Anne-Katrine Sigrid Jensen Scholarship
Creating Access for Young Women to Live Life Powerfully
April 9, 2026.
The three days of Model United Nations are packed with nonstop activity, but four women took a short break in programming to meet with Dao Jensen, founder of the Anne-Katrine Sigrid Jensen Scholarship. These four women were the 2026 Model UN scholarship recipients.
Excerpted below is information from the CYV website detailing Dao, Anne-Katrine, and the scholarship.
From the CYV website-
Dao Jensen, Minnesota Youth in Government’s 1994 Youth Governor, is a trailblazer. Raised by immigrant entrepreneurial parents, she always aspired to achieve great things. In high school, she was the first Asian female to be elected Minnesota’s Youth Governor. In 2013, she founded Oak Rocket, the first 100% female minority-owned company on the West Coast born in the Cloud. In 2024, Oak Rocket was acquired by Compass UOL, a global digital transformation service company, and Dao became President of the new Compass UOL AWS North America business unit.
Through her participation in YMCA Center for Youth Voice programs – Youth in Government, Model United Nations, and the Conference on National Affairs – Dao gained lifelong friendships, confidence, and leadership skills. She knows how powerful these experiences can be for young women seeking to find their purpose and voice. But not every family has the financial resources to support their students’ participation in these programs.
Meeting a Need
To open the door for more students to take part in these high-quality civic youth leadership programs, Dao established the Anne-Katrine Sigrid Jensen Scholarship in memory of her daughter, AK, who passed away at age 16. AK was a bright, passionate, and creative young woman who believed deeply in the power of leadership, learning, and kindness. She was full of energy and ideas, always eager to make a positive impact on the world around her. Whether sitting in business meetings with her mom, offering sharp and thoughtful feedback, or volunteering her time, AK showed curiosity, courage, and compassion in everything she did.
“This scholarship will help other young women pursue the leadership opportunities AK was so excited to explore,” says Dao. “I hope that her early departure will be a reminder and inspire others that life can be very fragile and we all should live a life powerfully and one we love every day, and inspire others to do the same."
Applying for the Scholarship
The Anne-Katrine Sigrid Jensen Scholarship is open to secondary students of color who identify as girls and who want to participate in Minnesota Youth in Government, Model United Nations, and the Conference on National Affairs programs.
The application for the 2026 Conference on National Affairs scholarship will open in the spring.