Lay Vang is one of 10 children raised by Hmong refugee immigrant parents. A family of hardworking individuals, his father worked two jobs to support their family and his mother dedicated herself to raising the children.

As a graduate student in the career counseling program at California State University, Sacramento, Lay is a coach for the DEGREES (Dedicated to Educating, Graduating, and Retaining Educational Equity Students) Project. As a mentor, he advises and connects students to campus resources and facilitates career development workshops. He also tries to preserve the Hmong culture by teaching the Hmong language, traditions and history to students.

After earning a master’s degree, Lay plans to become a counselor in the community where he was raised, continuing his commitment to helping underrepresented minority students reach their potential.