Philosophy

My design philosophy stems from the need to unite designing for utility and culture. My Hmong heritage is inseparable from my identity, but often the spaces and environment where we live do not form to our needs. To address this, I design with a critical cultural lens. Culture and identity are major drivers in the design, thinking, and inspiration of what I do as an artist and designer. To me, design is not just making the environment a beautiful place, but it is also addressing the needs of the user including their unique cultural and spiritual identities.

Want to incorporate Eastern Asian Feng-Shui interior design philosophy with Western thinking? Interested in gaining exposure to the design industry and eager to apply the lessons learned in school to a real-world situation.

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About Me.

I am the first in my family to attend a four year university. As a refugee and immigrant college student, I had to learn how to navigate different and new institutions such as college. Being from a predominately white environment and not having my social and cultural support network readily available, my educational journey often was lonely. Despite these challenges, the experience of moving from one country to another and crossing the thresholds Hmong culture to American has tempered me to be flexible with my environments.

I pursue a college education because I understand that I need the formal training to be more effective in the impacts I wish to put out. As a new American, I notice that our homes and living spaces were not quite fitting for our cultural needs. At times it felt that we had to bend our culture and norms to even live in the houses we inhabit.

Education

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Majors: Studio Art (BA), and

Interior Architecture (BFA)

Minor: International Studies and Accounting

Anticipated Graduation Year 2023

WORK EXPERIENCE

Ramsey County Elections Office, Twin Cities, MN June 24, 2022 - September 1, 2022

Hmong Interpreter Election Judge

Design, plan, and coordinate interpreter language election judge training.
Translate election posters into Hmong, and help interpret Hmong language in voting.

Hmong Outreach Network, Twin Cities, MN January 2018 - Present

Volunteer Community Project Lead

Lead, design, and implement volunteer opportunities with community stakeholders.
This role balances the needs and wants of the community while still keeping organizational goals intact. Utilized art, culture, and shared community spaces to create impactful change.

Fresh Vibes-MN, Twin Cities, MN

July 2021 - August 2021

Project Lead

Design and build raised garden beds for the community.
Conduct a site analysis of the North End area of Saint Paul including its connection to Lake McCarron, and the diverse community.

Asian American Pacific Islander Census, Twin Cities, MN May 2021 - December 2021

Support Volunteer Coordinator

Coordinated with State, Local, and Federal Census workers in reaching out to AAPI and to hard-to-reach communities.
Tasks include tabling at cultural events, coordinating outreach, leading small workshops with local community and cultural stakeholders.

Bio

My Vision

My vision is to elevate architecture to be inclusive of Hmong cultural needs and be audacious in just not just making do with circumstances but also in normalizing our traditions and having a place where we call home. To achieve this vision, I must make conscious steps in ensuring I am ready. I see opening my own architectural collaborative impacting our community and highlighting our assets as a long-term benefit.

I see this vision as a Hmong-owned architectural collaboration. Not only do we design, adapt existing buildings, and advocate for Hmong architecture but we also provide space for the next generation of Hmong American architects to come to learn and discover. Accomplishing these goals is important to me because it is an alignment of my identity and my relationship with my community.

My cultural alignment of arts, living spaces, and normalcy of traditions will be met. My academic and professional goals are milestones in achieving the goals of being impactful to my community and providing space for our culture to grow and thrive.