ST. PETER, Minn. (Oct. 26, 2005) — Ma Lee Vang, a Gustavus Adolphus College junior majoring in communication studies, has been named a Jay and Rose Phillips Family Foundation Scholar for 2005-2007. This is the fifth time in five years a Gustavus student has won this award.
Vang, a resident of Saint Paul, Minn., was among just six students in Minnesota named Phillips Scholars. The Phillips Scholarship supports outstanding students intending to dedicate a portion of their lives to community service. Phillips Scholars are selected on the basis of potential leadership and academic credentials. The two-year scholarships provide $5,000 during each of the junior and senior years, as well as a $4,000 summer stipend to support development and implementation of a self-designed service project that addresses unmet needs in Minnesota communities.
Vang plans to improve reading development and comprehension through Project Read. Project Read is an eight-week program designed to inspire third and fourth grade average readers to take their skills to the next level. She hopes to show elementary-aged children how to appreciate the veritable and countless adventures they can embark on while reading. Her strong interest in teaching others the power of reading comes from her childhood. She was so excited to learn how to read in school and her parents, having recently learned to speak English, were unable to teach her because they could not yet read themselves.
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Media Contact: Director of Media Relations and Internal Communication Luc Hatlestad
luch@gustavus.edu
507-933-7510