Bee Nguyen
Athena’s Warehouse, Inc.
A daughter to immigrant parents, Bee Nguyen watched her father work two jobs while her mother raised five girls in an unfamiliar country. Her parents, who fled Vietnam, emphasized the value of education and economic independence. Her love for entrepreneurship and women and girls compelled her to join the public service sector. In 2009, she created Athena’s Warehouse, a nonprofit that empowers teen girls to become leaders in their communities. The organization has served over 400 girls in Atlanta, primarily in the Buford Highway area, an immigrant-rich community.
Presentations from Facing Race 2016
Undocumented: The Art of Breaking Silence
In Georgia, our undocumented students are short-changed by restrictive policies prohibiting access to higher education. We are one of three states with policies that outright ban students from enrolling in universities. Empowering youth to become their own advocates and teaching them how to engage with elected officials unshackles students from existing as a permanent underclass. The process for engaging students must begin by providing outlets for emotional expression through accessible and relatable mediums, such as art, film, or dialogue. Shedding their identity as second-class citizens instills students with the confidence to engage with lawmakers and mobilizes students to seek permanent policy solutions.
Speakers: Bee Nguyen, Christopher Perlera