 |
|
|
| 3/16/2006 | Email this article • Print this article | Kazoua Kong Thao Addresses Youth Leaders at Annual Hmong College Students Conference
Amy Doeun
At the 2nd Annual Hmong College Students of Minnesota (HCSM) conference, the topic of chief concern was how to be a conscious leader. Kazoua Kong Thao, a leader in the Hmong and broader community, addressed the attendees on Saturday February, 25 at Concordia University in St. Paul.
Thao recounts that when she was younger she “felt it was important to fit in … being Hmong was totally uncool.” Luckily through the efforts of her family she was able to find pride in who she is. One part of being a conscious leader “starts with evaluating where you are at. Leaders are not born, they are made,” Thao went on to say. She talked of her 90 year old grandmother who doesn’t speak English and doesn’t leave the family home very often, but she is a leader because “One word—people come running and everything she says we respect.”
So to be a conscious leader there are 3 components, according to Thao—the head, the hands and heart. The head component includes education, “Once you graduate education doesn’t stop. You have to be in a learning mode, pursuing higher education, always challenging yourself.” Thao recalled an 87 year-old woman she went to college with and wondered if she would still be searching for education at 87.
The heart is where the passion is, “where people are hurt the most and hardest thing to cure … passion drives everything we do,” including wanting to learn, give and improve the community.
Finally, the hand is where our actions must follow through with our education and passion. This is the “walk the talk” area of being a leader.
Thao applauded all the student leaders as they continued on their journey to empower the community, “You know what it takes to be a leader.” A leader is a servant. Thao stated of her work in the St. Paul School board, “I think and believe that I have been the voice for many of our parents … I am thankful for that.”
After the keynote speaker the leaders had several student lead workshops to choose from, including Adolescence and Gangs; Civic Participation; The Hmong Film Industry; Hmong Elders; Hmong Involvement in the Military; LGBT issues; and Homelessness. Student Forums included Hmong Entertainment; Hmong Unity; and Wat Tham Krabok Grave Exhumations. For more information or up coming events go to www.hcsmstudents.org or email them at hcsm@hcsmstudents.org
|
|
|
|
| | S | M | T | W | T | F | S | | |
|
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
| 5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
| 12 |
13 |
14 |
15 |
16 |
17 |
18 |
| 19 |
20 |
21 |
22 |
23 |
24 |
25 |
| 26 |
27 |
28 |
29 |
30 |
|
|
|
St. Paul, MN
|
