NAAAP Boston Announces 2015 Future Leader Award Winners

NAAAP Boston Announces 2015 Future Leader Award Winners

BOSTON, MA - The National Association of Asian American Professionals Boston Chapter (NAAAP Boston) is proud to announce that Eugine Szeto, Emily Luu and Zeyu Zheng are the three winners of 2015 NAAAP Boston Future Leader Award, including Richard T.N. Lee Future Leader Scholarship Award, MassMutual Future Leader Scholarship Award, and Liberty Mutual Future Leader Scholarship Award.

Each student will receive $5,000 of scholarship award at the NAAAP Boston Celebration for Future Leaders Gala on May 1. The celebration will be held at The Inn At Longwood Medical from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

This year, NAAAP Boston will not only be awarding its Future Leader Scholarships to the three outstanding students, but also hosting its Annual Gala to celebrate a successful year of 2014. The celebration will feature a guest speaker, MSNBC and NBC News Anchor Richard Lui and a guest performer, Mohegan Sun's Funniest Stand-Up Comedian Andy Dawson. Richard Lui has a strong focus on community service especially on civil rights. He has received civil rights awards from national organizations including the National Education Association, Asian American Advancing Justice, Asian American Journalists Association, Who’s Who in Asian American Communities, and Organization of Chinese Americans. Boston Chief Diversity Officer Shaun Blugh and City of Malden Mayor Gary Christenson will be in attendance as well.

The NAAAP Boston’s Future Leader Award is the premier scholarship for Asian American high school students in the Greater Boston area. With the purpose of aspiring leaders in the Asian American community, this scholarship awards outstanding students based on their academic achievements, extracurricular involvement, community service, work experience, financial circumstances and leadership potential. Since the inception of the Future Leader Award in 1987, the NAAAP Boston has given over $150,000 to 80 high school seniors.

For 2015 Celebration for Future Leaders Gala tickets, please click here. All proceeds generated from this gala will go toward the NAAAP Boston's Future Leader Award Scholarship Fund.

About the Three Future Leader Award Winners

Zeyu Zheng 

2015 Richard TN Lee Scholarship Recipient 

Zeyu is an immigrant from China and came to the U.S. six years ago. He currently attends the John D. O'Bryant School of Mathematics and Science and resides in Boston with his mother. Zeyu plans to study business when entering college. He was inducted as a member of the National Honor Society for recognition of his leadership, community service, and personal character. Some of the extracurricular activities he is involved with, among many, include the Science Trivia Challenge, the Model United Nations Club, the Asian Culture club, and the Gentlemen’s club. Zeyu won third place in the Boston Teachers Union Math competition and his science team was recognized as Team Youth Silver Champions at the Harvard-MIT Science Trivia. Zeyu is currently the President of the Gentlemen’s Club, where he learned the importance of self-reflection, eloquence, and appropriate attire. Through this program, he was able to further develop his academic and leadership potential.  After graduating from high school, Zeyu would like to continue his community service involvement by participating in a similar program where he can reciprocate what he has learned and help others develop professional and personal skills.

Emily Luu 

2015 Liberty Mutual Award Scholarship Recipient 

Emily attends Mystic Valley Regional Charter School. She is half Vietnamese/half Chinese and lives in Malden. Her goal is to study nursing and become a nurse practitioner. She is passionate about soccer and swimming and is currently the starter for her soccer team and a swim leader on her school’s “Learn to Swim” club. Emily holds multiple leadership roles in her extracurricular school activities. She serves as a Treasurer of the National Honor Society, a Committee Chair of the Key Club, and the Secretary of the Math Club. Emily is also actively involved in her community. She previously volunteered with EMARC, where she taught special needs children how to swim. She is also an active tutor on the weekends at Tufts Medical Center and is a Life Guard at the YMCA Malden. Since Emily loves working with kids, after graduating from high school, she would like to continue her community service involvement by training and mentoring the youth. Similar to the Key Club she currently participates in, she is also looking forward to joining various community programs whose missions and goals are centered around education and leadership.  

Eugine Szeto

2015 MassMutual Scholarship Recipient 

Eugene attends Malden High School and is a Chinese Immigrant. He holds multiple leadership roles in various school activities that he participates in. He is the President of the Forensics (Speech and Debate) Club, the Co-Captain of the Tennis team, the President and VP of Finance in the Junior Achievement Program, and the Co-President of the Robotics club. His Robotics team won 4th place in the New England Botguy Tournament. Outside of school, Eugene volunteers with the Asian American Civic Association as an elementary school tutor. He also teaches the students the process of writing and performing original plays. Eugene also participated in Summer Search, a rigorous high school leadership program that admits only qualified students based on character and leadership potential. Through this program, he traveled to Africa and participated in a leadership academy where he and other team leaders helped the community build a sustainable project. After graduating from high school, Eugene hopes to take part in community activities similar to Summer Search. He would also like to promote and foster leadership qualities among Asian American professionals.