At a glance
The Vietnamese Student Association at UW (VSAUW) has celebrated Vietnamese culture since the 1980s through events like its… Read full summary
- Funding received
- 2024-2025
- Small
- Awarded
- $3,275
- Funding partners
-
- Services and Activities Fee (SAF)
This photo captures all the VSA officers, dancers, and contestants coming together for a group photo at the end of the show, celebrating their months of hard work and dedication in planning Hoa Khoi Lien Truong.
This photo captures the raw emotion of 20 dancers who just delivered a successful performance in front of an audience of over 400 people. After months of perfecting their choreography, their hard work paid off. The dancers are holding traditional Vietnamese fans, skillfully incorporated into a more modern, contemporary routine.
This moment captures the pure joy of their "HK Sister" and running mate, Julie, winning the pageant. The girls always emphasized that it was never a competition, and their genuine happiness for Julie's victory speaks volumes to that sentiment.
The HK girls performed a mix of modern and traditional dances. Here, they are showcasing a traditional hat dance as a tribute to their heritage and culture—a powerful moment of pride as they celebrate their ethnic roots in front of their parents, family, and friends.
It was a deeply emotional moment as a contestant sang a heartfelt song in Vietnamese dedicated to her mother. She stepped off the stage to hold her mom's hand, but their emotions took over, and they embraced each other throughout the entire performance. This touching display of love brought tears to everyone’s eyes, especially as it's often culturally challenging to express affection between parents and children. It was a powerful, unforgettable moment that brought tears to everyone in the audience.
The Vietnamese Student Association at UW (VSAUW) has celebrated Vietnamese culture since the 1980s through events like its biennial cultural pageants. This year’s Hoa Khôi Liên Trường (HK) will highlight the talent, grace, and stories of young Vietnamese female-identifying individuals through performances, skits, and personal narratives.
The 2024 theme, "Unraveling Destiny: Shadows, Reflections, and the Threads of Tomorrow," focuses on self-discovery, inviting participants and the audience to reflect on the past and present to shape their futures. This vibrant showcase celebrates culture, identity, and the shared experiences that unite the community.
Since the 1980s the Vietnamese Student Association at the University of Washington (VSAUW) has been a cultural, social, and civically engaged organization. We host events that showcase Vietnamese heritage and culture with our largest event being our biennial cultural pageants, Pho King (PK) for male-identifying contestants and Hoa Khôi Liên Trường (HK) for female-identifying contestants which have been happening every year since before the year 2000.
This year falls on Hoa Khôi Liên Trường, which will celebrate the talent, grace, and personal stories of young Vietnamese female-identifying people. This event is more than a pageant; it’s a vibrant showcase of culture and identity, where our contestants express themselves through dance, skits, and heartfelt narratives. Showday marks the culmination of months of preparation, highlighting not just their individual talents but also the shared experiences that shape their lives.
This year’s theme, “Unraveling Destiny: Shadows, Reflections, and the Threads of Tomorrow,” invites us to explore self-discovery. It encourages contestants and the audience to reflect on the choices and experiences that define us. By embracing both the shadows of the past and the reflections of the present, only then will we will learn to weave our own futures.
Organizing a show of this scale requires a substantial financial investment. A significant portion of our budget is dedicated to reserving Kane Hall as our venue, along with decorations and other essential costs necessary for a high-quality production. Based on our previous shows, we anticipate expenses totaling around $7,300, and we are actively seeking funding solutions. We plan to leverage business sponsorship packages, enhance ticket sales through promotional strategies, and apply for grants, including support from partners like you, to successfully fund our cultural pageant and achieve our ambitious goals.
Specifically, from the Campus Sustainability Fund we are requesting support to help cover the estimated $3,275 cost of Kane Hall. This is where we will perform on show day and is our largest expense of the project. Your contribution would be invaluable in ensuring we have the ability to support our other expenses and other events throughout the year.
We are not just seeking financial support for our pageant; we’re inviting you to invest in the confidence and identity among our contestants. Your contribution would foster introspection within the Vietnamese community and help us realize our vision. Together, we can empower everyone involved to explore their identities, reflect on their experiences, and weave together the threads of a brighter tomorrow.
The timeline of our project is as follows:
- Wednesday, November 19, 2024 – Information Session 1
- Thursday, December 5, 2024 – Information Session 2
- Friday, December 20, 2024 – Application Decisions
- Starting January 6, 2025 - April 18, 2025 – Weekly Practice / Workshops
- Saturday, January 18, 2025 – Ao Dai Shopping
- Saturday, February 22, 2025 – HK Camp
- Wednesday, April 23, 2025 – Dress Rehearsal
- Saturday, April 26, 2025 – Hoa Khôi Liên Trường Showday
We would like to thank you in advance for your consideration. The main point of contact will be our Treasurer Kenneth. You are also welcome to contact our HK chairs Kayla, Jessica, and Vinnie at:
- Kenneth Phan: phanken@uw.edu
- Kayla Doan: kaydoan@uw.edu
- Jessica Do: jessdo@uw.edu
- Vinnie Nguyen: vinguye@uw.edu
Hoa Khôi Liên Trường and the message it emits is sure to resonate within the broader Vietnamese and University of Washington communities. Together, we can shape the future of our contestants, audience, and community.
