A few things about us:

I am honored to be part of the Board Members of Givers of Dreams Organization (GODO). I’ve joined the GODO team because I wish to extend services to impoverished children in Southeast Asia, so they can obtain a well-deserved education. It is my intention that the children will overcome hardships and pursue their dreams. Like the name itself, I want to be one of the Givers of Dreams. Four years ago, I was inspired when I heard of Her Vang’s amazing journey to attend school in America; and how he started the Dreams Givers Project in Luang Prabang, Laos. In 2019, the summer school—Hmong Karen Youth Pride (HKYP) at my school, did a penny drive to fundraise for a laptop for the Dreams Givers. I called it Pennies4DreamsGivers. Within days, the students’ pennies poured in! We fundraised enough money to buy three laptops! Now, I’ve found a reason to go to Laos—work with the Givers of Dreams students. My family left Laos in 1979 as refugees to Canada when I was eleven years old. I graduated from high school in Canada in 1987, then moved to the United States. All my life, I’ve always worked in education and followed the footsteps of others before me to seek better opportunities. Since living in America, I’ve accomplished three milestones. I received my Bachelor in Education from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan; and Master of Education from Walden University, Minneapolis, Minnesota. I also completed the Immersion Teacher Certificate from the University of Minnesota. I’ve had countless experience of working with children and youth during my years in Canada and in the United States. I’m currently a Hmong Dual Language teacher at Jackson Elementary School in St. Paul Public Schools, St. Paul, Minnesota.

Mai Ong was born on a refugee camp in Thailand and relocated to Wisconsin with her family when she was five years old. After graduating with her Bachelor’s in Actuarial Science, she packed everything she owned into two suitcases and hopped on a metal bird to explore the world. She soon found herself lost in the Amazon in Brazil, stung by a scorpion in Thailand, came within 10 feet of a lion on a safari in Africa, among many others. Traveling has taught her to love and appreciate the differences in the world even more. 62 countries later, she returned to the U.S to pursue her Master’s in Accounting. She graduated in 2016 from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and made the 1,400 miles drive to Boston to kickstart her career in accounting. She is a CPA and currently works for a public accounting firm. Outside of work, she enjoys spending her time mentoring underprivileged children. Her goals and dreams, besides traveling to every single country, is to provide educational opportunities to those who have very little to no access to an education.

I was born at Namyao Refugee Camp in Thailand and came to the United States in 1980. I am the oldest of 13 children in my family. Growing up I was often ashamed of being Hmong because I didn't understand my own culture, history, and identity. My parents did not speak English and my family grew up on public assistance. As a child, I always have to interpret at parent-teacher conferences in K-12, social worker meetings, and doctor appointments.

My K-12 educational experience was not positive. My family moved often due to poverty and to be close to relatives. I experienced being in segregated urban inner-city schools and suburban middle-class schools. I wasn't prepared to go to college since I was placed into a "vocational" track in high school. As a first-generation college student, it was a struggle with self-doubt and imposter syndrome, and lack of support. Fortunately, by my third year of college, I was able to connect with faculty mentors and peers that provided motivation and support. I went from an "average" C student to an A student in the last two years of college. It was also because of classes such as ethnic studies and Asian American studies that provided me with the space to learn about my culture and other communities of color. It was then I realized that I wanted to be an educator to help others reach their full potential through expanding their knowledge and education.

For the last six years, I have served as a lecturer in the Merritt Writing Program at the University of California, Merced. I am also a lecturer in the Ethnic Studies Program at California State University, Stanislaus, and teach classes in Asian American studies. I am the founder and Managing Editor of the Hmong American Experience, a social media platform sharing news and stories about important social, cultural, and political issues in the community.

As the first generation in her family to be born and raised in America, Reona Vang was taught from a very early age that an education is the pathway to success. Growing up her parents’ focus on the importance of higher education and using her knowledge to help others, lead her to seek an education in accounting. Reona completed her bachelor’s degree at the University of Pittsburgh in 2003, and then later completed her master’s degree at Keller Graduate School of Management at DeVry University in 2012. For the last 17 years, she has worked in various accounting roles for large corporations, public accounting firms and non-profit organizations. She is currently working as a director of finance at the Marcus Performing Arts Center, a non-profit organization, in Milwaukee, WI. Understanding the benefits of giving back to the community, Reona has always been passionate about using her accounting and audit skills to provide financial guidance to local and national non-profit organizations, especially organizations helping the Hmong. She has volunteered in organizations locally in Milwaukee and across the United States for the past 16 years. Whether it is serving as a youth advisor to young single adults, helping with the internal audits at the local church or providing financial guidance as a board treasurer, Reona enjoyed performing all roles with the same passion. When the opportunity to serve as a board member for Givers of Dreams was presented to Reona, she said the following: When I was growing up my father used to say to me that the one thing no one can take away from you is your knowledge. I truly believe that having an education is a pathway to success. My hope is to help provide a pathway to higher education for individuals who live in underserved communities. Being a part of Givers of Dreams is a start.