In partnership with “Our Scholarship” to Support Southeast Asian Students
Two Student Panelists and their Moderator
The OSFA Advising and Outreach team is excited to work with a new community partner, Our Scholarship, in our efforts to support more Federal Pell Grant-eligible students in their journey to and through higher education. Our Scholarship is a non-profit organization based in Milwaukee that seeks to increase access to higher education for the Southeast Asian American (SEAA) communities in Wisconsin.
Southeast Asian American communities (e.g. Hmong, Cambodian, Vietnamese, Laotian, etc.) immigrated to the United States as refugees following the Vietnam War in the 1970s and because of that, lack the necessary resources to help them adjust and progress in the U.S. that other Asian communities, who migrate for economic or other opportunities, have. According to the 2020 Southeast Asian American Journeys: A National Snapshot of our Communities, there are over 2.5 million SEAA living in the United States and “1.1 million SEAA are low-income, including about 460,000 who live in poverty”. Additionally, this community is a relatively young and growing community that continues to face challenges to accessing and attaining equitable educational opportunities. The resources that Our Scholarship provides “will inspire and motivate students to pursue higher education and in turn, achieve their educational goals. Through giving, [they] will grow a strong, collaborative Southeast Asian community of role models and leaders that empowers all communities. Thus, creating a continuous cycle that nourishes and grows the community and moves it forward.”Back on a Saturday this past June, at the VENUE3 in Milwaukee, Pahouachua Thor attended their annual scholarship reception representing OSFA as a title sponsor. She gave a speech about OSFA’s goal to increase access and awareness of an affordable college education to students and shared her own experiences being a first-generation, Southeast Asian student who had to navigate college finances on her own. Pahouachua also provided information about FAFSA and our financial aid programs (i.e. Bucky’s Pell Pathway and Bucky’s Tuition Promise).
Pahouachua Thor (middle) with Our Scholarship members
This year the Our Scholarship committee was able to award scholarships to five students and broke their highest record yet by awarding a $2,000 scholarship to one of the recipients. All thanks to their generous donors! As each scholarship recipient gave their acceptance speech, they all shared the story of their own academic journey. These stories shined a light on their resilience overcoming academic challenges and how they are inspired to continue making a difference in their communities. These powerful narratives signify how important it is to continue supporting our Southeast Asian students’ academic pursuits to not only transform their lives, but empower their community overall.
