Deborah Triplett

Varanrat Torok | Activist & Educator

Originally from Thailand, Varanrat doesn’t fit the mold of the traditional Thai woman. “I’m too stubborn for Thai men,” she says. “I’m just not going to settle for that.”

She feels passionately about the impact education and activism can have on a society. “In college, I was an activist,” says Varanrat. “I would lay myself on the road in protest because the government doesn’t listen to the poor people’s voice. Everybody deserves the best for themselves.”

Now that she’s been in America for several years, Varanrat works with the Charlotte Library’s Youth & Outreach program, where she pairs her passion for education with her desire to improve the lives of others. “I get to take our program out to the underserved community, where the concept of a library to them is relatively new,” she says. “There’s much more than just books in a library.”

~Aleigh Acerni