Hmong College Prep Academy senior Madanna Vue was recently accepted to Tufts University. Founded in 1852 and located in Medford, MA, Tufts University is one of the United States’ premier private research universities.

“We are very proud of Madanna’s academic accomplishments while at HCPA,” stated HCPA Superintendent Dr. Christianna Hang. “She is a two-time participant in Vanderbilt University’s prestigious Aspirenaut program, an intense six-week science boot camp during the summers of 2019 and 2020.”

During her time at Aspirenaut, Madanna was immersed in a biomedical research project where she worked with chemists, biologists, mathematicians and engineers. She, along with other participants, conducted research on projects involving diabetes, cancer or regenerative biology that contributed to the goals of a larger research team. At Tufts, Madanna will be a member of the university’s biomedical engineering program.

HCPA science teacher Kirkja Janson feels Madanna possesses many of the traits needed to be a successful college student.

“Madanna is someone who wants to learn for the sake of learning, not just for the grade. She asks questions that help her to connect new learning to her past experiences and also to her future aspirations. She is also a reflective person who looks back on her prior learning experiences, analyzes them, and uses her analysis to drive decisions. In addition, Madanna consistently pushes herself beyond her comfort zone and looks forward to new challenges. Her future is very promising because she has the drive, intelligence and work habits as well as a strong sense of humor interpersonal skills to make a positive difference in the world. College will be the place where she will get to further explore her interests and apply new knowledge and skills towards choosing how she will impact the world.

HCPA College and Scholarship Manager Toni Marie O’Daniel echoed Ms. Janson’s comments.

“Madanna took a huge leap of faith when she applied for a summer program at Vanderbilt at the end of her freshmen year. Attending Vanderbilt caused her to push herself out of her comfort zone. This made her realize she was as qualified as any other student to take a chance at going to a top college outside of Minnesota. In terms of HCPA, Madanna has paved the way for other students in her class and future classes to see the possibilities that are available to our communities all across the United States.”

Madanna also expressed her excitement to start college at Tufts.

“I am very much looking forward to the next step in my life. Tufts University was my top choice and I worked very hard on the application. What’s also great is that being accepted early allows me to spend an extra month on campus during the summer before everyone else arrives. The program also allows me to take a couple of classes. I’ll be taking calculus I and physics. I’ve also been making connections with other incoming freshman on social media. It’s shaping up to be a great fall.”

HCPA’s Director for Counseling and Student Services Cecelia Lee believes the school’s college prep focus and one-on-one attention provides students with a strong foundation on which to build their post-high school education.

“HCPA begins preparing students for college beginning in Kindergarten through 12th grade. We foster a college prep atmosphere through offering challenging AP and Honors courses. The school focuses on educating students on all post-secondary options available to them from career guidance to being able to obtain a master’s degree. In addition, ToniMarie and the rest of the counseling staff work hard to ensure our students believe in themselves. HCPA students graduate knowing their hard work will provide opportunities for success as well as understand that perseverance will make them a stronger and more well-rounded adult.”

Hmong College Prep Academy is located at 1515 Brewster Street in St. Paul, southeast of the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. For more information about the school, interested parties can call 651-209-8002 or online at www.hcpak12.org. The school is enrolling students for the 2020-2021 school year. Space is extremely limited.