Her interest blossomed in the late 1970s when she joined a St. Thomas More Parish committee set up to help with the resettlement of a Vietnamese family that had immigrated here following the Vietnam War. She did not stop at making sure they got to doctor's appointments, had clothes and shoes for school, or had enough money to pay private school tuition. She did all the polite things you do for a stranger visiting from a foreign country, and much more. She became the family's lifelong friend, and took her role as godparent of the two youngest children very seriously, attending their school activities, monitoring their academic progress and encouraging them to reach high. Even after the last one graduated from Xavier last spring, she continued to play fairy godmother, paying most of his first-semester expenses at the University of Wisconsin.
Education is the key.
The bond that was formed was a plus for everyone. Many families don't have the wherewithal to afford Xavier, so unless they get a scholarship, they're stuck. Sena Gray, director of development for Xavier, was thrilled with the endowment gift and would like to use the interest to make several scholarship grants this spring. Gray is having a hard time getting the message out to the minority community, however. Just the small number of Hmong students who have attended Xavier has enriched the school greatly, she says.