Cambodia Town, Inc. (CTI) is now accepting applications for the Rosana Chanou Memorial Scholarship Program, which provides $500 to rising Cambodian-American high school seniors.
“The main goal is to encourage [Cambodian] students, to tell them that there are people who support them, for them to keep on going, pursuing higher education,” Pasin Chanou, former chairman of CTI, said.
The program was created in memory of his wife Rosana Chanou, the bonafide “mother of Cambodia Town” who played an integral role in the creation of CTI and the development of Cambodia Town. Chanou died of lung cancer last October.
Though some parents may have the knowledge to find scholarships for their children, he said it’s “probably not true of typical Cambodian parents in Long Beach” who often struggle with language barriers, Chanou said. The scholarship looks to bridge those obstacles.
To qualify for the scholarship, applicants must be a Cambodian-American high school senior in the Long Beach Unified School District who will graduate in June 2021.
Applicants must also prove that they’ve volunteered at a CTI or other non-profit event, proof of acceptance to an accredited community college, vocational/trade school or university and a minimum GPA of 3.0.
Last year, seven scholarships were awarded through the program.
Students can apply for the scholarship online at http://www.cambodiatown.com/cti-scholarship-application/. The deadline for applications is Wednesday, June 30 at 5 p.m.
Correction: June 11, 2021, 3:42 p.m. A previous version of this story stated that Pasin Chanou was the chairman of Cambodia Town, Inc. He is the former chairman. The story has been updated to reflect this change.
