Meet Our 2016 ATG Scholarship Finalists – Against The Grain Productions

Through our Scholarship Program, ATG proudly awards Artistic, Groundbreaker Leadership, #LiveLikeLyly scholarships to a select group of amazing Asian American high school seniors, college undergraduate and graduate school students who are shining examples of what it means to go Against The Grain. Since 2011, we have awarded 30 scholarships. In 2015, we awarded ten to deserving students across the country – and look forward to doing the same in 2016!

Meet Our 2016 Scholarship Finalists:

ATG Artistic Scholarship

Angeline Young
Jamie Nguyen
Jihyun (Michelle) Kim
Kiana Ziegler
Maya de Leon
Mei Lu Barnum
Michelle Dominado
Sarah Yap
Tan Vu
Xian Boles

Groundbreaker Leadership Scholarship

Nicci Kelly
Angeline Young
Ben Chu
Ishan Sharma
Kristina Nguyen

#LiveLikeLyly Memorial Scholarship

Hao Trieu
Hsin-Roe Pan

ARTISTIC SCHOLARSHIP FINALISTS

“When I was little, I used to walk up staircases that were clearly labeled with directions for people to walk down. This was a simple task if I was alone on the staircase, but if I was walking against the momentum of a crowd, you can imagine that things got a little trickier. So if you think about it, it is much easier to go with the crowd and follow directions. We do not usually stop to consider why we follow the pack nor do we consider the impact of doing what we are told simply because it is expected of us. Back then, I climbed ‘Against The Grain’ because I wanted to disrupt the order of things. Now as a performance artist, artistic director of an Asian American dance coalition and an emerging scholar, I realize that I have my own reasons for ‘going Against The Grain,’ along with a sense of responsibility for the choices that I make as I propel myself against the momentum of the masses.”

Jamie Nguyen | 18 years old | GPA: 4.55 (weighted) | California College of the Arts; Interior Design (intended) | Vietnamese

“To ‘go Against The Grain’ is something that many people are afraid to do, and some try avoid it. To me, ‘going Against The Grain’ means doing the opposite of what is expected of me and excelling at it. It takes a lot strength to ‘go Against The Grain.’ It takes strength to overcome the fear of being an outlier and then learning that it’s something to be proud of.”

Jihyun (Michelle) Kim | 18 years old | GPA: 97.5 | NYU Steinhardt; Childhood Education and Childhood Special Education | South Korean

“There are more atoms in a single grain of sand than grains of sand on earth. When grains are compiled together, they become such a strong force that people cannot easily penetrate. When you know the struggles and obstacles you are about to face, yet continue to strive and follow your dream, you become the compelling impact that can push through incoming tides and come against the crashing waves or, in this case, ‘Against The Grain.'”

Kiana Ziegler | 19 years old | GPA: 3.8 | Ashland University; BFA Fine Arts – Visual w/ concentration in Digital Fine Art and Drawing (intended) | Filipino/White

“‘Going Against The Grain’ is to be the storyteller rather than the listener. The listener hears many stories throughout their life, develops their own story but doesn’t tell it. Their priorities are in another place, or perhaps they’re afraid of any consequences if they speak. But storytellers not only tell their own narratives but also tell the narratives of other people. They are a voice for the voiceless, not only to bring attention to a single voice in a world filled with billions of others but also to teach, learn, and heal, despite any negative criticisms they may receive.”

Maya de Leon | 18 years old | GPA: 3.8 | Point Park University; Dance w/ concentration in Ballet | Filipino

“To ‘Go Against The Grain’ is to make the effort to achieve that which is the ‘path less traveled,’ to do something unexpected.”

Mei Lu Barnum | 18 years old | GPA: 3.92 | Point Park University; BFA Musical Theatre | Chinese

“To ‘Go Against The Grain’ is to take the unexpected path; to steer away from the ordinary. So many people have their own ideas of what they expect you to become and who they think you should be, but ‘going Against The Grain’ is to push away that whole ideology and carve your own route. It is taking a risk for the sake of making one more stride in your own personal journey to create the life you want to live.”

Michelle Dominado | 18 years old | GPA: 4.0 | Virginia Commonwealth University, Kinetic Imaging (intended) | Filipino

“To go ‘Against The Grain’ means to have the willpower to stand up for what you believe in and break tradition. It means challenging the status quo and embracing the change that comes along with it.”

Sarah Yap | 18 years old | GPA: 4.4 | University of Washington; Psychology and Applied Music w/ emphasis on Composition (intended) | Chinese

“To pursue one’s vision of oneself and one’s future in a thoughtful and vibrant manner, as well as that of society. It does not necessarily mean to rebel, but if there is a negative convention, precept or stereotype then by all means it can–and should be broken. ‘Going Against The Grain’ as a member of society is to develop oneself and one’s identity as an individual rather than simply defining one’s existence as a certain type of person.”

Tan Vu | 19 years old | GPA: 3.9 | University of California, Berkeley; Business Administration and Media Studies (intended) | Vietnamese

“To go ‘Against The Grain’ means believing in your ability to do whatever you desire. It means to be who you are – the geek, the nerd, the weirdo – no matter what the societal norm is. It means that no matter how hard the path is to fulfill your dream, you will be able to put 110 percent of your heart and soul into it because it is the only thing you ever wanted to do.”

