[September 2, 2003] The 4A SFBAC Scholarship team is pleased to announce this year's recipients of the 4A San Francisco Bay Area Chapter Scholarships. Each recipient received a one-time $1,000 Award Grant.
 

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LEX CHEN

Lex is a senior at UCLA, concentrating in Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology. Currently, he is applying to medical school as well as taking part in UCLA's Unicamp, which is a weeklong summer camp for underprivileged inner city children. Lex also takes part in the Asian American Tutorial program, where he volunteers as a tutor for students in Los Angeles Chinatown. Lex is an active member of Alpha Kappa Psi Business Fraternity. He has partaken in biological research programs at UCLA and UCSF and will be working on a research honors thesis at UCLA during his senior year. In his free time, Lex enjoys running, keeping aquarium fish and hanging out with friends. Lex has run two marathons, placing 9th in his age division in the San Diego Marathon with a time of 3:34:39. Aside from marathons, Lex is hoping to further his athletic pursuits and complete a triathlon.

CHARLES LIAO

Charles Liao is a student at the University of California, Berkeley and he has received both an Honorary Biological Research Scholarship and a National Dean's List Recognition. He conducted research in oral cancer at the National Taiwan University's Dentistry division, worked as an undergraduate biology student instructor at Berkeley, and coached his high school volleyball team in Taipei. He has served as a member in various honor societies such as Berkeley Honor Student's Society, Pre-medical Honor Society, and National Society of Collegiate Scholars. While in the Berkeley Honor Student's Society, he served as an officer and coordinated the Disabled Student's Program, a tutoring program specifically designed for disabled students. In the spring of 2002 he received training at the Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute (CHORI). The scope of Charles' research at CHORI includes several projects exploring how (1) aging induces changes in cellular dysfunction and oxidative stress in human cells and (2) how pharmaceutical and nutriceutical agents can reverse age-related decline of cell function. His contribution to both projects has culminated in several abstracts at national meetings and one full paper published in the antioxidant scientific journal. Outside of academics, Mr. Liao enjoys weight-lifting, volleyball, and basketball. He takes pleasure in art, music, and singing.

ANDREW TAYAG MEDINA

Originally from Yokosuka, Japan, Andrew Tayag Medina identifies as workaholic, conscious, progressive, Pilipino/Asian American activist. Double majoring in Asian American Studies and English, he will be entering his fourth year at the University of California, Davis. After graduation, Andrew hopes to attend graduate school to pursue a doctorate degree in Ethnic Studies. Since living in Davis, Andrew has worked as the Asian & Pacific Islander Community Intern at the Cross-Cultural Center; the Peer Mentorship and Administrative Coordinator for Bridge: The Pilipino Outreach and Retention Program and a Peer Advising Counselor for the Educational Opportunity Program Information Office. Also, Andrew has maintained consistent participation in student organizations like the Council for Asian Pacific American Affairs and the Asian Pacific Islander Leadership Program. Being compelled by a great love for the community, Andrew expects to continue working towards empowering and serving the people. If Andrew ever has any free time, you can expect to find him lying out in the sunshine writing poetry or reading.

SAMORN SELIM

Samorn is a student at the University of California, Berkeley double majoring in Social Welfare and Legal Studies, with a minor in Education. In addition to being a 4A SFBAC scholar, she is also selected as a Goldman Family Fund Scholar, USA Education Funds Scholar, and McNair Scholar. She is part of Alpha Phi Omega, a national co-ed community service fraternity, where she was the Pledge Leadership Committee trainer and chair of the Service Committee. She also volunteers at Washington Elementary School with the Healthy Start Program. She has aspirations to further her education obtaining a joint degree in law and social work or public policy, because she knows and values the importance of having a political voice, especially when learning from the history of Asians and Asian Americans in the United States. She hopes that she will be able to use her knowledge to help people in low-income, underrepresented communities learn about their fundamental rights and resources that are available to them. Her hobbies include reading, learning new recipes, and interior designing.

CHOR VANG

Chor Vang is currently a senior at University of California, Davis, majoring in Neurobiology, Biology, and Behavior (NPB). His future goal is to become a family physician. While growing up in America with his nine siblings, he saw his father unable to communicate with western physicians about how to best treat his mother's autoimmune disease, Lupus, resulting in her death in 1994. Now a senior at UC Davis, he wants to help make his pre-med peers more sensitive to other cultures in medicine. This past year, he initiated the first annual "Multicultural Sensitivity Night," an event filled with cultural dances, food, and most importantly, traditional medical practices from seven ethnic groups. To expand his knowledge of other cultures, he will begin a Field Research Program in Oaxaca, Mexico, this fall to study traditional medical practices from the Mexican community.