Nou Vang

Provider

Service Array: Paraprofessional, Individual Skill Development and Enhancement (ISDE), and Youth Mentor

I was born in Laos six years after the Vietnam war. My family faced many hardships trying to provide for us while trying to keep us safe. After multiple failed attempts and losing many family members, we were able to flee to a Thailand refugee camp in 1982. We lived there for 3 years until we were fortunate enough to be sponsored to come to the United States in 1986 where we settled in Eau Claire, WI.

While we were thankful to have escaped persecution from the war, we had other challenges to face. Though there were many opportunities for us, being assimilated into a culture unlike our own was not easy. There were language barriers, cultural differences, and many prejudices we had to learn and work through. My parents tried their best to provide for us, but did not understand how to fully help us be successful in school and outside of the home.

Not having that support and guidance from the right mentors, I found myself spiraling down the wrong path which eventually led to juvenile detentions, jail, and addiction. Not wanting to continue down a path where I would eventually be incarcerated, I chose to go Laona, WI where I got my HSED from Blackwell Job Corps. It took a long time to release myself from this self-destructive path I had been on, but with the guidance and dedication of loved ones, I was able to overcome my addiction.

Although I am not proud of many choices I’ve made, they have shaped me to be the person I am today. My goal is to draw on these life experiences to help be that person that I needed when I was at my lowest in the hopes that I can make a difference in someone’s life. Finding healthy coping mechanisms and ways to channel my feelings was very challenging as I never had anyone teach me the right tools to cope. I hope to be a positive mentor for someone so I may guide them to find strategies and positive outlets that will work for them.