W. Tong and A.C. Wong 2025 Legacy Scholarship

Rooted in Resilience, Guided by Purpose My name is Kelsey, and I’m a proud first-generation college student majoring in Early Childhood Education. My journey is shaped by my family’s sacrifices, my cultural identity, and my deep passion for helping others—especially children who come from backgrounds like mine. I grew up in a Filipino American household, where respect, faith, and hard work were the foundation of everything we did. These values guide me as I work toward becoming the first in my family to graduate from college and build a life of service and impact. My grandmother immigrated to the United States from the Philippines in 1989 in search of better opportunities for our family. She arrived with courage and determination but very little else. Watching her work long hours and give so much of herself to help build a new future left a deep impression on me. Her strength and quiet resilience are a large part of why I chose to pursue a college education. I want to honor the path she paved by building a meaningful career that lifts others—especially children from underserved communities who deserve care, stability, and support in their most formative years. Growing up, we didn’t have much, but we had each other. My family is close-knit and supportive, but financial struggles and cultural adjustments weren’t easy. As a child, I often translated documents, helped my relatives navigate school systems, and juggled responsibilities beyond my years. These experiences shaped me into someone who is dependable, empathetic, and service-minded. I saw how a lack of resources could limit potential—and I knew early on that I wanted to become a teacher to change that. I’ve chosen to major in Early Childhood Education because I believe the most powerful way to create lasting change is to start young. I want to teach in low-income, minority communities where students may not always feel seen or supported. My goal is to build classrooms that celebrate diversity, foster emotional growth, and provide a strong foundation for lifelong success. I want my students to feel safe, confident, and empowered—just like I wished for myself at their age. Outside of academics, I’ve always been involved in activities that reflect my desire to lead and serve. I was a drum major and trumpet player in band, served as student government executive board member, cheerleader, and SWAT club treasurer. I also teach Sunday School and participate in book club. Each role has taught me discipline, teamwork, and the importance of showing up for others. When I have free time, I enjoy journaling, reading, and volunteering—it helps me stay grounded in my goals and community. Being Southeast Asian in America hasn’t always been easy. I’ve faced stereotypes, underrepresentation, and moments of feeling like I didn’t quite belong. But instead of holding me back, these experiences have pushed me forward. They’ve fueled my commitment to becoming the kind of role model I never had—a teacher who reflects her students’ identities and helps them realize that their background is a strength, not a setback. My journey is far from over, but everything I’ve overcome and embraced has led me to this point. With continued support and education, I hope to turn every challenge I’ve faced into fuel for change—in my life and in the lives of the children I will one day teach.

I am a first generation student from the Philippines and immigrated to America at only 8-years-old. As I grew up, I realized the importance of going to college. Both of my parents unenrolled from college in order to provide for my brother and I. Seeing their hardships heavily influenced my decision to go to college because I witnessed my parents work many extra shifts as well as seek better work opportunities in other countries. Growing up, I never had much time with my parents as they were always very busy with work. Furthermore, my brother enlisted in the military shortly after graduating high school, so we never had time to bond as well. As a Southeast Asian with a family that has a provider mentality, it creates pressure for me to start and finish college to help my family and relieve them of financial stress. I want to give back to my parents and help them pay for the medical surgeries that they both desperately need. While in high school, I am able to take many STEM related classes. One of which is a clinical class where I was able to obtain my certification of Clinical Medical Assisting. When I did my clinical rotations for this program, I encountered many patients with different backgrounds and histories. This made me realized how much a medical test can impact one’s life. Being able to interact with these patients and hear about their stories drives me to do everything to provide them with accurate results and aid them with their health plans. With this in mind, I plan to study Clinical Laboratory Science in college. This career consists of laboratory testing of specimens taken from people with all kinds of backgrounds. With my medical assisting experience, I understand that my tests have a face, a family, and a life behind it. In the future, I want to be able to provide patients and family with closure or relief in their medical journey. With my experience with patients, I understood how important it is to give back and help others in need. In my spare time, I volunteer at places like food pantries and even community events. Seeing happiness and smiles in my community of El Paso, Texas drives me to study hard in order to create a healthier place for many families. However, when I am not volunteering for my community or school, I stay at home to take care of my niece and my nephew. I help around however I can because I understand that my sister-in-law and my brother also have their own personal lives. I also enjoy spending time with them because I get to know what goes on in their minds, especially since my nephew is diagnosed with autism. Furthermore, I also managed sports while in high school as well as joined a few. This gave me many life long relationships with the players and the coaches. They have all inspired and motivated me to strive for higher in both sports and academics. Overall, I am beyond proud of being Southeast Asian. I represent my culture and my family in hopes that I can be a role model for the younger generation. I want to prove to them that the impossible can be possible and that they should have great ambition. I believe it is important for them to see that I am just like them and grew up in the same place they did. My goal is not only to create healthier communities, but also inspire those who are discouraged and have doubts.

I grew up on the island of Oʻahu in Hawaiʻi, surrounded by my Filipino family, whose values were built on sacrifice, survival, and silence. I am a third-generation immigrant; my grandparents moved from the Philippines to seek better opportunities, but life in the United States has never been easy for us. My family has always lived paycheck to paycheck, working long hours just to keep up with bills. From an early age, I understood what it meant to go without—and what it meant to keep going anyway. My family, like many immigrant families, doesn’t place high expectations on academics. Not because they don’t care, but because education beyond high school was never a reality for them. My father holds a high school diploma, and my mother didn’t graduate. They’ve never questioned my decisions, but they’ve also never asked about my dreams. Our relationship isn’t strained, but it isn’t warm either. In our household, emotions were often replaced with bluntness. Love was shown through working overtime, not through words of encouragement. Despite that, one person in my family did inspire me to reach further—my grandfather. He passed away from cancer during my sophomore year of high school, and that loss shaped me more than I expected. Even when he was sick, he would ask me how school was going and remind me that I could be something greater. His belief in me, however quiet, became the foundation of my decision to pursue higher education. I’ve chosen biomedical engineering as my field of study because I want to help people like him. I want to design medical devices that improve the quality of life for individuals suffering from obesity and diabetes—conditions that are common not just in my family but in the low-income community around me. For people who can’t afford cutting-edge healthcare or who live in areas with limited access, I want to create tools that meet them where they are. Getting this scholarship would mean everything to me. My parents are unable to help pay for my college tuition, and I’ve learned to rely entirely on myself. Every class, every textbook, every fee is something I have to find a way to manage. Receiving financial support would not only ease that burden—it would allow me to focus fully on my education and goals without the constant fear of falling short. As a Southeast Asian immigrant, integrating into a society built so heavily around wealth and status hasn’t been easy. The pressure to succeed in a system not designed for families like mine is overwhelming. Hard work isn’t just an option—it’s a necessity. But it’s exhausting. That’s why I push myself every day: so that the sacrifices my grandparents and parents made won’t be in vain. I want to give back to them—not just with words, but with stability, care, and a future they never had the chance to imagine for themselves. Education is my way forward. It’s also my way of honoring everything that came before me.