Scholarship & Awards Banquet
Page 10 n THE ASIAN REPORTER
Exemplary Community Volunteers
May 19, 2014
AR Foundation Scholars
IRCO Asian Family Center
The IRCO Asian Family Center (AFC) was established in 1994 by the Immigrant and
Refugee Community Organization (IRCO) to provide multilingual and multicultural
community-based services. The nonprofit center serves more than 5,200 individuals and
families each year in our area’s diverse Asian communities — Bhutanese, Burmese,
Cambodian, Chinese, Korean, Filipino, Lao, Mien, Nepali, Pacific Islander, Thai, and
Vietnamese — as well as
the
mainstream
population. In the past
year, AFC has worked on
many projects impacting
the Asian community,
including the Diversity and
Civic
Leadership
program’s “Engage” civic
engagement survey, which
helped Asian and Pacific
Islander (API) community
leaders collect, analyze,
and report data to city and government officials; the Asian Pacific Islander Community
Leadership Institute, a program that builds leadership skills and addresses racial
disparities facing API communities; and the Cover Oregon Outreach and Enrollment
program, which assists APIs in accessing health insurance. In addition, AFC has several
ongoing outreach programs, including afterschool programming that supports
school-age students’ academic achievement; programs that assist families in preparing
children younger than five years old for school; anti-poverty programs that help families
stay in their homes and keep their utilities on; and more. To learn more, visit
<www.irco.org>.
w
Northwest China Council
The Northwest China Council (NWCC) was established by the Asia Society of New
York in 1980 as one of 12 Regional Councils to help educate the American public about
Chinese history, culture, politics, and U.S.-China relations. The organization, which is
currently made up of 250 members of both Chinese and non-Chinese ethnicities, is also a
regional resource providing
educational
programs,
information services, and foreign
trade expertise in Oregon and
southwest Washington. In the
past year, NWCC held a two-part
program
addressing
the
U.S.-China relationship and
China’s food safety risks; a talk
by Mel Gurtov, professor
emeritus of Portland State
University, on the future of
U.S.-China relations; monthly business presentations and regular business networking
mixers; and monthly movie nights and book club meetings. The group also offers ongoing
Mandarin language instruction classes, cultural and educational presentations and
activities, and programs on current events in China. Additionally, the organization leads
cultural and business tours to China and sponsors various China-related events with
other organizations in the area. To learn more, visit <www.nwchina.org>.
AR Photos/Jan Landis
Nomination forms for the 2015 awards will be available
January 1, 2015 and will cover volunteer efforts performed between
April 1, 2014 and March 31, 2015. For more information,
visit <www.ARFoundation.net> or <www.asianreporter.com>.
o
PACCO awards four $500 scholarships
The Philippine American Chamber of
Commerce of Oregon (PACCO) also
awarded scholarships at this year’s Asian
Reporter Foundation Scholarship &
Awards Banquet.
PACCO, now in its 11th year of giving
awards, issued four scholarships. This
year’s students each received a $500
scholarship and complimentary tickets to
the banquet. The 2014 recipients are
Samantha Janel David, Kiara Mina,
Cassidy Morillo, and Jenin Blair L. Reyes.
High school seniors or current college
students of Filipino descent who are legal
residents of Oregon or southwest
Washington are eligible to apply for
PACCO scholarships. Awards must be
utilized at an accredited two- or four-year
college, university, or vocational/technical
school in Oregon or Washington.
To learn more, call (503) 285-1994 or
visit <www.pacco.org>.
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2014 Asian Reporter Foundation Scholars (left to right): Yun Kuan, Phoebe Huynh, Vy Le, Jessica Trinh, Thuy-an
Nguyen, Lily Chen, Ayush Kumar, Tan Dai, and Emily Nguyen. (AR Photos)
Yun Kuan
$1,000 sponsored by the Oregon Lottery
Yun Kuan, a senior at Tualatin High
School, is the daughter of Care Kuan and
Hsiu-Hsiang Kuo. She volunteers as an
academic tutor and also as a teacher’s
assistant in dance at the Portland Chinese
School. Her extracurricular activities
include studying Mandarin and learning
Taiwanese culture, playing piano and
volleyball,
serving
as
a
student
ambassador, and participating in Future
Business Leaders of America and Key
Club. In the fall, Yun plans to pursue a
degree in marketing at Portland State
University.
w
Phoebe Huynh
$1,000 sponsored by the Oregon Lottery
Madison High School senior Phoebe
Huynh is the daughter of Toan Huynh and
Hanh Do. She serves as an academic
mentor at Lavang Language School and
Freshman Academy and tutors as part of
National Honor Society. In addition,
Phoebe
volunteers
for
Providence
Portland Medical Center and other
organizations. She is a member of the Red
Cross Club, Key Club, and co-leads the
Providence
Rebels
anti-smoking
campaign. She plans to study chemistry
and biology at Portland State University.
w
Vy Le
$1,000 sponsored by Comcast
Vy Le, the daughter of Nhy Le and Van
Nguyen, is a senior at Madison High
School. She served as student ambassador
at the 2013 Asian American Youth Leader-
ship Conference and has volunteered as a
teacher assistant at Lavang Language
School, an Upward Bound tutor, and a
school office aid translating Vietnamese.
Vy is founder and president of the Madison
Interact Club and a member of the
Madison Viet Group and Red Cross Club.
She plans to major in biochemistry at the
University of Portland.
w
Jessica Trinh
$1,000 sponsored by FamilyCare, Inc
De La Salle North Catholic High School
senior Jessica Trinh is the daughter of
Thomas Trinh. She works as a marketing
intern at Grand & Benedicts and as a
server at Panda Express. She volunteers
as a youth leader at Camp Odyssey and as
an outdoor school counsellor. Jessica is a
member of Heritage Club, Drama Club,
and Constitution Club, and helped
organize the first Asian/Pacific Islander
Heritage Month celebration at De La Salle
North. She plans to major in biology at
Pacific University.
w
Thuy-an Nguyen
$1,000 sponsored by Fred Meyer
Thuy-an Nguyen, the daughter of Tung
Nguyen and Thu Pham, is a senior at
Madison High School. She works at City
Target and volunteers for the Oregon Food
Bank, The Grotto, and the Madison
Naturescape Cleanup. She is a member
and co-captain of the golf team and has
also performed in the Lunar New Year
celebration. In the fall, Thuy-an plans to
study marketing and finance at the
University of Oregon.
w
Lily Chen
$1,000 sponsored by
Kaiser Permanente Northwest
Franklin High School senior Lily Chen
is the daughter of Qing Yi Chen and Sally
Lei. She has worked for the Neighborhood
Learning
Center
and
Gear
Up,
volunteered for the Multnomah County
Library summer reading program, and
participated in the Multnomah County
Library Teen Council, Link Crew, and Red
Cross Club. In addition, she plays on the
tennis team, attends Chinese language
school, served as president and secretary
of the Chinese Club, and is a member of the
Vietnamese Club and the Advanced
Scholar Program. Lily plans to study
pre-medicine at Oregon State University.
w
Ayush Kumar
$1,000 sponsored by Multnomah County
Ayush Kumar, a senior at Oregon City
High School, is the son of Jai and Asha
Kumar. He donates his time serving as a
social science tutor at his school and
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