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A Little About Ku Gay
Recently, Ku Gay Nahpay has become KOM’s new Youth Career Development Counselor. Ku Gay is a recent graduate of Bethel University, where she studied Social Work. She is also a member of the Karen community. She spent the first ten years of her life in the Tham Him refugee camp in Thailand, before coming to the United States with her family in 2007.
As the Youth Career Development Counselor, Ku Gay will be focused on building KOM’s What’s Next program and providing case management and academic support to youth. She will help develop individualized plans for promoting youth progress towards successful careers, and will follow up with youth through one-on-one coaching sessions. Tutoring, advising, and collaborating with youth will all be important aspects of her position.
The Right One for the Job
Since high school, Ku Gay has played an important role in her community. She served as Roseville Area High School’s Karen Club President for two years and was a Youth Leadership Initiative Mentor. She has also participated in youth networking and community engagement summer programs with KOM.
In addition to her experience as a leader in the Karen Community, Ku Gay also brings many skills to her new position as Youth Career Development Counselor. For instance, Ku Gay has been “trained and educated in how to advance advocacy work locally, nationally, and internationally”. These skills helped her in her social work internship at LEAP High School in St. Paul, and will continue to help her in her new position here at KOM. Ku Gay also brings a passion for advancing youth career development, and believes in “meeting students where they are at, understanding their needs, helping them set realistic goals and then advocating for them in the community as
they pursue their career goals.”
Paying it Forward
Ku Gay is grateful for the individuals who empowered her to pursue college at Bethel University. Their support “ignite[d] the fire on my passion for community engagement”, she says. Ku Gay desires to pay forward this support. She hopes she can help “Karen youth and young adults pursue their realistic dreams”.
Contact
To learn more about Ku Gay, or get in touch with her, go to her staff profile page.
