Current Anoka-Ramsey Community College student Loan (Mei) Luu, a sophomore majoring in Mathematics, and an Anoka-Ramsey alumna, Tanya Prader, recently received a 2009 Minnesota High Tech Foundation Scholarship.

Despite living in the U.S. for only three years, Luu has been on the Anoka-Ramsey Dean’s list for four semesters. She is also vice-president of the college Math Club, and a participant in the National Mathematics Competition and the Minnesota Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges (MinnMATYC) Conference.

“I have had the opportunity to work closely with Loan (Mei) Luu as both a student and a tutor, and she has impressed me in both capacities,” says college Faculty member, Megan Breit-Goodwin. “Mei approaches her studies with great enthusiasm, curiosity and dedication.  As a student she has the ability to formalize and abstract ideas and apply them to new concepts and contexts.  As a peer tutor, she worked closely with my students in individual and small group settings.  She was supportive and encouraging of all students and challenged them to think about material in new ways.” 

Luu aspires to earn her bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and to teach math in a two-year college.

Prader, currently a junior in Mathematics at the University of Minnesota, was also a 2009 High Tech scholarship recipient.  Prader, the mother of two children, maintained a 3.88 GPA while at Anoka-Ramsey.  She was also a participant in the MinnMATYC Conference and a member of the Anoka-Ramsey honor society, Phi Theta Kappa.

“Tanya is one of the highest achieving students I have ever taught,” says Anoka-Ramsey Faculty member, Nina Bohrod. “She sets high standards for herself and has a gift for asking pertinent and penetrating questions that help the entire class make important connections among mathematical concepts.  Her enthusiasm and excitement about math are contagious.”

Luu and Prader were among only six students state-wide to receive the Minnesota High Tech Foundation scholarships. They were honored at the 10th annual Minnesota TEKNE awards celebration, a gala event at which Minnesota businesses are recognized for innovation and unique achievement in high technology development.  The Minnesota High Tech Foundation is committed to promoting the development of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) competency in students that will enable them to thrive in and support global competitiveness of Minnesota’s technology-based economy.

For more information about Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) programming at Anoka-Ramsey Community College, visit www.AnokaRamsey.edu.

 Anoka-Ramsey Community College alumna, Tetanya (Tanya) Prader (left) and current Anoka-Ramsey student, Loan (Mei) Luu were two of the six Minnesota High Tech Foundation Scholarship Recipients.