ARTISAN SPOTLIGHT
Hallie and her family immigrated to the United States from Vietnam in 1996 as political refugees. They were Montagnards, the indigenous population of Vietnam, who were faced with religious and cultural persecution.
I asked Hallie about her family and how they have influenced her. She shared,“ My father is my biggest influence. He passed away when I was in high school, but it feels like yesterday. Although he was a practicing physician in Vietnam, his passion was coffee. We owned coffee plantations in Vietnam that are still run by family members. When we came to the U. S., we had to leave many assets behind because of the Communist regime. I remember my father had a hat that said,‘ Very well educated, but broke.’ He was an MD who spoke many languages, but he worked at Charlotte Latin School
as a janitor for our first few years in the U. S. to take care of our family. His work ethic was impeccable: he put six children through university. He guides me every day, and it is in his honor that I devote myself to philanthropy.”
Hallie has traveled the world, worked as a banker on Wall Street, worked in a winery in Washington State, climbed Mount Rainier twice and is now pursuing a degree in medical anthropology. She’ s accomplished all of this while designing incredibly beautiful necklaces.
SPRING 2017 67