TOPINKA CELEBRATES ASIAN AMERICAN YOUTH LEADERSHIP

Comptroller honors 14 young community leaders, organization

CHICAGO - Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka on Monday honored 14 young Asian American leaders for their commitment to service and community as part of her office's celebration of Asian American Heritage Month.

Nominated by members of Topinka's Asian American Advisory Council, the honorees included students and young professionals that have distinguished themselves through service and leadership. Their accomplishments include : overseas mission work; tutoring younger students; volunteering at soup kitchens; working with the developmentally disabled; strengthening Asian American civic and voter engagement; providing language assistance to elders; and academic excellence.

"Our honorees for youth leadership have accomplishments in fields all across the board," Topinka said. "They have set the stage for a lifetime of service and excellence. Their dedication and 'go-getter' attitude is an asset not only for the Asian American community, but our entire state."

In addition to the individual honors, Topinka presented the inaugural John Vietnam Nguyen Asian American Youth Leadership Award to the non-profit Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Chicago. The organization is the Midwest's leading pan-Asian organization dedicated to empowering the Asian American community through advocacy, research, education and coalition building.

A rising community leader from the Uptown neighborhood, Nguyen was in his sophomore year at the University of Wisconsin in 2012 when he drowned after saving the life of another student. In March he became the first Vietnamese-American honored with a street name in Chicago.

"From our youth leaders to great organizations like Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Chicago: you are making a difference," Topinka said. "It is amazing to see the incredible service that you each are providing while keeping your rich culture, tradition and spirituality intact."

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