AAWC 2017 Scholars

Scholar Showcase

To view our list of past scholarship recipients, please visit * Our Past Scholars * page.

2017 Scholarship Winners

Keystone First Scholar: Sammantha Chiu

Sammantha Chiu

As the daughter of immigrant parents, Sammantha at an early age, was the go-to person for her family in all aspects of everyday life. This responsibility contributed to her maturity and gave her an appreciation for caring for others . At Archbishop Ryan High School, she excelled not only in academics, but also in extracurricular activities. In addition to her part-time job, she volunteers in the community, specifically at the Community Service Corps and Jefferson Hospital. She is a member of the National Honor Society, National English Honor Society, and the National Social Studies Honor Society. – Sammantha is the valedictorian of her graduating class, and has been accepted into the Nursing program at Villanova University. She looks forward to becoming a Pediatric Nurse practitioner.

Cecilia Moy Yep Scholar: Helen Ly

Helen credits her parents, who escaped Cambodia under the rule of the Khmer Rouge, for the privilege of living in a free country and the chance of a formal education. She is an honors student at the Academy at Palumbo, and has received many awards, including from the Future Business Leaders of America. She is a member of the Stock Market Club, and volunteers at the Franklin Institute and the Whitman Library. She recently finished the Philadelphia Marathon. She appreciates the experience of attending the Chinatown Learning Center and Holy Redeemer School at a young age as this has helped strengthen her foundation for learning. Helen aspires to have a career in government and law, and hopes to preserve Chinatown as “a gem in Philadelphia.” She will be majoring in Economics at the University of Pennsylvania.

Helen Ly

Xinmeng Wang

Peco Scholar: Xinmeng Wang

Xinmeng migrated from China just three and a half years ago. She had very little English knowledge when she arrived, and as a result, did poorly in school. But her persevering attitude paid off - today, she is a member of the National Honor Society and is consistently in Honors and Advanced classes at the Northeast High School. She is also providing tutoring in ESL and other Chinese and English classes. Xinmeng has volunteered as an intern at the office of State Representative Jared Solomon, where she assisted in efforts to reach out to the Chinese constituents in the 202nd District in the Lower Northeast. Her experience as an intern has motivated her to continue helping other immigrants. She will begin her college life at Drexel University in the Fall majoring in Business and Engineering.

Powell Family Foundation Scholar: Ngan Tran

Ngan was born in Vietnam and joined her family who had left earlier for the United States. Despite initial language and cultural obstacles, she has maintained a +4 average, high grades in Advanced Placement classes, and awarded First Honors during her entire high school years. She greatly values her membership in VietLead, a community organization serving and empowering the Southeast Asian community in Philadelphia. The VietLead Youth Projects Director recognized Ngan’s growth from a shy volunteer to an exceptional young leader citing Ngan’s testimony before the Philadelphia City Council on the importance of accessible land to the mental and physical well-being of communities of color in the city. Ngan plans to help create a community garden to provide refugees a support system and represent their resilience and unique identity. After graduating from Academy at Palumbo, Ngan will be attending Lehigh University.

Ngan Tran

PNC Scholar: Than Than Nain

Than Than Nain

As members of the Karen (Kariang) ethnic group in Burma, Than Than's family had to flee persecution and settle in a Thai refugee camp where she was born. Life was harsh in the refugee camp, with little food or money for education, but her family was soon able to migrate to the United States in 2009. Despite her responsibilities at home, Than Than managed to achieve good grades and consistently in the honors roll at Furness High School. She also participated in many volunteer activities, including serving as interpreter at Jefferson Hospital for the Karen people. Her volunteer experiences made her appreciate the opportunity to help others especially the Karen community. She will be the first in her family to attend college, and will be studying Nursing at Millersville University.