2024 Winners
FUTURE LEADERS SCHOLARSHIP
Amanda Lee
Amanda is a Macanese-Taiwanese American from Long Island. She started the Life Club at her school to teach important life skills and serves as the Financial Secretary at her local firehouse. Amanda also worked at an occupational therapist’s office and at St. Francis Heart Hospital. She is attending Case Western Reserve University’s nursing school and plans to become a CRNA.
PROJECT GRANT
Weina Sun
Weina is an accomplished attorney and IRS Enrolled Agent, specializing in immigration, real estate, and tax planning. She was selected to the Super Lawyer Magazine New York Metro Rising Stars list in 2022, 2023, and 2024, is the Founder of A&S Legal Strategies, LLC, offering personalized immigration law, tax planning, and legal services, and provides legal volunteer services to the community and alumni associations. Weina’s goal is to provide free legal services to first generation immigrants on immigration cases. In just a few months since receiving the grant, Weina has achieved…
- Global Outreach to First-Generation Asian Immigrants – Her project has helped an increasing number of first-generation Asian immigrants from all over the world, including Australia and single mothers in New York, providing them with essential legal consultations.
- Growing Visibility and Expansion – Despite being a relatively young start-up, more and more people are becoming aware of Weina’s work, and she’s seen notable growth in her outreach and client base.
- Raising Legal Awareness Among Immigrants – One of the most significant impacts has been raising awareness about basic legal rights among immigrants. Many individuals who were previously unaware of their rights now understand their legal protections as immigrants.
2023 Winners
FUTURE LEADERS SCHOLARSHIP
Grady Yu
Grady graduated from Staten Island Technical High School and served as Math Team Captain and New York Youth Tech Team Co-President. He was also the recipient of the President’s Volunteer Service Gold Award and was a Team Leader at Luv Michael, a non-profit that empowers autistic individuals through meaningful employment and training. Grady is currently studying Computer Science at Yale University.
PROJECT GRANT
Nene P. Rivera
In May 2024, author Nene P. Rivera published her first children’s book, See You Again Soon. This charming bilingual story explores the strength of family bonds, peeks into the rich tapestry of Filipino culture, and reminds us that love knows no distance. In just a few months, the book has reached dozens of children across New York, the United States, Canada, and beyond. Nene has taken part in various community events and has been able to share her story directly with young children. She hopes that Filipino and other Asian children are able to see themselves in her books and to let them know that their stories matter.