Chue Lao Vang and Ah Xiong Vang

Living Legacy Scholarship

One of the greatest regrets that Chue Lao Vang and Ah Xiong Vang had was that they never had the opportunity to attend school. They had no formal education. The first time they learned how to write their names was when they came to the United States.  

Their life experiences taught them to be hard working so you can provide for your family. When they fled their war-torn homeland of Laos and came to the United States, they did not speak a word of English and had never been formally educated. Once in the United States, Chue Lao and Ah could do the only thing they knew, which was work hard and provide for their children and family.    

As children, we saw how hard our parents (Chue Lao Vang and Ah Xiong Vang) worked to take care of their family. Our parents had to take on two to three jobs to get out of the welfare system and make ends meet. Through their hard work our parents were able to purchase their first used car and first home, but their dedication did not stop there, they continued to take care of us as best as they could. They believed strongly about academics and always was supportive when it came to school. Although they may have struggled to speak English, our parents have always made sure to be present at parent-teacher conferences even if it meant going through the hassle of finding an interpreter. They did not allow their lack of English to become a problem for their children’s future because they truly believed that education is the key to success and fulfillment.

We were taught by our parents that higher education meant more opportunities and the key to a better life. Although there were many of us, our parents gave each and everyone of us the same support and opportunities for a higher education. Our parents may not know how to help us with our schoolwork, prepare us for the ACT test, or complete our paperwork for school loans and college applications; but they made sure to give us emotional support throughout our schooling.  Throughout college they visited us and brought us food, they also made sure that we had safe transportation to college. They supported us the only way they knew how, which is through hard work, dedication, and love. This scholarship is in honor of Chue Lao Vang and Ah Xiong Vang, for all the sacrifices they made so their children can be successful and have better opportunities. 

This scholarship is presented by the Hmong American Education Fund.  The scholarship seeks to financially support one dedicated Hmong-American students in the pursuit of their higher educational goals.  The successful applicant will be awarded up to $2000.00 to the choice of his or her college or university.