Somprathana Akeela Kongdara
Born and raised in Amarillo, TX- Somprathana “Akeela” Kongdara (she/her) is a proud third-generation Lao Texan. Grown on the stories of family’s journey to the US, Akeela takes great pride in her Lao heritage and refugee roots. She often refers to the African Proverb that “it takes a village to raise a child” - attributing her passion and ambitions to the community that raised her. Akeela is a first-generation college graduate with a BS in Political Communication Studies and a BA in Asian American Studies from the University of Texas at Austin. Akeela is passionate about education equity, critical refugee studies and oral histories. Prior to her current role, Akeela served as a Campus Organizer for ATJ, Texas Student Recruiter for UT-Austin, and Resource Director for Burnt Rice Bunch - a youth APIDA advocacy group. Outside of the office, Akeela mentors future and current first-generation college students in her local commu