By Joyce Eng

On Thursday, August 28, 2025 CAPITAL had their last Scholarship and Farewell Dinner at Happy Garden Seafood Restaurant. It was attended by many APIA leaders, CACS Foundation board members and friends as well as Dignitaries like Congressman Doris Matsui, Former City Council member Jimmie Yee, Police Chief Kathy Lester, and Former Sacramento School Board Member Darrel Woo, This year’s CAPITAL Scholarship is created in memory of our fierce leader, Dr. Sonney Chong, DMD. Each student was awarded a $10,000 dental scholarship for their commitment to the Asian, Pacific Islander or Native American Community through proven community service. Those recipients were Mariah Sharp, Krishna Priya Upadrasta, Andrew Nguyen, Subin Choi and Hannah Lu.

CAPITAL Founding and Farewell – it was through CAPITAL that many of us found our voice and became leaders within our own communities. While CAPITAL was an organization that involved many organizations and many leaders from the community, Dr. Chong’s passing and significantly changing times, it would be impossible to sustain CAPITAL’s existence moving forward. Many of the organizations that were only in their infancy during CAPITAL’s founding are fully mature and can now proudly stand on their own under the strength of their leaders and supporters. As such, we honor Dr. Chong’s relentless dedication to serving the community by passing the fire of CAPITAL’s torch back to the groups that founded it.