Receiving a doctoral degree is a notable achievement in its own right, but for MayKao Hang, Doctorate of Public Administration ’14, it signified much more than her own success. It was a break from thousands of years of Hmong oppression.

“When I graduated, I cried,” Hang said, “because I realized it wasn’t just my journey. It was a 2,000-year journey of a lack of education. I think about that a lot for people who are denied education because it matters. Education is a basic right.”

Hang’s family fled Laos and landed in Minnesota when she was 4. Her father was one of very few Hmong people in the community who could speak English, and he used that skill to help others. Their family spent years taking in newly arrived refugee families, sometimes up to ten at a time.

Because Hang often accompanied her father to community meetings, she grew up with an understanding of the disadvantages refugees face and a strong belief in public service. As a girl, she tutored other children in English and even acted as an interpreter in health clinics. “These roles gave me great exposure to what needed to be fixed,” she said. “Loving the people I was around and knowing that, through no fault of their own, they had so much need and couldn’t even express themselves and get the basic tasks of life done—it shaped my understanding of the world and what was possible.”

Hang’s childhood helped shape one of her core values: that every person matters and deserves respect and dignity. This principle has been prominent in her public service career.

After working for the government for eight years, Hang decided to pursue a doctorate to deepen her understanding of the public sector and the politics of nonprofit work. She had always focused on working with vulnerable and disenfranchised population segments, so she eagerly took a position at the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation, thinking that it would fulfill her passion for public service and allow time for her to pursue her doctorate.

It didn’t quite work out as she thought, however. Instead of staying in a small role at Wilder, Hang ended up accepting the position as president at only 37 years old.

As president, Hang is able to actively model her personal definition of leadership by enabling others to make the changes they are passionate about. “When the organization and community are successful, and when we can jumpstart amazing programs, and when we’re able to build opportunities for a more sustained prosperity, that’s when I feel I’ve fulfilled my role,” Hang said.

The impact that Hang has made at Wilder has not gone unnoticed. Her office is lined with awards, and in 2014, she was even awarded a day in her honor. The award that affected her the most, though, goes back to her heritage. On the 40th anniversary of the Southeast Asian refugee crisis, Hang was awarded the Community Champion 40 and Forward Award, given by the Washington, D.C.-based Southeast Asian Resource Action Center.

“It was extremely meaningful to me because they know best the journey and how long it takes,” Hang said.

Hang serves in a variety of volunteer positions, including chair of the Minneapolis Federal Reserve, and she takes an active role in Wilder’s research branch, which puts out more than 150 research articles per year. Because of these myriad responsibilities, Hang said that receiving her doctorate was even more beneficial.

“The doctorate has given me more credibility at different decision-making tables,” she said. “It’s allowed me access into an academic world I wouldn’t otherwise have access to.”Though pursuing her Doctorate of Public Administration while raising four children and transitioning into the position of president was challenging, Hang has no regrets.

“Every challenge is worth doing,” she said. “It’s a rigorous program, but if you have commitment and perseverance, you will prevail. And, it’s a really important thing to do, to gain the knowledge and opportunities that come with it.