In honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in the United States, we invite you to join CGI U in partnership with APIA Scholars for a conversation with young leaders who are the first in their families to attend college. This conversation will highlight the challenges that first-generation college students often face and overcome in the pursuit of higher education, and reflect on ways that we can come together across communities to increase access to higher education and build a more inclusive future. This panel will include opening remarks by Julie Ajinkya, Ph.D., Senior Vice President for APIA Scholars and will be moderated by Nicole Reichenbach, Deputy Director of Programs for CGI U. We will be joined by the following panelists: CGI U '21 Evelyn Wong Co-Founder and CEO, CovEducation & CGI U COVID-19 Student Action Fund Awardee Evelyn is a graduate of Harvard University ('21), where she studied Neuroscience and Spanish Literature. As a Herchel Smith Research Fellow at the MIT McGovern Institute, she harnesses molecular and computational models to develop novel technologies for mapping brain architecture. A dedicated educator, she founded CovEducation, a nationally recognized nonprofit that pairs underserved K-12 students with undergraduates/postgrads from higher education institutions across the U.S., providing them with 1-on-1 mentorship, web-based educational resources, and offline content. Hailing from East Los Angeles, California, she hopes to pursue a career at the intersection between neuroengineering and refugee health to bridge healthcare disparities. Maria Dolojan 2021 APIA Social Innovation Fellow Maria (She/Her) is a Filipino, born and raised on Guam, a U.S. territory in Micronesia in the Western Pacific Region. She is the eldest and only daughter of Filipino immigrants and the first of her immediate family to graduate from college and to pursue a graduate school education. As an early career professional in the nonprofit sector, her focus is to serve underprivileged and minority communities and continue to be a strong advocate for reproductive rights and access in the United States, Guam, and other U.S. territories. She is a Nonprofit Assistant for the Services for the UnderServed; Co-Founder and Executive Director of Famalao’an Rights; an IGNITE National Fellow New York City Nominee; and a part of the inaugural cohort of Social Innovation Fellows for APIA Scholars. CGI U '17 Tuan Ho Former CEO, ScholarJet & Forbes 30 Under 30 Tuan co-founded ScholarJet, an educational technology company, at the age of 20. He was recognized as a Forbes 30 Under 30, BostInno 25 Under 25, and awarded with a fellowship from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. Tuan believes that kindness and compassion are the key ingredients to success and is working on his next project. This event is in partnership with APIA Scholars Based in Washington, D.C. and founded in 2003, Asian & Pacific Islander American (APIA) Scholars is the nation’s largest nonprofit organization devoted to creating opportunities that provide access to higher education and resources that cultivate the academic, personal, and professional success of Asian and Pacific Islander Americans (APIAs). These efforts aim to advance the conversation around access to education, elevate the voice of the APIA community, and empower APIA leaders to drive systemic change. APIA Scholars has impacted the lives of more than 1 million APIA students, involved more than 250 corporate funders to elevate and amplify its message, and mobilized thousands of congressional members, policy makers and researchers to take action in support of APIA community advancement. Remarks: • Julie Ajinkya, Ph.D., Senior Vice President, APIA Scholars Moderator: • Nicole Reichenbach, Deputy Director of Programs, CGI U Panelists: • CGI U '21 Evelyn Wong, Co-Founder and CEO, CovEducation & CGI U COVID-19 Student Action Fund Awardee • Maria Dolojan, 2021 APIA Social Innovation Fellow • CGI U '17 Tuan Ho, Former CEO, ScholarJet & Forbes 30 Under 30
