Color Your Community Letter

Dear Color Your Community Sponsors and Volunteers:

Over a month has passed since Color Your Community, and my passion for volunteerism has only feverishly grown since then! Thank you to the Mona Foundation Civic Scholarship and the International Management District for sponsoring the wonderful event.

My gratitude extends to all of the volunteers who brought this community service initiative to fruition. It couldn’t have been done without your support. The greatest gift was being able to watch those who believed they had no creative bone in their body contribute something larger than just wall art:

A celebration of Houston diversity and collaboration.

Special praise to two local artists, Van Doan and Vinh Ngo for guiding volunteers and community members through their brushstrokes (as well as keeping them in the lines!). Between the three of us, we designed four unique murals that depicted Texas Bluebonnets, Houston’s skyline, Vietnamese-American culture, and diversity in the U.S.

Soon after completion, the large wooden murals were featured in a national Vietnamese leadership program entitled Len Duong, which translates to “Embark on a journey.” Within a forum setting, I was able to share my personal story to young individuals from across the U.S. and Canada. I sincerely thank the Vietnamese Culture and Science Association for motivating me to turn my interest in art into a civic engagement project.

Like a mural, society is painted with a myriad of words, images, ideas, and perspectives. We are all works in progress that aim to communicate messages that will be understood. I hope Color Your Community serves you as a stepping stone onto more community endeavors in the future. I know it has for me. Once again, thank you.

Sincerely,

Jaclyn Nguyen
July 2014

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