OCA National Center Names Jessica Wong as First-Ever S.Y. & S.F. Fung Public Service Scholar
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 6, 2021
Media Contact:
Andrew Peng, Communications Associate
andrew.peng@ocanational.org
Washington, D.C. — OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates announced Jessica Wong as the first-ever winner of the S.Y. & S.F. Fung Public Service Scholarship on Wednesday, awarding $2,000 to the graduate student to support her pursuit of a career in public service.
A resident of Fall River, Massachusetts, Wong is concentrating in Public Administration and Asian American Studies at the University of Massachusetts Boston. She currently serves as Director of Programming for the Massachusetts Asian American Pacific Islander Commission (AAPIC) and is a member of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee under Fall River Mayor Paul Coogan. Wong previously spent two years with the AmeriCorps program, where she founded the women’s empowerment group W.A.V.E (Women. Action. Voice. Empowerment).
The S.Y. & S.F. Fung Public Service Scholarship Fund aims to encourage increased Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) participation in politics, advocacy, and government. Established earlier this year to honor the parents of former Deputy Secretary of Technology for Virginia Anthony Fung, the fund provides financial aid to students pursuing a Masters Degree in Public Administration.
“I am honored that so many well-qualified candidates applied for the scholarship,” said scholarship sponsor Anthony Fung. “It indicates significant interest and a great need to support the next generation of AAPI to get involved in public service.”
“Government affects our lives in so many ways through laws, policies, and decisions,” he continued. “We need to get more students involved to ensure our voices are heard and needs are met as a community. That won’t happen unless more individuals are at the table when decisions are being made.”
More information about the S.Y. & S.F. Fung Public Service Scholarship Fund is available here. Please direct questions to OCA Associate Manager of Programs Kent Tong at kent.tong@ocanational.org.
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About OCA–Asian Pacific American Advocates
Founded in 1973, OCA–Asian Pacific American Advocates is a national, member-driven social justice organization of community advocates dedicated to advancing the social, political, and economic well-being of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs). Learn more about our work at ocanational.org/about.