing that we hope to share within our club, besides community, is awareness of how tea connects to different cultures and different places,” Tran said. “We do try to intertwine different cultures with tea.”

Past events have featured chai, matcha and Hong Kong teas, and the club has collaborated on events with cultural clubs. 

Tran said watching members enjoy themselves at club events has been a fulfilling experience, and she credits her other executive board members for being part of the reason these gatherings are successful. 

Qi uses his marketing skills as one of the club’s events coordinators. Part of his job is coming up with ideas for events, along with securing a location for events and ensuring there will be enough food and drinks. He said the versatility and popularity of tea allows the club to offer new experiences for members.

He said it’s rewarding to see new faces at each event and watch people enjoy something they’ve never tried.  

“Trying new things and meeting new people, that’s what we’re so big on,” Qi said. “Anyone can bond over (tea).”

One student who has taken part in these new experiences is Jomarck Moreno, ‘25. 

He said he goes to the club expo at the beginning of every semester to visit friends and discover new clubs, and he joined the Tea Club this fall. 

“I was exploring through all the clubs that were there, and the Tea Club was one of them,” Moreno said. “I was interested in it because I’m a tea enjoyer myself.”

He said early in his college career, he was scared to be in unfamiliar social settings, but as a senior, he now seeks out new experiences and enjoys joining new clubs. 

Moreno said he’s become more familiar with other members since attending Tea Club events this semester. The club, he said, has built a strong community among its members and he has made many new connections through it. 

“I talked to quite a bit of people there,” Moreno said. “I would say it does bring us into a community.”