PLANO, Texas, July 11, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- For
17-year-old David Thang, growing up
an illiterate boy in a small town in Myanmar could have thwarted his dream of
becoming a doctor. He had thought escaping a country ruled by the
Burmese military – often accused of ruthless and inhumane military
tactics – was the hardest obstacle he'd have to overcome.
Then his father became ill and Thang had to work to cover
medical bills, only to ultimately watch cancer take his father's
life.
"After my father died, my desire to become a doctor grew even
stronger because I want to prevent such a loss," he says.
With a scholarship from Toyota and the Asian & Pacific
Islander American Scholarship Fund (APIASF), life will be a bit
easier for Thang and 21 other Asian Pacific Islander American
(APIA) students as they pursue an
education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics
(STEM).
The $5,000 scholarships – awarded
to 11 APIA students in Southern
California and 11 in North
Texas – are offered through a collaborative partnership
between Toyota and APIASF, a non-profit organization dedicated to
providing college scholarships to APIAs.
Tracey Doi, Toyota group vice
president and chief financial officer, is the executive sponsor of
the scholarship program, and a strong advocate for Toyota's
employee resource group, TAASiA (Toyota Asian American Society in
Alliance).
"I am very excited that Toyota continues to help talented
students pursue their dreams," says Doi. "Toyota is a real champion
of diversity and inclusion, and advocates for underserved
communities. We're so proud to recognize the academic
excellence and perseverance of these scholars."
For the third consecutive year, Toyota is driving opportunities
for real-world experience by offering a paid internship to one of
its Toyota APIASF scholarship recipients. "This unique internship
will empower a student with hands-on experience in the workplace,"
says Karen Ideno, vice president of
product, marketing, corporate social responsibility, and
communications at Toyota Financial Services. "It will provide the
scholar with the interpersonal skills necessary to succeed on the
job, and gain valuable insights into his or her long-term career
goals."
In its sixth year, the scholarship program received over 10,000
student applications. Intended majors for the awarded students
range from biochemistry to computer engineering, and school
selections from the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology (MIT) to the
University of California Los Angeles
(UCLA). Thang plans to attend the
University of Texas at Arlington.
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the
cultural fabric in the U.S. and North
America for 60 years, and is committed to advancing
sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus
brands. During that time, Toyota has created a tremendous
value chain as our teams have contributed to world-class design,
engineering, and assembly of more than 33 million cars and trucks
in North America, where we operate
14 manufacturing plants (10 in the U.S.) and directly employ more
than 46,000 people (more than 36,000 in the U.S.). Our 1,800
North American dealerships (nearly 1,500 in the U.S.) sold almost
2.7 million cars and trucks (2.45 million in the U.S.) in 2016 –
and about 85 percent of all Toyota vehicles sold over the past 15
years are still on the road today.
Toyota partners with community, civic, academic, and
governmental organizations to address our society's most pressing
mobility challenges. We share company resources and extensive
know-how to support non-profits to help expand their ability to
assist more people move more places. For more information about
Toyota, visit www.toyotanewsroom.com.
About Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship
Fund
Based in Washington,
D.C., the Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship
Fund (APIASF) is the nation's largest non-profit organization
devoted to providing college scholarships for Asian Americans and
Pacific Islanders (AAPI). APIASF works to create opportunities for
students to access, complete, and succeed after post-secondary
education; thereby developing future leaders who will excel in
their career, serve as role models in their communities, and will
ultimately contribute to a more vibrant America. Since 2003, APIASF
has distributed over $110 million in
scholarships to AAPI students. APIASF manages three scholarship
programs: the APIASF General Scholarship, the APIASF Asian American
and Native American Pacific Islander - Serving Institutions
(AANAPISI) Scholarship, and the Gates Millennium Scholars/Asian
Pacific Islander Americans funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates
Foundation.
Toyota Media Line: 469-292-5100
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SOURCE Toyota Motor North America