“Nyob Zoo! Kuv lub npe yog Blia Christy Her. Hello! My name is Blia Christy Her. I am a proud Hmong American woman, born and raised here in the Central Valley”
Christy” has another reason to be proud: she is the winner of the San Joaquin College of Law 2021 Hmong Language Scholarship, meeting not only the language criteria of the $5,000 tuition-reduction scholarship, but also the benchmarks of Community Service and Leadership.
She has acted as a Paraprofessional in Child Development for Fresno Unified, a law clerk for Lang, Richert & Patch, and most recently serves as a Judicial Assistant to the Hon. Gary Orozco. All along the way, she has served as an interpreter and voice for the Hmong Community.
“I have been employed with the Courts for over 6 years and have thoroughly enjoyed learning about the procedural aspects from within the courts,” she says. “On numerous occasions, I get to speak in Hmong to assist in translating to family members or individuals passing by, asking for directions; it does not occur as often as I would like, but I truly enjoy being able to assist in any way possible. There is a significant amount of Hmong families who reside here in the central valley, and I know it is always reassuring to see a familiar and/or friendly face when one walks into the Courthouse for the first time.”
Her work experience, bachelor’s degree in Criminology from Fresno Pacific, and her desire to give back make her especially worthy of this award. She notes she won’t be the first to pursue this dream: “Although there is already a handful of Hmong attorneys practicing within the central valley, some who studied and graduated from San Joaquin College of Law, I am beyond excited to learn and to acquire the necessary tools and knowledge to be able to apply it in numerous areas assisting not just the Hmong community but the entire community!”
In the Valley, there is a strong need for attorneys who possess this language skill; Fresno is home to the second-largest Hmong population in the United States. The Hmong Language Scholarship seeks to aid prospective attorneys who are proficient in the Hmong language so that this community may be better served.