Scholar Profiles
We are proud to share our Scholars' stories of hard work, perseverance, and impact in the community!
Ike Solomon
2021 Cohort, University of Guam
In brief, I was able to overcome last year's financial challenges because of this scholarship. Living as a full-time student residing in the dorms with little leisure time can take a toll on anyone. However, I was privileged enough to not have financial issues in the back of my mind knowing that this scholarship helped tremendously.”
Edina Lee
2021 Cohort, University of Guam
"Prior to receiving this scholarship, there were many concerns that occupied my brain. Questions such as could I handle a Psychology minor with a work-study job on the side? or how will I take the summer and fall intercession (winter) classes if I can't pay for those classes? These worries blinded me with anxiety. I spent most of my time searching for alternative ways to earn some money on my own, which somewhat hindered my progress with schoolwork. Fortunately, I was graced with the opportunity to be accepted for the Coca-Cola Foundation First Generation AANAPISI Scholarship. This eased my worries and gave me time to consider what I can do for my future to continue my educational journey. I fulfilled my hopes to take fall intercession (winter) classes and successfully finished my spring and summer classes with satisfactory grades. With the extra time I had, I signed up for internship opportunities instead of worrying about what I needed to do to get enough funds for my future. There are still so many more courses to take and funds needed to be handled, but thanks to this scholarship, I was able to get a great head start to organize my mind and plan my path to success."
Alice Chen
2022 ELS Participant
“I learned about different ways I can utilize my cultural values and beliefs as strengths to grow as a leader. I was able to connect with other fellow Asian Americans who share similar experiences and/or different perspectives that made the workshops so enriching to learn from”
Khadija Helal
2022 ELS Participant
“I learned that it is my responsibility as an Asian American to stand my ground and live like I belong here, because I do and so does everyone else in this country. We shouldn't conform to the western cultures to feel like we belong”
Susan Thao
2022 ELS Participant
“I learned more about my own identity and my impact on society. Many of the fears and struggles with self-identity and self-love were taught in the sessions and with speakers identifying and relating with me, I feel a sense of belonging and acknowledgement. Each session greatly taught me to take a step back and relax as I learn to embrace myself”
Pranav Nathan
2021 Cohort, Georgia Institute of Technology
“My first year was an excellent year academically, personally, and professionally. Academically, I found myself quickly adapting to my college courses. I love how classes are structured at Georgia Tech, where professors focus more on explaining concepts and building intuitive understanding. As a result, I have performed well in my classes, scoring at the top of my classes and learning/enjoying the course content."“My first year was an excellent year academically, personally, and professionally. Academically, I found myself quickly adapting to my college courses. I love how classes are structured at Georgia Tech, where professors focus more on explaining concepts and building intuitive understanding. As a result, I have performed well in my classes, scoring at the top of my classes and learning/enjoying the course content. I started to get heavily involved in research at Georgia Tech. I started working on research projects related to propulsion and combustion science and got the chance to present my research at different research conferences throughout the year. Through the connections I made through my research, I was able to earn an internship for my fall semester at GE. I'm really excited to get some hands-on experience in industry and work on advanced technologies. One obstacle is my need to take a part-time job teaching during the school year in order to help pay for college expenses. It limited the time I had on the weekends and weekday nights for relaxing or working on homework. The APIA scholarship I received helped relieve some of the stress I had towards paying for the cost of college and made my year much more successful.”
Man Nguyen
2018 Cohort, Queens University of Charlotte
“2021-2022 marked my final year as an undergraduate at Queens University of Charlotte. The year was full of excitement, hope, as well as apprehension when I started to cumulate all the knowledge I had learned throughout my time at Queens, to put nursing skills and knowledge into real practice, and to begin job application. Despite the stress, I felt more confident in myself and my capacities during the last year in college."“2021-2022 marked my final year as an undergraduate at Queens University of Charlotte. The year was full of excitement, hope, as well as apprehension when I started to cumulate all the knowledge I had learned throughout my time at Queens, to put nursing skills and knowledge into real practice, and to begin job application. Despite the stress, I felt more confident in myself and my capacities during the last year in college. I recently graduated from Queens University of Charlotte in May with a Bachelor's of Science in Nursing. I passed my board licensure exam and will start working at the Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center in late August. I am always grateful to be a part of the APIA Scholars, and I could not be able to achieve my goal without the support from APIA. Thank you for the awards and your ongoing support for me throughout my college journey.”
Kamille Wedemeyer
2021 Cohort, Chaminade University of Honolulu
“Last school year I would say was kind of a struggle, but I would say it was because it was my first year in college. Adjusting was kind of difficult because it was a new school and I think in general I have a harder time making new friends. Luckily, I was able to make new friends and were able to support each other in our classes when needed."“Last school year I would say was kind of a struggle, but I would say it was because it was my first year in college. Adjusting was kind of difficult because it was a new school and I think in general I have a harder time making new friends. Luckily, I was able to make new friends and were able to support each other in our classes when needed. I think the most I struggled in was my chemistry class. I also had a more difficult time trying to stay motivated all the way to the end but I did push through. I think one of the opportunities that helped me was the is the mentor program that APIA Scholars provided. I think talking to someone really helped me get through school a bit easier. My mentor was able to make sure that I was able to finish strong. I hope to take some of their tips to the next school year of college.”
