Tell us a little about yourself. I am a child of Hmong refugee parents. I love traveling and prefer to explore outside of the country more than within. I’ve been to Thailand, Mexico and Costa Rica, and expect to max out the pages of my passport with various other coun- tries. Some of my best friends in life are my very own family members. Every weekend, it’s a tradition for us to gather and enjoy each other’s company over food.
What are some of the most interesting jobs you’ve had before working at the library? A few summers ago, I held an education position where I got to teach Hmong literacy for a summer youth program. This was an extremely exciting role for me, as I had never been able to utilize my Hmong in a professional setting before. I’ve also never been in an environment where all the students were Hmong. They were all so amazing and reminded me of myself a lot!
How long have you worked at the library, and what is your role? I became a Library Page a little over a year ago. My role is to uplift people and bring a smile to their face. Well, that’s actually not in my job description, but it might as well be. I like building relations with people, staff and patrons alike by exchanging genuine and sincere interactions. It’s important to be kind to others to invite positive experiences into my days. Good karma is the way to go.
What’s the best thing that has happened to you this year? About a year ago, I conducted a study abroad in Thailand to learn about traditional Thai massage. That was truly a remarkable time for me as just the year before, I had participated in another study abroad to Costa Rica. In September, I had the pleasure of seeing Rupi Kaur present her series of poems. It was magical and beautiful. Plus, I spent New Year’s in Vegas. It was epic, and that’s all I’m going to say about it.
What do you like to read? Lately I’ve been into nonfiction. I am a lifelong learner.
What’s on your bucket list? Can I list four? I’m going to list four! It has been an aspiration of mine to become trilingual in Hmong, English and Spanish, as they are the three most highly spoken languages in Wisconsin. I would love to experience the Northern Lights. There is a place in Chile called Magic Mountain that looks exactly like something straight out of The Hobbit. Google it. Lastly, I desire to climb the Inca Trails of Peru all the way up to the mystical land of Machu Picchu and issue a prayer.
