“In Filipino culture, there’s a term called Kapwa,” says Lana Nguyen. “It isn’t just empathy; it’s the belief that your well-being is tied to mine. Even though I’m not Filipino, I feel a strong sense of Kapwa.”

As a program coordinator for the nonprofit UniPro, Lana turned that philosophy into action—researching migrant support centers and leading outreach for Filipino-American history.

Thanks to School of Humanities and Arts HEDGE funding, she was able to focus entirely on her community work without financial stress, which included teaching social studies at a summer arts camp with MECA in Houston’s Old Sixth Ward.

“What we learn in the classroom at Rice is important,” Lana says, “but taking that knowledge and applying it to the community around you is what matters most.”