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ATG offers two different scholarships to exemplary Asian American students who exhibit qualities we feel are ‘going against the grain.’ Please review the requirements of the scholarships and download the application below.
2012 Against The Grain Artistic Scholarship
Purpose: To provide financial assistance and promotion of Asian American college students pursuing a major in the performing and/or visual arts (film, theatre, fashion, photography, graphic design, dance, music, etc).
Award: Minimum of $1000 to be applied toward school tuition and fees
General Eligibility Requirements:
Selection Criteria:
Selection is based on rating system judged in a four major categories. The candidate with the highest combined cumulative of points will receive the scholarship. These categories are:
Purpose: To provide financial assistance and promotion of Asian American college seniors and graduate students who have exhibited exemplary leadership, vision and passion to challenge the conventional Asian American stereotype/perception.
Award: The winner will be awarded $4,000 to be applied toward school tuition and fees, along with an additional $1,000 to be applied to a 501(c)(3) cause of their choice
General Eligibility Requirements:
Selection Criteria:
Selection is based on rating system judged in a four major categories. The candidate with the highest combined cumulative of points will receive the scholarship. These categories are:
Download the 2012 Against The Grain Artistic & Sunna Lee Leadership Scholarship Application
Completed applications are due post-marked by April 15, 2012.
ATG Against The Grain Productions
Attn: Scholarship Committee
3523 McKinney Avenue, Suite 231
Dallas, TX 75204
Presenting the 2011 ATG Artistic Scholarship Winners:
ATG Artistic Scholarship Winner Dorcas Leung
Dorcas Leung recently graduated high school at the top of her class, during which she starred and participated in nine different theatre productions. She is actively involved in a variety of extra-curricular activities, including planning and hosting school functions through student council, performing as part of an improvisational comedy troop, and helping organize theatre activities for children as part of her local thespian society.
She was nominated for the Tommy Tune Awards’ Best Featured Performer twice. She is skilled in ballet, jazz, modern, tap, musical theatre and piano and will begin her college career studying musical theatre at the University of Oklahoma.
What made you decide to pursue a career in the arts?
I first started doing theatre arts in middle school as a hobby but the more I was involved in productions, the more I loved the thrill of being on stage and performing. I think theatre is the most unique form of communication because with each production and each show, the actors are telling a story. It may not be your own story but somehow in a show, the message and thoughts of others are being communicated. I decided to pursue a career in the arts because I love how unique but direct communication is shown in theatre.
What does getting this scholarship mean to you?
Getting the ATG scholarship makes me feel very blessed. It is hard enough already to be an Asian American in a difficult field of study, but I feel that with this scholarship I could be an encourager to other Asian Americans wanting to pursue a career in the arts. I am very happy to be a representative of this scholarship, and I know it holds a lot of weight because I want to be a good example of “Going Against The Grain” and proving that I can do what I want to do, even if it is difficult.
What does it mean to you to “Go Against The Grain?”
To “Go Against The Grain” means to defy the norm. To me, I think it means to continue doing what I love and am passionate about, even if it’s not something that is always approved of or smiled upon.
Read more about her in Dorcas’ Going Against The Grain Feature.
2011 ATG Artistic Scholarship Winner Monika Hoang
Monika Hoang is a junior at Southern Methodist University, majoring in Creative Advertising and minoring in Psychology and Latin. She was recently awarded Best Art Director for her portfolio class and was chosen to participate in the One Show Student Exhibition in New York City.
She considers herself to be a relaxed, cheerful and sarcastic both as a person and an artist. Artists must always be pushing themselves creatively, and sometimes this can be achieved when you become one with who you are on a personal and artist level; you never know when the next amazing idea will hit you.
What made you decide to pursue a career in the arts?
I actually went back and forth in choosing potential career paths during my senior year of high school. All it took was reminding myself that wherever I would work in the future, I would be for at least 40 hours a week; the thought of doing something I didn’t love solidified my choice in pursuing the arts. Life has more meaning when you’re doing something you care about and makes you happy.
What does getting this scholarship mean to you?
Receiving this scholarship shows me that support for the arts is out there in the community. In a way it gives hope to those who are hesitant to pursue the arts. This scholarship is like a gentle nudge and whisper telling me to keep doing what I love.
What does it mean to you to “Go Against The Grain?”
Defy stereotypes, try new things, don’t hold yourself back, break down mental barriers, scare some people in a good way, color outside the lines, wear mismatched socks, be free.
Read more about her in Monika’s Going Against The Grain Feature.
About Leadership Scholarship Founder Sunna Lee
Leadership Scholarship Founder Sunna Lee
Sunna Lee is a first-generation Korean American with 25 years as an executive in product development, which includes trends, design, marketing and sourcing for brands and retailers small to large, private and publicly traded companies with $7 million to $2.5 billion in revenues. She has served as Vice President of Marketing for Priss Prints and NoJo, Vice President of New Business Development for Crown Crafts Infant Products, Vice President of Merchandising for Riegel, Director of Fashion for Dorel Juvenile Group and currently the Director of Product Development for Cracker Barrel Old Country Store. At Cracker Barrel, she leads the women’s group, Woman’s Connect, as a member of the steering committee to develop future women leaders of the organization. In addition, she is a member of the African American Affinity Network (AAAN), because there are only four Asians on a campus of 650, where she is the only executive and there is no Asian Affinity group. A powerhouse in business, she also has a creative side and previously founded her own line of high-end handmade handbags, which were sold at Stanley Korshak and Neiman Marcus.
What does it mean to you to “Go Against The Grain?”
‘Against the grain’ to me means having the belief that what you have always known and what you were always told was the way can be challenged and changed, and that it is a good thing to do. It is about breaking habits of the past to improve for today and tomorrow. Asians have the reputation of being industrious and followers. I believe we can be leaders. Asians are so driven by tradition, sometimes to a fault. ’Going against the grain’ is the attitude and philosophy to affect change.
Why did you decide to start the Sunna Lee Leadership Scholarship?
Asians have a greater opportunity to develop skills that are coveted as leaders in this country. Leadership skills open opportunities for advancement in business and in society.
To accomplish this:
1. Raise awareness for the need and importance of leadership in personal and professional development.
2. Develop leadership skills and continue to refine them through your career.
3. Develop leaders that can take this to the next level.
Mastering a specific job function skills are not enough to move beyond the manager level. Stereotypes of Asian industriousness can limit opportunities
for advancement. These perceptions need to be calibrated so that Asians can compete for all opportunities.
In addition, there are perceptions of Asians as being subservient and demure, therefore they are often mistreated or slighted. Leadership skills can be a powerful tool for future generations in assimilating to the western culture, without ever compromising their heritage and values. I believe in empowering people to tap into their own potential. It is the philosophy of teaching someone to fish instead of giving them fish. Fish can feed them for one meal. The skill to fish will feed them for a lifetime.
I am passionate about empowering women to break barriers and perceived limitations to excel. Being a female Asian growing up in the Deep South, I have had to overcome double the challenges of prejudice and ignorance and have chosen to convert what others may perceive as a disadvantage to a competitive advantage.
I have actively pursued leadership development professionally and find it very rewarding. I now want to expand beyond women to Asians, because before I knew that I was a minority in being a woman, I was a minority as an Asian. I also believe in giving back for the blessings I have received in my life, and so this scholarship is my gift to the future generations in hopes that they will make it better than what I had to experience. That is why my scholarship has a stipulation for the recipient to do the same.
Read the 2012 Scholarship Press Release.