2005 NYCLR Recipients
 Peter Van Do
Massachusetts
Peter Van Do has earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from the University of Maryland , College Park , and is currently pursuing a Master of Arts degree in American Studies from the University of Massachusetts , Boston . He is currently Chair of the Pacific Asian American Students/Studies in Graduate Education, and serves as a Reference Graduate Assistant in the Healey Library at his university. Selected as one of the "Top 50 Recognized Student Leaders" at the University of Massachusetts . Peter has received numerous research grants as well as a fellowship with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration from 2002-2003. During his undergraduate years he presented talks on hate crimes at the Vanderbilt University , Duke University, and Oberlin College .
 Huong Huynh
Virginia
A senior at the University of Virginia , Huong Huynh is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology in the Distinguished Majors Program. She is currently employed by Washington Asia Press as a contributor, investigating and reporting news events not normally accounted for in major press lines. In 2003, as Co-Chair for the East Coast Asian American Students Union 2004 Conference, Huong fundraised and coordinated the annual Asian American collegiate conference which had more than 800 attendees and a budget of more than $72,000. Huong also serves as Alumni Relations Chair for the Class of 2005 Trustees. Among a number of honors that Huong received is the University Achievement Award in which the University of Virginia covers her full tuition for all four years of her attendance. Other honors include the Genesis Society Student Leader Recognition Award in 2003 and the Lantern Society Student Leader Recognition Award in 2004.
 Yen Le
Maryland
Yen Le is currently working at the Maryland Vietnamese Mutual Association. There, she is a project coordinator/Dấn Thân Fellow, helping to assess the needs of Montgomery County’s Vietnamese population. She assists in grant writing and provides direct services to Vietnamese people. In the past, she has worked with the Service Organizations of Smith (S.O.S), helping to recruit over 600 volunteers and working in urban communities by offering tutoring services.
Yen’s research expertise includes Vietnamese people’s perception of their society in comparison to U.S. sentiments, the advantages and disadvantages of Botswana and Taiwan’s government-led economies, and Afghanistan’s refugee situation. She is fluent in Vietnamese, has some background in Swahili and Spanish and is currently learning Mandarin.
Yen attended Smith College, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Government and has taken classes at the Muskie Graduate School of Public Service,
focusing on public policy and management.
 Kim Nguyen
Texas
Kim Nguyen
has been working in the accounting industry for many years. She has worked as an accounting clerk, assisting accountants with preparing federal and state income tax returns for individual clients and corporations.
She has also been a long time volunteer within the Vietnamese community.
She has helped put on Vietnamese cultural celebrations for the city of Houston and has served as a volunteer for leadership development and youth related projects for Texas’ residents.
Currently working as a Dấn Thân fellow at the Vietnamese Culture and Science Association (VCSA) in Houston, TX, Kim coordinates and leads an after school program that assist middle school and high school students with their homework as well as teach them the Vietnamese language. With her charisma and genuine personality, Kim was able to recruit more than 10 volunteers within her community to help run the after school program. As a mother of 2 young children, Kim understands how important it is to create a safe and educational environment for the youth. She hopes to be able to make a difference in these young lives and in turn for her children in the future.
 Mila Ngoc Nguyen
Pennsylvania
Mila aspires to give back to her community because the community has played an important and supportive role during the first few years of her family's arrival to America in 1975. Therefore, as a senior at the University of Pittsburgh , she is pursuing a degree in Public Service and Non-Profit Management. She is currently employed at the Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council as a program coordinator for the Literacy Americorps Pittsburgh. Her responsibilities include ensuring that the program operates within federal grant guidelines, the development of 23-30 Americorps members as well as holding members accountable to service and other program related duties.
She is an active member of the Board of Directors of Pittsburgh Cares, and was a mentor to an eight year old child through the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. In 2004, she received the Guyasuta Fellowship, given by City Councilman William Peduto to study government consolidation.
 Thu-Thao Nguyen
Massachusetts
Thu-Thao’s professional working career began with an internship at a city council member’s office; her job was to respond to constituent matters and contact governmental agencies to help solve constituent problems. She has also worked as an interpreter, interpreting both English and Vietnamese for unemployment compensation hearings. Currently, she is working as a caseworker with the Lancaster County Assistance Office. Her responsibility is to determine eligibility for cash assistance, food stamp benefits and medical assistance for possible clients.
