Filipino-Vietnamese teen receives $200k college scholarship for leadership skills
US-based Filipino-Vietnamese teen April Rose Nguyen received a $200,000 university scholarship for what her history teacher described as her "selfless, courageous" attitude and "ability to lead without self-interests."
Kent Reporter reported Thursday that the 17-year-old was one of the 35 students in the Puget Sound region of Washington to receive the Act Six urban leader scholarship.
Nguyen is also one of the four scholars headed for Pacific Lutheran University.
Only 35 students were picked out of the 450 who applied for the highly competitive program, the report said.
The Filipino-Vietnamese, who plans to take up either business or political science, attributed her success to her parents Robi Rose and Tyler.
She told Kent Reporter that her Filipina mother was a "real caring person" who always told her to share what she have even if she "can't provide for somebody."
During her time at school, Nguyen helped launch an anti-bullying task force, petitioned for safe sidewalks at a City Council meeting, and volunteered for Kent Parks and the Kent School District.
Nguyen, a Kent-Meridian student president, also managed to maintain a 3.75 GPA in the International Baccalaureate program and memorize Pi, the ratio of the circumference of a circle to the diameter, to the 210th decimal point.
Nguyen, credited with a photographic memory, is also known for personally checking in with her school's staff members and service crew, influencing her fellow students to mingle with persons they often ignore.
She told Kent Reporter that it was important to make people feel included in order to lead efficiently.
The young Fil-Viet added that leadership should be about serving instead of enforcing the status quo and could only be achieved through effective delegation and communication. —Rie Takumi/KBK, GMA News
Kent Reporter reported Thursday that the 17-year-old was one of the 35 students in the Puget Sound region of Washington to receive the Act Six urban leader scholarship.
Nguyen is also one of the four scholars headed for Pacific Lutheran University.
Only 35 students were picked out of the 450 who applied for the highly competitive program, the report said.
The Filipino-Vietnamese, who plans to take up either business or political science, attributed her success to her parents Robi Rose and Tyler.
She told Kent Reporter that her Filipina mother was a "real caring person" who always told her to share what she have even if she "can't provide for somebody."
During her time at school, Nguyen helped launch an anti-bullying task force, petitioned for safe sidewalks at a City Council meeting, and volunteered for Kent Parks and the Kent School District.
Nguyen, a Kent-Meridian student president, also managed to maintain a 3.75 GPA in the International Baccalaureate program and memorize Pi, the ratio of the circumference of a circle to the diameter, to the 210th decimal point.
Nguyen, credited with a photographic memory, is also known for personally checking in with her school's staff members and service crew, influencing her fellow students to mingle with persons they often ignore.
She told Kent Reporter that it was important to make people feel included in order to lead efficiently.
The young Fil-Viet added that leadership should be about serving instead of enforcing the status quo and could only be achieved through effective delegation and communication. —Rie Takumi/KBK, GMA News
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