The Wong Family Asian Scholarship

The Wong Family Asian Scholarship was established by the Wong Family to honor Charles and Yee Shee Wong, the first immigrant Chinese couple to settle in Beloit in 1923.  They had seven children, ages 14 years to 18 months, when Charles was tragically shot and killed in 1938.

Yee Shee chose to fulfill the dream she and her husband had to offer their children a better life and education in Beloit, rather than return to China with the children.  She undertook the seemingly impossible task to raise seven children alone, especially since she was not able to speak English.  Armed with her fortitude, all seven of her children graduated from Beloit Memorial High School and all went on to complete college degrees with two achieving doctorate degrees.

The eldest son, Gim, except for service time during World War II, lived his entire life in Beloit and held many community leadership positions.  Because of their contributions to the Beloit Community, Yee Shee Wong and Gim Wong are enshrined in the Beloit Historical Society Hall of Fame.

The Wong Family Asian Scholarship is awarded to a deserving Asian student dedicated to improving her or his life through higher education.

The Wong Family Asian Scholarship is open to:

• A senior at Beloit Memorial High School
• Has demonstrated good citizenship while at school and in the community
• A student of Asian descent