Shouazong “Faith” Hang is not an average high school student. The teen, who will graduate from East Ridge High School next spring, has a role in many activities and is succeeding through it all. Faith is participating in PSEO this year, is an active member and president of the National Art Honor Society and worked with the Youth Leadership Development Program, a part of the Woodbury Community Foundation and South Washington County Schools. Yet she still finds time to work with programs that are close to her heart.
Girls in Action is one that’s been important to Faith for the past year. “Girls in Action strives to empower young Hmong women,” she says. “I really like being able to mingle with the other girls because I’m from a suburban school. [I like] being able to meet different Hmong girls of diverse backgrounds coming from the city, and seeing what their home life and their school life is like.”
As Faith moves on to her senior year, she has a few plans to improve some of the issues that she sees in East Ridge. “Senior year is a big one and I’m really looking forward to hopefully starting to take action on different issues that I believe in—like making East Ridge a more diverse community. That’s a big goal,” Faith says. “I would go about this by not only increasing awareness about cultural identity, but also increasing cultural understanding in my activities at East Ridge. I also want to be an active member in the Equity Club that may run next year, and I plan on expanding the National Art Honor Society in the community because I feel like art is marginalized at East Ridge, so that’s something I really want to do.”
