Success Story

Empowering  Women through the Power of Education: First Stop Neighborhood House, Next Stop the World
Nikki Yang grew up at Neighborhood House. As a young child her family used the food shelf to get through tough times. She recalled one Christmas when her family received everything they needed to make a holiday dinner, “I was little but I remember how much it meant to me.  I still think of Neighborhood House as a second home.” Over the years, she has credited the non-profit for many of her positive life experiences. She spent summers in the Youth Center in middle school, connected with the College Access program in high school, and was even named a Constance Currie Scholar in 2009, just before heading off to Augsburg College to study International Relations. Her journey from Hmong immigrant food shelf participant to local Minnesota college student has been complex, and the College Access program made that journey a little easier.

“I went through the process of what I wanted to do, where I wanted to go, what scholarships I was eligible for,” Yang said of her participation in the College Access program, ultimately influenced by Neighborhood House in her decision of where to attend. “When I was at Neighborhood House I saw that not just Hmong people struggled, but a wide variety of people needed help,” she noted. “Augsburg College is multi-cultural and that’s one reason I chose it.” But, she wasn’t sure if she would be able to afford it until the College Access program showed her how it was possible and that, she said, “was the best part.”

Today, Yang is studying International Relations to further her interest in helping people of all cultures. She has already traveled to El Salvador and Thailand to teach English with her school and looks forward to a trip to Cambodia this winter, to work at an orphanage.  When she graduates, she wants to pursue her dream of making college accessible to under-privileged women around the world, to give them a chance at a better life. She said, “They don’t have the same resources that I did, resources like Neighborhood House.”

Eligibility

Neighborhood House is pleased to offer the Constance Currie Scholarship to first-time college students. The application process occurs every spring. Please check back in February for the 2013 Application.