The Council of Asian Pacific Americans (CAPA) is proud to announce the recipients of its 2013 Scholars Award. The following two individuals were chosen from a pool of 21 applicants, based upon their exemplary academic records and potential to provide APA leadership and community service in Michigan:
Xinrui Yang is a 2013 graduate of Troy High School (Troy, Michigan) and will receive a $1,000 Scholars Award. Xinrui has been involved in community service and volunteering over the past several years, from small projects within her city to a school-building trip in Haiti. She serves as
an officer in school clubs such as National Honors Society, Quiz Bowl, and Environmental Activists, and also engages in extracurricular initiatives, such as buildOn, Project Lead, Model United Nations, and the Relay for Life of Troy, Michigan. She has played in school orchestras for several years as a cellist. In the future she wishes to bring resources, knowledge, and opportunities to others in need, and wants to inspire others to combat injustice in the world.
Kaitlyn Tran is a 2013 graduate of The Potter’s House High School (Wyoming, Michigan) and will receive a $1,000 Scholars Award. Kaitlyn has held leadership positions in the Grand Rapids Initiative for Leaders (DeVos Urban Youth Foundation), the Student Representative Assembly Committee, and The Navigators (Roosevelt Park) Urban Youth Organization. She has also served the community in positions such as a Sunset Manor volunteer activities coordinator assistant, Degage Soup Kitchen volunteer, and Wellspring Bike/Coats/Toys community event volunteer. Kaitlyn’s life mission statement is: “As an ER physician, I will use my medical skills to help the underprivileged receive the proper healthcare they deserve.”