Opportunity
Rosana Chanou Memorial Scholarship
The Rosana Chanou Memorial Scholarship is an annual award from Cambodia Town, Inc. for Southeast Asian American students in and around Long Beach, California.[1] It helps high school graduates and community college students who volunteer in the Southeast Asian community to continue their education.[1] From 2020 to 2025 it gave 27 Cambodian American students a total of $23,300.[1][2]
History
The scholarship is named for Rosana Chanou, a founding member of Cambodia Town who was known as the "Mother of Cambodia Town." She served on its board from its start in 2005 until her death on September 22, 2020. She encouraged students to pursue higher education, and Cambodia Town, which counts her among the program's strongest supporters, named it in her memory.[1]
Sponsorship
The scholarship is sponsored by Cambodia Town, Inc., as part of its work to advance the social and economic well-being of the community by supporting youth.[3] The organization accepts donations for the program and tries to raise the number and size of its awards each year.[2]
Award and support
Awards from 2020 to 2025 ranged from $250 to $1,500. The amount of each award depends on the number and qualifications of the applicants, up to a maximum of $1,500.[1] Many recipients went on to the University of California, at Berkeley, Los Angeles, San Diego, Davis and Irvine, and others to Long Beach City College, California State University, Long Beach, Cal Poly and Stanford. One went to Dickinson College and another to the University of Utah.[2]
Eligibility
The award is open to Southeast Asian American high school seniors graduating in June, and to community college students, from Long Beach, Signal Hill, Lakewood, Bellflower, Cerritos or Artesia.[1] Cambodia Town, Inc. counts Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar (Burma), the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Vietnam as Southeast Asian countries.[1] Applicants must have volunteered in a Southeast Asian community, for a Southeast Asian nonprofit, or on a community service project that benefited the Southeast Asian community. They need a grade-point average of at least 2.8 and proof of acceptance to an accredited community college, vocational or trade school, or college or university.[1]
Application
Applications open in June each year, and awards are paid in July or August.[1] Applicants submit the application form, a copy of their high school transcript and two letters of reference from school staff, an employer or a community leader. In the 2026 cycle, all materials were due by 5 p.m. on June 13, 2026.[1]