Xian Boles | 18 years old | GPA: 3.9 | Boston University; Painting (intended) | Japanese

“‘Going Against The Grain,’ to me, means mustering the courage to stand up for my beliefs about social injustice and publicly addressing issues that aren’t regularly discussed or mentioned in everyday life or media, including topics that are controversial and may make others uncomfortable. I am a quiet and shy person with a multi-ethnic background, and so ‘going Against The Grain’ has been difficult for me. When I’m am with Caucasians, sometimes people make comments that make me feel like I don’t belong, and the same happens when I’m with Asians. I had trouble fitting in with white students because they think I appear ‘Chinese,’ even though my mother is Japanese. In elementary school, some had never even heard of Japan. And when I interacted with other Asians, they would refer to me as ‘half white, half Asian.’ I felt as if I had no identity and had trouble feeling included in school. In fact, after starting college, and meeting international exchange students, some called me ‘hybrid’ or ‘mixed,’ asking me if I was ‘part white.’ ‘Going Against The Grain’ on social issues like gender identity, racism, sexism, and inequality was frightening because all I ever wanted was to fit in like most others. I didn’t want to stand out even more. It has not been easy for me to receive unwanted attention, even positive attention for my accomplishments. But somehow I’ve been compelled to paint about social injustice, including paintings concerning global inequality, gender, and cultural appropriation (of Japanese culture) and stereotypes. One of my recent paintings, ‘Whitewashed,’ provoked students to engage in a heated discussion about its content and other students have asked me about its meaning and my intentions. While I feel awkward about the attention it draws to me personally, I feel that raising the issue and instigating discussion is good for everyone.”

Groundbreaker Leadership Scholarship Finalists

Nicci Kelly | 28 years old | GPA: 4.0 | Emory University, Candler School of Theology; Master’s of Divinity (intended) | African American/South Korean

“I believe when a person ‘goes Against The Grain,’ they have the courage to be authentic and unapologetically themselves. The trends of our culture always flow in the direction of who is famous at the time, what we see on social media, and what we hear from the news, good or bad. It’s easy to get caught in that heavy undercurrent and get lost in who we are and what our purpose in life should be. However, someone who ‘goes Against The Grain’ is not afraid to go against the current of popular culture and stand on what they believe and who they are, whether in values, business, leadership, or family. We are all uniquely different and no two people on earth are the same. We should embrace who we are, showcase our talents, and walk in our own purpose. The greatest gift we can give back to this world is the real us.”

Angeline Young (see above)

Ben Chu | 18 years old | GPA: 4.27 | UC Berkeley; Economics | Chinese

“‘Going Against The Grain’ is not a task that is easily accomplished. No matter the difficulty and no matter the challenge, we have to illuminate our own paths, which requires endless commitment to a higher standard of individualism, selflessness, and leadership. While many can choose to live inside of their comfort zones, the ones that create their own stories and lead others to leave their fears behind light the path towards becoming an original innovator. Those that write their own chapters in life, take independent action, and set an unwavering example regardless of fear fight for deserving the title of ‘going Against The Grain.’ Although I may be an ethnic minority in my town, I push all my friends and community members to benefit the world around us.”

Ishan Sharma | 18 years old | GPA: 4.2 (weighted) | University of California, Berkeley; Economics (intended) | Indian

“‘Going Against The Grain’ is doing things others wouldn’t. It’s a phrase about leadership. ‘Going Against The Grain’ entails reaching for a goal greater than yourself—and that means putting in hard work. Indeed, contrarians know they’re ‘Against The Grain’ because swimming against the current is hard. But they’re not frazzled. Despite the shortcomings and lack of precedent, an unknown journey and few to join them along that journey, leaders ‘go Against The Grain’ because they see a vision. They see change, and they want to be the ones who enact that change. Obstacles, hurdles, and even the chance of failure is all surmounted by that same will that started them on the uphill journey in the first place.”

Kristina Nguyen | 18 years old | GPA: 4.4 (weighted) | University of Kansas; Biology/Pre-Dentistry | Vietnamese, Chinese

“To me, ‘going Against The Grain’ means branching out and trying something new. It means going against the norm and being creative in your thoughts and actions. It means stepping out of your comfort zone and challenging yourself in ways you never thought possible. It means, despite all that might stand in your way, overcoming obstacles to accomplish your biggest hopes and dreams.”

#LiveLikeLyly Memorial Scholarship Finalists

Hao Trieu | 19 years old | GPA: 3.43 | Western Washington University; Design | Vietnamese

“When you ‘go Against The Grain,’ you’re constantly going against the odds put against you in order to reach your dreams. Whether it’s getting an education to break out of a life of poverty or studying for weeks to pass that test you failed, that is ‘going Against The Grain. If you work consistently to overcome your obstacles, I truly believe that there are no limits to what you can achieve.”

Hsin-Roe Pan | 18 years old | GPA: 3.92 (weighted) | Parsons School of Design; Fashion Design | Taiwanese

“To me, ‘Going Against The Grain’ is doing the unexpected. It is forcing your way out of the box that society has decided to confine you within. That box can be related to race, age, gender, appearance, or anything that defines your cultural identity but not your physical and mental capacities. ‘Going Against The Grain’ can be anything from making a breakthrough in a field that is less populated by the people of the same cultural appropriation as you to presenting your new things and ideas for the benefit of the world. I believe that anyone has the power to ‘go Against The Grain’ – all they need to do is think outside the box.”

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