A new opportunity for Hmong students in Wisconsin entering university or already in a college or university for the coming year will be available as the Miss Grand Hmong scholarship looks to give a total of $10,000, $2,000 each to five hopeful learners.
Last year’s Hmong New Year in Madison saw the first Miss Grand Hmong pageant held as part of the ceremonies. Being a part of the Wisconsin Hmong Association, Inc. in Dane County, Miss Grand Hmong looks to be exemplary of the ambitions and pursuit of bright futures that Hmong women bring across the community.
The recent pageant court of Hope Luag Ntxhi Xiong as Miss Grand Hmong 2023, Tiffany Moua as 1st runner up, and KaliAuna Vargas as 2nd runner up, will be one of the few if not the only pageant court doing a scholarship of this size. Hope Xiong, also a recent UW-Milwaukee graduate, corresponded with Madison365 to give insight into the importance of the scholarship for Hmong youth. 
“Currently, the median age of the Hmong population in Wisconsin is 20.3 years old. Many of the Hmong households are multigenerational and low income and several have barriers and lack resources,” Xiong told Madison365, discussing how many Hmong families came to America as refugees from the Vietnam War.
“One of the largest barriers that we see in our Hmong communities among the youth is struggles to continue further education. Some of the deficiencies are due to language barriers, lack of awareness and experience, and/or not having enough financial support,” Xiong added. “The Miss Grand Hmong court wants to shine some light and support current students who have aspirations and dreams to pursue.”
The pursuit of education for a young Hmong population is an important path for many in the community as bachelor’s degree attainment for Hmong people in Wisconsin is slightly below the national average for Hmong people, and significantly below the average for Wisconsin residents in general. With over 6,000 Hmong people in Dane County, Xiong spoke to the importance of opportunities that look to educate around or alleviate financial burdens and obstacles.
“We believe there is a need for more opportunities and scholarships as our community is still continuing to grow and adapt to society,” said Xiong “That is why Miss Grand Hmong held a financial literacy workshop back in May about four different financial areas including credit, insurance, utility bills, and education. The guest speakers were experienced professionals in these fields and are from our very own Hmong communities.”
Students can look to apply now with this form. The application features questions to determine eligibility along with question prompts for applicants to express themselves individually. Along with other methods of personal development like workshops and networking opportunities, Xiong hopes this scholarship can continue to help out Hmong students in Wisconsin in their pursuit of higher education.
“The scholarship is open to college students who are attending a college or university in Wisconsin and are of Hmong descent,” Xiong explained. “They must have a cumulative GPA of 2.8 or above. We are offering $2,000 scholarships to five outstanding recipients. Of those five, there will be two incoming freshmen, two undergraduates, and one graduate student. The application is open now and will close on Oct. 6. The recipients will be announced at the Madison Hmong New Year on Nov. 5.”
