All posts tagged: Ketmani Kouanchao

Lao American students: check out these scholarships

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Dr. Ketmani Kouanchao wants to remind everyone that deadlines are fast approaching for scholarships. It’s never too young to start building a philanthropic mindset of generosity and compassion. For Lao American students, I would even note that these values are firmly embedded in our culture. But Lao American families and communities need to do more to give our students a chance to practice that sense and joy of service meaningfully. They need opportunities to build confidence and networks of friends and allies now who will be a big part of their journey in the years to come. Read the full article: http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/blog/kkouanchao/getting-ready-and-rising-asian-american-scholarships

Guest Post: Going Back, Paying it Forward

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Recently, Miss Minnesota USA 2012, Nitaya Panemalaythong, was invited by the U.S. Embassy in Laos to “help promote business, charitable, and cultural ties between Laos and the U.S.” She’s running a fundraising campaign at http://www.gofundme.com/hok38 in preparation for her trip, which will be the first time she has ever gone to Laos. I remember my first time to Southeast Asia. I felt so many emotions, one of which was excitement and the others were somewhat bittersweet. I was going there to study abroad with a program called SPAN (Student Project for Amity among Nations) at the University of Minnesota when I was a senior in college.  My project was on Child Prostitution and the Prevalence of AIDS. I can still see myself riding the ferry, this lonely, one Lao-American girl crossing the Mekong River with her backpack and luggage, and a gift for my aunt who I hadn’t seen since leaving in the 1970s. The trip was only 10 minutes, but it felt like ages on the water. It was a quiet, almost lonely “homecoming.” When I …