Opportunity
Vanna Christian Sun Legacy Scholarship
The Vanna Christian Sun Legacy Scholarship pays college costs for students of Cambodian descent in the United States who study science, technology or business.[1] It is named for Vanna Sun, a Cambodian refugee who became a high school valedictorian and a software engineer.[1] Its first awards, $20,000 shared among three students, went out in June 2026.[1][2]
Sponsorship
Lyna Sun funds the scholarship, which is listed and run on Bold.org.[1] Bold.org sends each award check to the winner's college financial aid office, to go toward tuition.[1]
Vanna Sun lived through four years of forced labor and hunger under the Khmer Rouge.[1] She came to the United States in her early twenties and spoke no English on arrival.[1] She started high school as an adult and was valedictorian of the Hope High School class of 1983.[1] She won a full scholarship to Rhode Island College and finished there cum laude, with the Richard A. Howland Computer Science Award.[1] She later earned a master of science in software engineering from Fairfield University while working in corporate information technology.[1]
Award and support
For the 2026 cycle the scholarship offered three prizes: $10,000 for first place, $7,500 for second and $2,500 for third, a total of $20,000.[1][2] The amounts awarded, as shown beside the winners, were $10,100, $7,560 and $2,540, or $20,200 in all.[1]
Eligibility
Applicants must be of Cambodian descent.[1] They may be high school seniors who will attend a four-year college, or students already enrolled in a four-year undergraduate program.[1] They must study science, technology, engineering, mathematics or business, hold a grade point average of at least 3.0, show financial need and have done volunteer work.[1][2] The sponsor prefers the children and grandchildren of Cambodian refugees.[1]
Application
The 2026 cycle closed on May 10, 2026,[1] or on May 8, 2026,[2] and the winners were announced on June 10, 2026.[1] No later cycle had been announced as of October 7, 2026.[1]
Applications were made on Bold.org. Each one held an essay of 400 to 600 words on the applicant, the family's journey to and within America and the applicant's work for the community.[1] Applicants also linked a public video of up to two minutes on their goals. They added at least two photos of their family or community.[1] Winners were chosen for ambition, impact and long-term goals.[1]
Recipients
Winners of the 2026 cycle, announced in June 2026:[1]
- Hok Thai, Stanford University, first place
- Johnny Ta, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, second place
- Alyssa Phat, Harvard College, third place
See also
References
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 1.21 1.22 Bold.org, Vanna Christian Sun Legacy Scholarship (2026)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Khmer STEM Global Network, Scholarship for Cambodian-American Highschool Seniors or College Undergraduates Pursuing a Degree in STEM or Bussiness (March 2026)