Dr. Maya Soetoro-Ng, the sister of President Barack Obama, will be the guest speaker at the Stanley Ann Dunham Scholarship Fund’s seventh annual award ceremony, from 2-4 p.m. Saturday, May 21 at the Congregational Church on Mercer Island.

Her mother, Stanley Ann Dunham, was a graduate of Mercer Island High School in 1960 and dedicated her life to working with marginalized communities around the world and helping lift women out of poverty. Soetoro-Ng shares her mother’s passion for education and global citizenship. This is her second visit to Mercer Island to support the scholarship fund that was formed in her mother’s honor to recognize graduating female MIHS students who demonstrate a commitment to education and service in the wider community.

Soetoro-Ng grew up in Indonesia and Hawaii. Both she and her brother were shaped by their mother’s powerful vision of what a worthy life looks like.

“My mother was very determined to be remembered for a life of service and thought that service was really the true measure of a life,” she said.

Soetoro-Ng holds a doctorate in comparative education. She works for the Matsunaga Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution teaching peace education and leadership for social change at the University of Hawaii.

She has launched a national curriculum called “Ceeds of Peace” in schools around the country and has also founded numerous inner-city programs for youth to promote community service and community engagement. Her keynote speech at the award ceremony on May 21 is titled “The Courage to Serve.”

Soetoro-Ng’s visit is also timed to coincide with a panel discussion series the scholarship fund is co-hosting with the Mercer Island Public Library’s Teen Advisory Council about diversity and social justice called “Conversations for Strong Communities,” during April and May.

Soetoro-Ng will give the opening welcome at the final panel discussion titled “Who Are We?” about the impact of stereotypes in everyday life, at 11 a.m. on May 21. The series is designed to explore and promote a better understanding of the cultural and racial diversity that exists on Mercer Island.

Mercer Island Eye Works and the Mercer Island Community Fund are supporters of this event.