Annie Lee
Co-creator of Hmong Women Today and VMP Program Manager
Annie Lee is the Co-creator of Hmong Women Today, a certified women's circle facilitator and the program manager for Vivncaus Mentoring Program. She’s passionate about helping women rediscover who they are, redefine who they want to be, and live intentionally to inspire positive changes. She guides women in developing a supportive mindset and attitude that gives them a sense of confidence to go out there to create a life they love. She believes that a life well-lived is one that is intentional, fulfilled with love, passion, authenticity, and purpose.
Professionally, Annie is a children counselor working with foster children for the past 19 years. Annie is a mother of three and is living in Stockton, Ca with her family. She describes herself as a student of life, a lover and an adventure seeker.
In her spare time, she loves playing chess, riding her bike and spending time with her two kittens.
Xia Vang
Curriculum Coordinator and Mentor
Xia Vang yog ib tug pab tsim tawm, pab saib xyuas thiab tuav lub Vivncaus Mentoring Program. Nws lub nrag hauj lwm hauv Vivncaus Mentoring Program, tamsim no, yog ib tug curriculum thiab workshop coordinator los yog tus los saib xyuas cov kev kawm. Nws txoj kev vam thiab kev cia siab yog nws xav pom kom peb cov ntxhais Hmoob nyob thoob lub ntiaj teb muaj vaj huam sib luag, muaj lub peevxwm thiab muaj lub suab tawm. Nws ntseeg tau hais tias peb txhua tus yeej muaj lub peevxm ua tau txhua yam peb ntshaw tshwm sim yog thaum peb muaj lub zeem muag thiab kev hlub thiab kev ntseeg rau peb tus kheej lawm.
Dhau li ntawv, Xia txoj hauj lwm khwv noj khwv haus yog ib tug xibfwb qhia ntawv rau cov menyuam yaus muaj hnub nyoog 5 xyoo mus txog rau 12 xyoo. Nws twb qhia ntawv los tau muaj 20 lub xyoo no lawm.
Tamsim no Xia thiab nws tsev neeg nyob rau lub nroog Manitowoc, xeev Wisconsin. Nws yog ib leej niam rau ob tug tub thiab ib tug ntxhais. Nws yog ib tug neeg nyiam tawm rooj mus ncig saib teb chaws thiab mus nce toj roob hauv pes nuam yaj ua si heev li.
Maidawn Yang
Scholarship Coordinator and Mentor
Maidawn (Maiv dawb) Yang yog peb tus Scholarship Coordinator thiab nws kuj yog ib tug mentor nyob rau hauv peb lub Vivncaus Mentoring Program no. Maidawn yog ib tug neeg uas nyiam thiab muaj txoj kev kaj siab heev thaum nws tau pab tib neeg. Maidawn nyiam nrhiav kev kawm thiab kev paub los rau nws tus kheej tas li txhawm kom muaj ib hnub nws thiaj rov mus pab thiab cev tes rub cov tib neeg txom nyem.
Tam sim nov Maidawn nyob Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. Maidawn yug loj hlob nyob teb chaws nplog, nyob lub zos moos cab ແຂວງໄຊສົມບູນ (Xaisomboun). Maidawn tuaj nyob teb chaws meskas (USA) xyoo 2011, thaum ntawv Maidawn muaj 16 xyoo. Maidawn kawm tag nws daim high school diploma xyoo 2015 ces nws kuj tau mus kawm ntawv qib siab nyob rau lub tsev kawm ntawv hu ua Saint Cloud State University. Maidawn tau kawm tag nws daim bachelor thiab master’s degree rau fab Social Work.
Tam sim nov Maidawn ua hauj lwm nyob rau Center for Asian and Pacific Islander (CAPI) USA. Maidawn lub luag hauj lwm yog ib tug Southeast Asian Career Pathways Navigator.
Mindy Heu
Mentee Coordinator, Alumni Coordinator & Mentor
Mindy is a Hmong Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Denver, Colorado. She has a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice and Criminology, and a Master in Social Work. She began her social work career in the field of Human services.
Mindy has over 12 years of experience working with families, individuals, and professionals in the field of mental health, criminal justice, education, and child protective services. Mindy has her own private practice providing psychotherapy and professional consulting in the field of child physical and sexual abuse.
Mindy also works full-time as an investigator for a non-profit investigating sexual assault within the US Olympic and Paralympic Movement. She is married and has an eight-year-old son.
When Mindy is not working or volunteering for Vivncuas Mentoring Program, you can find her hosting lunch/dinner parties with family and friends.
Mai Shoua Yang
Finance Secretary and Mentor
Mai Shoua Yang is the Finance Secretary for Vivncaus Mentoring Program. She’s also a mentor to a wonderful niam hluas in Laos. She’s passionate about helping others and seeing their success.
Professionally, Mai Shoua is a homemaker and a stock market day trader. She enjoys taking care of her family who meant the world to her. In addition to homemaking, she enjoys day trading as she likes to learn and overcome challenges in the market and makes money on her own term.
Mai Shoua is a wife and a mother to three children. She currently resides in Salem, Oregon with her family. She describes herself as genuine, optimistic, and loving.
In her spare time, she loves hiking, sharing good foods with friend and families, and enjoy the everyday little things with her husband and children.
Jean Vang
Mentee Coordinator
Born in Fresno, California, Jean Vang is a Software Tester with 7 years of experience working in multiple industries. She is passionate about closing the gender gap in tech and advancing women in computer science.
Aside from working and volunteering for Vivncaus Mentoring Program, she also tutor math and mentor young girls how to code. She is the first person in her family to graduate from college. Her degree was from Metropolitan State University with a Bachelors of Computer Science and minor Applied Mathematics.
She currently resides in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota with her husband. In her spare time, she loves to explore outdoors, fishing, canoeing, cooking, and spending time with her families.
Marcey Xiong
Mentor Coordinator
Marcey supports the Vivncaus Mentoring Program as a mentor coordinator and team planning member. She strongly believes in guiding women to discover their strengths, reach their fullest potential and celebrate who they are. Marcey is proud of the journey, growth, and leadership that she sees in both the mentors and mentees.
Professionally, she is a fourth and fifth grade elementary educator and has taught in the classroom for 11 years. She has 20 years of experience working with young children and families. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education with a speciality in Pre-Primary and a Master’s in Montessori Education.
Marcey resides in St.Paul, Minnesota with her husband and three children. In her free time, she enjoys boating, hiking, reading, and spending time with her family.