Kenneth Phan
Project lead
- phanken627@gmail.com
- Affiliation
- Student
- Years
- 1 year(s) remaining at UW
- Affiliated groups
- Vietnamese Student Association at the University of Washington (VSAUW)
Kayla Doan
Team member
- kaydoan@uw.edu
- Affiliation
- Student
- Years
- 1 year(s) remaining at UW
- Affiliated groups
- Vietnamese Student Association at the University of Washington (VSAUW)
Jessica Do
Team member
- jessdo@uw.edu
- Affiliation
- Student
- Years
- 1 year(s) remaining at UW
- Affiliated groups
- Vietnamese Student Association at the University of Washington (VSAUW)
Sahra Ibrahim
Advisor
- sahrai@uw.edu
- Affiliation and department
- SAO
- Stakeholder approval form
Request amount and budget
Plans for financial longevity
After the event concludes for the year, the project will still continue to thrive through sustained engagement and long-term planning. We will maintain and update the resources created, including the comprehensive event guide and toolkit, which will serve as a blueprint for future shows. This toolkit, which includes logistics, expense breakdowns, sponsorship strategies, itineraries, and AV booth instructions, will be kept up to date for each subsequent event.
We also plan to maintain a strong online presence by posting recap videos of the event and sharing thank-you messages on our social media platforms, ensuring continued community involvement and support. The event’s documentation, such as dance performance videos and mementos, will be archived and available for future reference.
Looking ahead, our goal is to build a lasting network of volunteers, sponsors, and supporters who can ensure the smooth execution of future events. With these plans in place, we aim to make the biennial show even more impactful in future years, strengthening its presence and legacy within the VSAUW community.
The timeline of our project is as follows:
- Wednesday, November 19, 2024 – Information Session 1
- Thursday, December 5, 2024 – Information Session 2
- Friday, December 20, 2024 – Application Decisions
- Starting January 6, 2025 - April 18, 2025 – Weekly Practice / Workshops
- Saturday, January 18, 2025 – Ao Dai Shopping
- Saturday, February 22, 2025 – HK Camp
- Wednesday, April 23, 2025 – Dress Rehearsal
- Saturday, April 26, 2025 – Hoa Khôi Liên Trường Showday
Plans for long-term project management
To ensure the continuity of our project, we have established strategies to maintain engagement and consistency year after year. Each year, we emphasize our theme through performances and skits that tell heartfelt stories, aiming to resonate with both contestants and the audience. This year’s theme focuses on introspection and how experiences shape who we are, which is reflected in all our branding, from social media content to take-home keepsakes like pamphlets and banners.
After the event, we maintain a strong online presence by sharing recap videos on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook. This includes the "Hoa Khoi Lien Truong Journey" video, highlighting the preparation and sisterhood leading up to show day, as well as recaps of the event itself and individual dance performances. We also share thank-you posts to express our gratitude.
By documenting our processes and utilizing these platforms to celebrate our community, we ensure that the spirit and message of our project are preserved, allowing it to thrive and continue seamlessly each year.
Problem statement
Many young Vietnamese individuals today feel disconnected from their cultural roots, some embarrassed by their heritage or pressured to conform to mainstream norms. Hoa Khôi Liên Trường, along with the Vietnamese Students Association (VSA), provides a space for these individuals to find community, share experiences, and rediscover pride in their culture. In addition, many youth struggle with confidence in today’s digital world. Hoa Khôi Liên Trường helps foster confidence, as contestants and dance teams grow in self-assurance while embracing their cultural identity on stage.
This year's theme, “Unraveling Destiny: Shadows, Reflections, and the Threads of Tomorrow,” invites both contestants and the audience to reflect on experiences that shape who we are. By emphasizing cultural pride and self-reflection, we aim to inspire the UW community to celebrate diversity and foster cross-cultural understanding. Months of preparation culminate in this showcase, empowering students to reconnect with their roots while promoting inclusivity and pride across campus.
Problem context
Hoa Khôi Liên Trường complements the University of Washington's existing diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, such as the Ethnic Cultural Center (ECC), OMA&D, and other cultural student organizations. Our project addresses a unique gap by emphasizing cultural sustainability within the Vietnamese and Southeast Asian communities through storytelling, performance, and community engagement.
While UW offers cultural awareness events, our project goes beyond by providing a dynamic, immersive platform that blends traditional and modern dance, skits, and personal narratives. This event not only showcases talent but also fosters a deeper connection to cultural roots and promotes pride in one's heritage. By preserving cultural traditions in a modern context, Hoa Khôi Liên Trường supports the broader goal of building confidence, cultural pride, and community among students, while enhancing UW’s commitment to diversity and inclusion.
Communication tactics and tools
Social Media Campaigns: We will leverage Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube to share dynamic visuals, event highlights, and compelling stories. This will include teaser videos, behind-the-scenes content, and participant spotlights to build excitement in the weeks leading up to the event.
Tabling and Flyers: We will set up tabling sessions in high-traffic areas across campus, where we will distribute flyers, QR codes for easy event registration, and sneak peeks of the show. This strategy aims to boost engagement and increase ticket sales by reaching students directly.
Outreach communication plan
We will communicate our project through a multi-channel approach, utilizing Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and email newsletters to share updates, behind-the-scenes content, and impactful stories. The project's deliverables, such as cultural performances, skits, and educational materials, will benefit not only Vietnamese and Southeast Asian students but also the broader UW community by fostering inclusivity, cultural pride, and mutual understanding. Our goal is to inspire dialogue and appreciation for diverse cultural narratives on campus.
Student involvement
Our project includes components focused on student professional development. We offer volunteer opportunities for students to gain hands-on experience in event planning, marketing, and community engagement. Contestants participating in performances and skits develop valuable skills in public speaking, cultural storytelling, and teamwork. Additionally, we host workshops on both traditional and modern dance, providing a creative outlet for students to enhance their talents and cultural understanding. This comprehensive approach not only fosters cultural appreciation but also supports personal and professional growth, helping students build transferable skills that are valuable beyond the university setting.