11/23/09
SACRAMENTO, CA - November's Closing the Gap/News10 Student Scholar is a pint-sized dynamo of determination who is doing tremendous things to improve her situation in life and to close the achievement gap for others.

Nalee Moua is the captain of her leadership class through the Sacramento Police Foundation's Crimiinal Justice Academy at Kennedy High School in Sacramento. She has a 3.7 GPA and hopes to attend UC Davis next fall.
 
Her Hmong parents immigrated to the U.S. in the 90s. Their's, she says, has not been the rags to riches American dream.  Instead Nalee has to work for just about everything that comes her way.  The Academy instructor Christoffer Herner said, "Does she have things that are stacked against her? Of course she does. But she doesn't let that stop her. Instead, she says what do I need to do and she goes ahead and does it,".   Herner wishes there were more Nalees in high schools.

Click here to watch Nalee's story.