In Action

Channeling the Power of the Pen: Frances Lu Pai Ippolito, MS ’98, lawyer, judge, writer, and most recently publisher, who seeks to shed a light on marginalized communities, released her first book, “A Tree of My Own.” A children’s picture book, sold out just minutes after its release, features the Karen refugee experience displaced by war in the Myanmar region. "A Tree of My Own" has been designated an "Of Note" title by Freeman Book Awards via the National Consortium for Teaching about Asia (NCTA).The book is also a finalist for three categories of the IBPA award--AAPI Communities, Best New Voice, Best First Book. All the profits from book sales go back into scholarships and educational projects for the Karen community, including those who still reside in refugee camps. Profits have been donated to Oregon Karen Association and Earth Mission (providing medical care to Karen in Burma).