Scholarship Lauds Diversity of High School Graduates in San Gabriel Valley

DIANA LI
News Editor

On Aug. 26, the 2013 Sam & Jackie Wong-Alhambra Source Scholarship recognized nine winners in a ceremony at the Mosaic Lizard Theater. Organized by two San Gabriel Valley real estate developers and the Alhambra Source, the scholarship was designed to help San Gabriel Valley students pursue higher education while reflecting on their ethnic heritage.

The scholarships’ applicants submitted a potpourri of experiences within their respective cultures from various countries, including Cambodia, China, Cuba, El Salvador, France, Mexico and Vietnam.

“The stories are amazing,” scholarship judge Linda Yamauchi said, according to Alhambra Source. “Some of the imagery is beautiful.”
Among the winners were AHS alumnae Shannon Ho, Yvonne Lee, Vanessa Solis and Valerie Cabral; all of the recipients were either high school graduates or college students.

“It was very inspiring to be surrounded by people my age who have the same shared experience of being either an immigrant or a child of immigrants,” first-place winner Shannon Ho said. “It’s nice to be able to celebrate and share something that usually isn’t talked about in day-to-day life, and I was very humbled and honored to be the presence of such strong people.”

Though accepting one’s cultural background may be difficult, time and experience are paramount to reaching an understanding.

“For so long I didn’t even realize that I was pushing away from what I perceived to be my culture,” second-place winner Yvonne Lee said. “I definitely think it’s something that you grow into and you start to appreciate all the weird things about your background and your family as you get older. As first generation Americans we always struggle with who our parents are and where we grew up and who we think we are, it’s awkward and it inevitably defines us. It’s how we choose to go about with that understanding that shapes our path.”

PHOTO courtesy of ALHAMBRA SOURCE