The Kimmy Foundation Inc. has announced it will allocate a $2 million endowment for undergraduate scholarships in the University of Maryland (UMD)’s A. James Clark School of Engineering and the Robert H. Smith School of Business.
The scholarships—called the Long Nguyen and Kimmy Duong Scholarships—will be given to Maryland high school graduates with current or past work experience and a GPA of at least 3.0. Incoming engineering freshman or community college transfers can be awarded a scholarship that is renewable for up to four years. Awardees will receive $5,000 in the first year.
Alex Triantis, Dean of the Smith School, said in a statement,
“This gift of financial support for students who are working hard to realize their career aspirations will inspire future generations of leaders to remain devoted to their passions and fearlessly dedicated to their dreams”
The Kimmy Foundation is named after its President Kimmy Duong. She immigrated from Vietnam to the United States in 1975 after North Vietnamese forces took over the city of Saigon. Not only did Doung leave her country behind, but she also had to leave her position at IBM.
Through hard work, Doung has worked herself up to vice chair and CFO of Pragmatics, a Reston, VA. based information technology consulting firm. Her husband, Long Nguyen, is the company’s founder and CEO. According to the press release, many of Doung and Nguyen’s nieces and nephews have graduated from UMD.
“I want the scholarship recipients to grab this opportunity, then create their own opportunities later,” Duong said. “This should only be a first step for them in long and productive careers.”