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 .
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