Karen Ha

Sponsor: M1

She was born and raised in the amazing city of Monterey Park. Growing up, her mother

taught her the famous Chinese saying about how a single chopstick is easy to snap, but a

group is unbreakable. Since then, she had always worked to be a part of her community,

especially through volunteer work. Even during her time at the University of California, Santa

Barbara, she continued to work to be a part of a different community as well. After graduating

with a biological sciences degree and studying abroad at the University of Cambridge over

the summer, she returned to Monterey Park eager to pursue a master's degree. At the same

time, she also wanted to rejoin her community again. She decided to participate in Miss Los

Angeles Chinatown because she wanted to serve as an ambassador on behalf of her home-

town. Remembering what her mother taught her, Karen Ha does not want to be a single

chopstick because she believes that a community, like a group of chopsticks, is stronger

together.