Press Releases
December 15, 2009
Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund Announces Frances Sonn Nam Memorial Endowment
For Immediate Release
Contact: Katie Tran-Lam
Director of Communications & Marketing
(202) 747-7236
ktranlam@apiasf.org
WASHINGTON, D.C. (December 15, 2009) - The Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund (APIASF), the nation's largest non-profit organization devoted to providing college scholarships for Asian and Pacific Islander American (APIA) students, announced its first endowment to honor the legacy of Frances Sonn Nam, Vice President of Government Affairs for Sodexo and member of the APIASF Board of Directors. The endowment, created by Sodexo and the Friends of Frances Nam, will directly support the Frances Sonn Nam Memorial Scholarship which will provide an award of $8,000 distributed over two years to two college juniors studying law, public service or government affairs.
"Frances lived a life dedicated to public service and she was incredibly passionate about providing opportunities for Asian and Pacific Islander American students to help them obtain a college education," said Neil Horikoshi, APIASF President & Executive Director. "I cannot think of a better way to honor Frances than by providing college scholarships to deserving students."
During her time at Sodexo, Ms. Nam also served as the Chair and Executive Advisor to Sodexo's Pan Asian Network Group, an employee network dedicated to maintaining Sodexo's award-winning diversity and inclusion culture. Prior to her work at Sodexo, Ms. Nam served as the senior policy advisor to Congresswoman Juanita Millender-McDonald and she also served as the primary advisor for Senator Barbara Boxer. Ms. Nam was also active on the board of the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS), the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators, the National Lt. Governors Association and the Conference on Asian Pacific American Leadership (CAPAL).
"Frances Nam left a legacy of selflessness and service that has made the dream of a college education a reality for many deserving students," said Robert Stern, Sodexo Senior Vice President and General Counsel. "This endowment is an expression of our collective commitment to carry on the work to which Frances was so dedicated."
"During her service on the board of the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies, Frances worked tirelessly to help students interested in pursuing a career in public service," said former United States Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta. "Frances was always willing to give her time and service to help the community."
The first Frances Sonn Nam Memorial Scholarships will be awarded in 2011. Since 2003, APIASF has awarded more than $2.4 million in scholarships. APIASF's vision is to see that all APIA students have the access to higher education and the resources they need to achieve academic, personal and professional success.
About APIASF
Based in Washington, D.C., the Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund (APIASF) is the nation's largest non-profit organization devoted to providing scholarships for Asian and Pacific Islander Americans (APIA). Since 2003, APIASF has provided a critical bridge to higher education for APIA students across the country by awarding more than $2.4 million in scholarships to 1,075 students. APIASF manages two scholarship programs: APIASF's general scholarship and the Gates Millennium Scholars/Asian Pacific Islander Americans funded by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Corporate supporters include, but are not limited to: AT&T Inc., The Coca-Cola Company, Farmers Insurance Group of Companies, ING, Macy's Inc., McDonald's, Sodexo Foundation, United Health Foundation, USA Funds, Wachovia Foundation, Walmart Foundation and Wells Fargo. For more information on APIASF, please visit www.apiasf.org.
About Sodexo
Sodexo, Inc. (www.sodexoUSA.com), a member of Sodexo Group, is a leading provider of Comprehensive Service Solutions serving more than ten million customers daily in corporations, health care, long term care, retirement, schools, higher education, government and remote sites. Headquartered in Gaithersburg, Md,, Sodexo, Inc. operates in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, with $7.7 billion (USD) in annual revenue and 120,000 employees. The Sodexo Foundation (www.SodexoFoundation.org) is an independent charitable organization that, since its founding in 1999, has made more than $11 million in grants to fight hunger in America. Visit the corporate blog at www.sodexoUSA.com/blog.