Encore: From the Mekong River to Sesame Street, She Soars

Mali Phonpadith’s father escaped a re-education camp and her family fled war-torn Laos. Arriving in the U.S. at age five, she learned English from watching the TV show Sesame Street. Later, her teacher said Mali’s journal showed she was a poet even though she did not know what poetry was. Her writing formed the nucleus of a project she named SOAR—See, Own, Articulate and Release—a process to help people uncover their greatest gifts and talents. SOAR now includes a community support network, a podcast and more.