The Chinese American Association of Minnesota (CAAM), the oldest Chinese community organization in Minnesota, held the 2023-2024 Stanley & Marvel Chong Scholarship Awards Ceremony on the afternoon of August 17, 2024, at the conveniently located and well-equipped KangLe Senior Activity Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota.
Around 5 PM, this year’s awardees and their families, CAAM board members, leaders and teachers from the CAAM Chinese Dance Theater (CDT) and the CAAM Twin Cities Chinese Language School (TCCLS), some retired CAAM chairpersons and board members, and many long-time CAAM supporters gathered. Old and new friends reunited, creating a lively and warm atmosphere (Figure 1).
A saying goes, “Food is the most important thing for people.” The dinner before the ceremony started at 5:30 PM. Arranged by the CAAM Board, SUMO Grill & Buffet provided a variety of exquisite dishes and fruits at a very favorable price, making this dinner a unique fusion of Chinese and Western cuisine (Figure 2).
Following the enchanting performance of the Chinese Dai ethnic dance “DaiMan Waterfront” by CAAM CDT dancers Alison Lei, Lucy Qian, and Emily Zhang(Figure 3), and amid the audience’s enthusiastic applause, CAAM board member Dr. Fang Qiang announced at 6:20 PM that the awards ceremony would officially begin(Figure 4).
First, CAAM President Dr. Ping Wang briefly introduced CAAM’s history, organizational structure, and current status, as well as the application, review, and budget for this year’s scholarship. He then invited current CAAM board members Guoqing Li, Lin Shu, Di Tang, Shi Peng, Qiang Fang, Yanhua Wu, and Gang Ji to introduce themselves(Figure 5).
Dr. Wang also introduced the evening’s guests, including long-time friends of Minnesota’s Chinese community: Mr. Will Ahern (Chairman of ClearComet Ventures), former CAAM presidents Mr. Ken Lau (1975), Ms. KaiMay Yeun Terry (1999-2000), and Dr. Bingwen Yan (2016-2018), Chinese national first-class composer Mr. Aiqun He and CAAM CDT’s former Artistic Director and national first-class choreographer Ms. Lili Teng, local Chinese newspaper《Minnesota China Tribune 》 President Mr. Ruzhao Cheng, and Chinese WeChat media《Minnesota Chinese World 》 Editor-in-Chief Ms. Qing Deng, CAAM CDT Deputy Principal Ms. Haihua Wei, and renowned Chinese dancer/CDT dance teacher Ms. Ao Liu.
Subsequently, Dr. Wang combined the past year’s CAAM activities with upcoming projects to report on last year’s budget usage ($52,250) and next year’s budget ($53,500). He announced the official launch of CAAM’s historical project “Online Biographies of Prominent Elder Chinese in Minnesota,” with brief biographies of several CAAM founding board members already online (https://caam.org/history/)(Figure 6).
Yanhua Wu and Gang Ji, representing CAAM CDT and TCCLS respectively, reported on their annual finances and budgets and introduced the current operations of these two branches (Figures 7).
The evening’s special guest, renowned computer network expert and long-time friend of the Minnesota Chinese community Mr. Will Ahern, gave the keynote speech (Figure 8). His enduring connection with the Chinese community began 25 years ago when he and his wife adopted a daughter from Guangdong, China. He and his daughter have been CAAM volunteers, with his daughter receiving the CAAM-Stanley & Marvel Chong Scholarship in 2018-2019. She has since completed her university studies and works in IT. Adopting a Chinese daughter fostered his deep bond with the Chinese community. Collaborating with CAAM and other organizations strengthened this relationship (Mr. Will’s speech transcript is enclosed).
Following Will’s keynote, Mounds View High School’s Jessica Zhang performed the joyful Chinese guzheng piece “Harvest Drums” (Figure 9). Jessica, who has been studying under renowned Minnesota guzheng player Mr. Jiaxiang Li since 2021, amazed the audience with her impressive skills, earning enthusiastic applause.
Mr. Ken Lau reminisced about his early days at CAAM and the significant influence of Stanley Chong, praised the current board’s excellent work, and offered his best wishes(Figure 10).
The ceremony’s highlight was the scholarship presentation, co-hosted by Vice President Guoqing Li and Scholarship Review Committee Head Mr. Shi Peng. Fourteen outstanding high school seniors from 12 schools in Minnesota, excelling in community service, academic performance, and leadership, received this year’s scholarships. Vice President Guoqing Li awarded certificates to each recipient and took photos with them respectively (Figure 13). A number of parents received the certificates on behalf of their awarded child due to their out of state traveling.
Congratulations to All Scholarship Recipients
After the ceremony, awardees Julie Zhang (Figure 14) and Ray Ji (Figure 15) shared their heartfelt thanks and aspirations, winning rounds of applause.
Awardees Faith Tian and Changkuan Li performed “River Flows
Young girls from CAAM CDT (Jaylene Chang, Emily Zhang, and Evelyn Lam) performed the folk dance “Paper-Cutting,” showcasing traditional Chinese paper-cutting art, receiving rave reviews (Figure 16).
Awardees Faith Tian and Changkuan Li performed “River Flows in You” on piano and “Romance of Love” on electric guitar, respectively. Their exquisite performances immersed the audience in beautiful music, highlighting their artistic talents beyond academics (Figures 17 and Figures 18).
CAAM CDT dancers Allison Lei, Lucy Qian, and Emily Zhang performed the dance “Forest Stream” (Figure 19), transporting the audience to a picturesque scene by a forest stream.
The grand finale was performed by renowned Twin Cities folk singer Ms. Ma Mei, singing “Homesickness” (Figure 20). Born in Hunan Province, Ms. Ma not only teaches music at the well-known Yinghua Academy but also runs her own music studio, teaching singing to children. Her beautiful, resonant voice evoked nostalgia among overseas Chinese and concluded the ceremony on a high note, earning prolonged applause.
After the performances, Scholarship Review Committee Head Mr. Shi Peng gave a closing speech on behalf of the board (Figure 21). He thanked the Stanley & Marvel Chong Foundation for its long-standing support, all CAAM friends, volunteers, and attendees for their care, and the Senior Activity Center for its excellent facilities and service. He wished the scholarship recipients success in their new university lives, embracing new challenges, and continuing to contribute to the community by promoting Chinese culture.