Kyi Kyi "Lotus" Loo started organizing health fairs for the Asian-American and Pacific Islander communities. Joshua Mason initiated a literacy project, and Jo Marie Tran Janco designed a program that helps homeless people survive during the winter.

These UCLA seniors were granted the 2003 Charles E. Young Humanitarian Award for their outstanding contributions and commitment to public service. The honorees received $500 that will be donated to their respective community service projects, and their names will be engraved on a plaque on the campus. They also receive blue-and-gold fourrageres that they will wear during commencement ceremonies.

In addition, Cynthia Rabuy, a UCLA senior who died in an accident in April, will receive the humanitarian award posthumously. Rabuy served on the Undergraduate Student Association Council as the financial supports commissioner and was on the Associated Students of UCLA board of directors for two years. She was actively involved with Samahang Pilipino, worked as a peer counselor with the Samahang Pilipino Education and Retention (SPEAR) Project, danced in the annual Pilipino Cultural Night and co-coordinated the Pilipino graduation ceremony.

Kyi Kyi "Lotus" Loo

When Loo became the director of the Asian Pacific Health Coalition, the organization grew and expanded its outreach efforts in the Asian-American and Pacific Islander communities. Loo wanted the organization to focus on health issues that were important in those communities. Cardiovascular disease, for instance, is the leading cause of death in the two communities.

Loo, of San Francisco, started to organize health screenings for Asian-American communities in the Greater Los Angeles area and Orange County. Volunteers provided free blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol screenings, and also promoted cardiovascular awareness and prevention in a culturally competent manner. Loo enlisted a diverse group of Asian-American and Pacific Islander volunteers who communicated in various languages to set up screenings at ethnic festivals, markets and health fairs.

Loo also developed a mentorship program between undergraduate pre-med students and the Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association.


"The commitment and energy that Ms. Lotus Loo exhibits is commendable," said Isidro Rodriguez-Vasquez, a university adviser to the Asian Pacific Health Coalition. "She is constantly giving of herself and her time. She has truly made a difference in the lives of many people with whom she has interacted."

Joshua Mason

Mason, of Hanford, Calif., started the Program for Adult Literacy in the Baldwin Hills/West Adams area of Los Angles. The program, which is a branch of Project Literacy for children, meets a dire need in the community it serves.

"Functional literacy, the ability to read, write and communicate in English, is such an essential skill in our society that those who lack it often have severe disadvantages in gaining employment and having a voice in our democratic system," Mason said.

The program trains volunteer tutors, who then are paired up with "learners," adults who need to learn how to read and write. Tutors not only assist learners with reading and writing, but also can provide help with General Equivalency Degree study, citizenship exam preparation, family literacy and English as a Second Language. The program has been in existence for one year and has teamed up 25 tutor-learner pairs so far.

Mason's peers recognized his ability when the student-run Community Service Commission honored him with the title of best project director in 2002.

"Josh is a well-rounded individual who has a great sense of humor and a lot of heart," said Melissa Veluz-Abraham, adviser with the Center for Student Programming. "I have seen Josh's commitment, energy and organizational knowledge that brought Project Literacy to new heights."

Jo Marie Tran Janco

Janco, of Irvine, is a devoted leader of the UCLA Mobile Clinic Project. Through that group, she designed the "Winter Awareness/Survival Kit." The kit provides such basic essentials as blankets, hats and socks to homeless people during the winter.

Volunteers also spoke with homeless people about ways to reduce risk of respiratory illness, the importance of adequate nutrition and where to access winter shelter.

Janco is the undergraduate coordinator of the UCLA Mobile Clinic Project, which is a student-run free clinic that provides UCLA undergraduate, medical and public health students the opportunity to serve the homeless community in West Hollywood and Hollywood.

According to project coordinators Heather Long and Andrew Griffin, Janco approaches her responsibilities "as if she were the director of a nonprofit organization."

"She oversees the operating budget, recruits undergraduate student volunteers, teaches the undergraduates to serve as caseworkers and serves to model client interactions for the medical student volunteers," they said.