Hello, my name is Pak Yang. I am the youngest of three siblings, with two older brothers. I am Hmong and a refugee from Laos. What is Hmong? Hmong people are an ethnic tribe that resides in the mountain villages of Laos and fought in the Vietnam War with the support of the U.S. After the war ended, my family and I immigrated to America for a better opportunity. With the help of sponsors from a local church, we first stepped off the plane into Santa Barbara, California. Fortunately, we already had two uncles living in Santa Barbara so we were able to stay with them and save money and eventually became homeowners.

My mom, who is a single parent, reminded me constantly that education was key. Her words of encouragement and love lead me to pursue my Bachelor’s of Science degree in Telecommunications Management in 1996 from DeVry Institute of Technology. After graduation, my first job out of college was for Sprint, a Telecommunications company. From there on, I moved to Panasonic and became a Project Manager for over 15 years.

I have a blended family with 3 children (two girls and a boy). My eldest daughter (who is my bonus daughter) is currently attending California Polytechnic School of Pomona and my other two are twins, and they are attending Santa Barbara City College.

My husband and I are empty nesters now, and have always enjoyed Arizona, so we relocated from California to Arizona. So far, it's one of the best decisions we've made, because nothing compares to the beautiful Arizona skyline!

In my culture, we are a close-knit family and value gatherings and events to continue bonding with our children and others. Like they say, it takes a village to raise a child and I absolutely cannot wait to work with students of our future. I am grateful for this opportunity and happy to be part of the Higher Ground Community!