FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
GWINNETT COUNTY, GA. – Jonathan “JT” Wu, Preface’s Founder and Executive Director, was named one of the Top 25 Most Influential Asians in Georgia for 2021 earlier this spring. Each year, the Georgia Asian Times recognizes the 25 Asian American Pacific Islander individuals who have made an impact on their communities. The list includes individuals such as politicians, community, leaders, and business leaders.
This recognition is especially meaningful given the tragic shootings impacting the Asian American community in Georgia earlier this year. Wu noted that he is proud to represent Preface – and its deep Georgia roots – as it continues to be recognized across America for making a transformative impact on the education of young children from all backgrounds.
Wu gave an inspiring acceptance speech in which he extended his appreciation for the recognition and opportunity to serve alongside other astounding individuals in the Asian American community.
“As somebody who is a Gwinnett County native and a first generation American, who was raised right here in town, it is such an incredible honor to be standing here with you tonight – and just to even be mentioned in the same breath as a lot of the leaders and pioneers in the pillars of our Asian American community in this room,” Wu said.
He went on to give some insight into the history and mission of Preface, even through the midst of the challenges of a predominantly virtual setting, due to the pandemic.
“Preface has grown and thrived thanks to the power of student service, and we have done it all through a pandemic in 11 states across America and growing at absolutely no cost to our schools. Because ultimately, we believe that every child- no matter where they live or what language they speak, deserves the educational foundations to pursue their own American dreams.”
The Georgia Asian Times is the largest newspaper dedicated to covering the diverse Asian American and Pacific Islander community in Georgia and the broader Southeast. Previously, Wu and Preface had been featured in an Executive Profile with the Georgia Asian Times, highlighting Asian American changemakers in the South. During the feature, Wu joined Li Wong, the publisher of the Georgia Asian Times, to discuss Preface’s unique mission and Wu’s personal background.
Wu added that he and Preface are jointly proud to have been recognized both for the Executive Profile, and now as one of the Top 25 Most Influential Asians in Georgia for 2021.
“It’s so inspiring to see Preface’s pioneering models of student service and early childhood literacy engagement be adapted and adopted by school leaders, hardworking educators, and other local service organizations around the country,” continued Wu. “We’re honored to be setting the standard for peer-to-peer literacy mentors across America. With every new school partner that joins our family, and with every new service organization that reaches out to us for advice on how to leverage our best-in-class innovations and mentorship models for their communities, we’re seeing the strength of our core values of Literacy, Community, and Opportunity rippling across the country in exciting ways.”
With the Georgia Asian Times’ recognition of Wu and Preface as trailblazing leaders in literacy and student service, the future is truly bright for their missions of Equality Through Education and Early Childhood Literacy.
A link to Wu's full acceptance speech on behalf of Preface at the Awards Gala is available here.
About Preface:
Founded in 2019, Preface is a public-private philanthropic initiative dedicated to fostering Equality Through Education and early childhood literacy - often with a multilingual twist! Partnering with educators and community leaders, Preface empowers local high schoolers to give back to their communities and bridge opportunity gaps by fostering literacy among young students of all backgrounds. A federally recognized 501(c)(3) organization, Preface is proudly headquartered in Gwinnett County, Georgia and serves communities across America. Learn more at www.PrefaceProject.org.
For further inquiries, contact:
Devon Naftzger
Chief Marketing Officer
Preface Public Relations
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