Thu-Thao Nguyen is currently dedicating her time as a Dấn Thân fellow at Springfield Vietnamese American Civil Association in Springfield, MA. With a strong interest in youth development, Thu-Thao organized an after school program for elementary to high school Vietnamese immigrant students. She seeks to fill the gap between the two different cultures, Vietnamese & American, for her students and assist them integrate successfully into the American culture while retaining their Vietnamese heritage.
Thu-Thao earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Politics and Philosophy and a certificate in Asian Studies from the University of Pittsburgh. Besides studying in the States, she also gained an international experience by studying abroad in Beijing, at the University of Beijing. While in Beijing, she studied contemporary Chinese politics, society and economy.
 Tram Anh Nguyen
Washington State
Tram Anh is currently pursuing a Masters of Business Administration Degree at the Seattle University as well as a member of NAVASA Dấn Thân fellowship program. Placed at the Vietnamese Friendship Association in Seattle, WA, Anh’s goals at the organization is to help Vietnamese high school and middle school students develop leadership skills, community knowledge, and cultural appreciation to succeed in school as well as in life. In addition, Anh is also dedicated to assist Vietnamese low-income seniors access benefits programs as well as provide cultural and social support so that they have a healthy life in the United States.
Tram Anh earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering with a concentration in Digital Systems from the University of Washington. She will soon complete a Masters of Business Administration degree with a concentration in Accounting from Seattle University.
 Thanh Pham
California
A passionate advocate for at-risk youth, Thanh Pham is a senior currently attending San Francisco State University , pursuing a degree in Asian American Studies, with a minor in Economics. He is currently employed by Pathways to Change as a Case Manager, providing intensive case management for juvenile repeat offenders in Oakland, CA. He also helps these troubled youth develop life skills through workshops and one-on-one counseling. Prior to that Thanh was a Case Manager at the East Bay Asian Youth Center where he provided high school youth with counseling, academic advising and parent/family support. Recently, he has volunteered as a precinct captain for a local campaign for Oakland city council, specifically reaching out to the Vietnamese constituency.
 Quang Tue Tran
Massachusetts
Recipient of the Gates Millennium Scholarship and the Stride Rite Public Service Scholarship, Quang Tran is a senior at Harvard College , pursuing a degree in Social Studies. She is currently employed by Radcliffe Research Partnership as a research assistant, researching children's rights in the U.S. education system and pertinent laws. Previously in 2003, Quang was the Co-Director for the Boston Refugee Youth Enrichment Teen Leadership Development where she compiled and implemented a 20-week leadership development curriculum for immigrant youth. She also recruited and trained volunteers and coordinated a flower sale that raised $10,000 for program operation costs. Since 2001, Quang has been the Co-President of the Harvard Vietnamese Association at her school where she oversees all aspects of coordinating service projects, film screenings, cultural performances and workshops related to Vietnamese culture and society.
 Khoi D. Vo
Florida
Khoi D. Vo has had an extensive career in community development, through working with different groups of people. He has worked with The Key Program, a non-profit group whose mission is to help troubled youth and their families. While at The Key Program, he developed treatment plans and provided group therapy, as well as serving as a key role model to program participants.
Khoi has also gained legal experience through his work with Massachusetts’ Springfield District Court. While there, he served a probation internship, working with defendants and probationers conducting interviews and reviewing case files to ensure compliance with court orders. He has also worked with the Springfield American Civil Association, helping low income clients with their tax forms, as well as heading programs such as the “Free Lunch Program,” implemented by the association.
During Khoi’s undergraduate career, he was the Principal Founder of his school’s chapter of Lambda Phi Epsilon National Fraternity. Khoi attended the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology and Criminal Justice.
Khoi Vo is currently working as a Dấn Thân fellow at the Vietnam’s Hue
Association of Central Florida in Orlando, FL. Khoi’s work at Vietnam’s Hue Association of Central Florida includes assisting Vietnamese immigrants and refugees achieve greater economic security through homeownership and increased equity, facilitating community access to public benefits programs, providing Vietnamese translation and interpretation, and generating financial resource for the organization.
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