Dawna Lee Heising Gallery
I am pleased to write a letter of recommendation on behalf of Dawna Lee Heising. I have known Dawna for quite some time, and I can say, without
hesitation, that she is one of the most vibrant, caring, and giving persons I know. She is very active in her community, not only through her pageant work but
also through her employment, and no one puts more effort into succeeding at all endeavors she attempts.
In addition to being a quality professional and community member, Dawna is a wonderful mother to her two daughters, both of whom are well on their way to
successful careers of their own. Each of them would do well to regard their mother as their leading role model for success and compassion.
GREG DRAKE
ASSISTANT CHIEF COUNSEL
TIME WARNER CABLE
Dawna is a member of the Screen Actors Guild and has appeared in Fantasy Island, Magnum P.I. and The Jagged Edge, among other roles. Currently, she
works in Marketing and Public Relations for SYSPRO, an international enterprise business software company with United States headquarters in Costa
Mesa, Calif. She has a B.S. in Business Management, an MBA from Pepperdine University and a Ph.D. in Business Management from Pacific Western
University. She's listed in Who's Who of American Women and Who's Who in Technology. She is a former Miss Los Angeles Chinatown, Miss Orange
County and San Francisco Universe, Mrs. California United States and Mrs. American Achievement.
Dawna and I have two daughters. Marissa is a manager with Sanofi-Aventis and Misty is a medical student at Albany Medical College in Albany, New
York. We are very achievement-oriented but we’ve tried to teach the girls that good character ethics are the keys to success. Our daughters know that they
can achieve whatever they want to if they are willing to work hard enough but they know that they need to achieve the right way, with honesty, integrity
and humility.
Dawna's uncle is Tak Fujimoto, a Director of Cinematography whose credits include Silence of the Lambs, Philadelphia and The Sixth Sense. Dawna has
retained her membership in SAG for more than 30 years and had a small role as the Evil Queen in the motion picture “Forbidden Warrior” last summer. Her
heritage is Chinese, Japanese, Mongolian and American Indian.
Dawna is a devoted wife and mother, a goal-oriented technology professional and a strong advocate for the American Heart Association, who works hard
to educate the public about the dangers of cardiovascular disease. Heart disease is the number one killer in America and strokes are number three and we
both believe that it is important to educate people that cardiovascular disease can be controlled by eliminating smoking and obesity, reducing stress and
by proper exercise. Dawna is a representative for the American Heart Association (AHA) and is on the Planning Committee for the Red Dress movement,
which educates women about heart disease. She is also involved in raising funds for the Heart Gala, the Orange County Heart Walk and the “Train to End
Stroke” half-marathon in California.
Dawna believes that it’s important to set goals, to always stay positive and to make a difference every day in the lives of others. Her motto is “Carpe
Diem”, which means to live each day to the fullest and make the most of every opportunity that God gives to us. We never know what’s going to happen
tomorrow so it’s important for us to take steps toward achieving our life goals every day. For Dawna, that means being a good wife, mother and daughter,
contributing to society by volunteering for the American Heart Association and the City of Hope and trying to make a positive difference in the lives of
others.
PAUL HEISING
It is with great honor that I nominate my mother, Dawna Lee Heising, for membership in your Ambassadorial Society as a Universe Ambassador. She has been a great
mentor, confidant, friend, and mother to me throughout my life and would be an excellent choice to represent your organization.
Most importantly, however, I am proud of my mother for who she is as a person. Since I was a little girl, she has always been the role model for my sister and me. We
have always looked at her as a barometer for our potential success, seeing as she is a vivacious, motivated, and focused individual. She has shown us through her
example that, as women, we can achieve anything we truly desire and that life should be lived under the umbrella of carpe diem. It is because of her that we
developed a strong sense of self and believed that, if we had a dream, we could achieve it.
When I was younger, I remember her standing on the sidelines of my soccer games yelling words of encouragement as I raced down the field. I could hear her say,
“Go!” as loud as she could, and this only made me run faster, push harder, and dig deeper. Each time I would score a goal or make a play, I could hear her support in
the background, and that was just enough encouragement for me. My mother has served this supportive role in all arenas of my life, from grading my school reports, to
perfecting my make-up for a homecoming dance. She was there for it all, and I am so thankful to have had her love, support, and constant encouragement while
growing up. Even while dealing with the pressures of medical school today, she is the one person I call religiously to ask for advice and moral support.
There is an old saying that, “The flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all.” My mom brings life to this statement, seeing as she has
definitely faced challenges that were beyond her control. Among one of these hurdles was her role as a single mother raising my sister and me. Though she had
help from supporting family members, this is no easy task for anyone. She had to place her career as a successful model and actress on hold for a more permanent
and stable position to raise us well. Luckily, having attended the University of California, Berkeley for some time before she got married, my mother understood the
power of education and the many doors it can open for you. It is with this perspective that she decided to go back to school to receive her masters degree in business
from Pepperdine University. She would work a full day in the morning, attend school at night, and then come home to two girls who demanded her time and energy.
And, to my amazement today, she gave it to us.
In retrospect, it truly is amazing how my mother managed her time. My sister and I never felt neglected or dismissed due to her busy schedule. In fact, I felt inspired by
this and would model my lifestyle after hers. During what could have been a traumatic experience for a family, my mom transformed this into an opportunity to
overcome a challenge. I became class president and valedictorian of my middle school. I felt like I could overcome almost every hurdle thrown in my way, and that my
mother would be right next to me cheering me on. Now that I am learning about human development and pediatric psychiatry in school, I realized that my mother had
the correct formula for success: she demonstrated, through example, how to live life and supported our pursuit of this quest.
MISTY CHARISSA RICHARDS
Albany Medical College
A TRIBUTE TO MY FAMILY
I am very proud of my entire family. My father is Chinese, Mongolian and American Indian. My mother is
Japanese. I have four brothers and sisters, two nieces and two nephews. My father was born in China and
came to the United States when he was ten. His grandfather had come to the United States earlier and
married an American Indian woman and brought her back to China. My father was the youngest child of
eight and was the son of his father’s second wife, who was the maid of his first wife. Things were obviously
much different in those days!
My father attended Stanford and graduated from USC with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering. He received
an M.S. in Engineering from USC and an MBA from Rider’s College. My father is a certified genius with an
IQ of 158 and he holds 21 patents on his engineering designs. He also served in the U.S. Air Force during
the Korean War and today is a member of the American Legion. At the age of 75, he went back to school
and got a Master’s degree in teaching from Cal Poly Pomona, and today he teaches math at a high school
in Norwalk.
My mother is a retired nurse. She was the valedictorian of her high school and was voted the “Prettiest Girl”
in her high school in San Diego. When she was young, she was interred at the Poston Camp in Arizona
during World War II because of her Japanese heritage. My grandfather lost his carnation farm during World
War II because the land was taken by the government, but he rebounded after the war and started another
farm that eventually was worth millions. But when my mother was young, the family was very poor. My
uncle Jack Fujimoto has a PhD and is a former Dean at Pierce College. He served in the famous Brigade
442 from the Manzanar Camp during World War II. My uncle Tak Fujimoto is a famous Director of
Cinematography, who did the movies “Silence of the Lambs”, “Philadelphia”, “Sixth Sense” and “The
Manchurian Candidate”.
My sisters Kathy and Laurie and my brother Allen all graduated from UCLA. My brother Rick graduated from
the USC Film School and is a screenwriter. My sister Kathy went on to Harvard Law School and today is a
lawyer for the City of Newport Judges. Her husband graduated from Harvard Law School and is a Partner
with Shepherd-Mullin. My sister Laurie went on to Cal State Dominguez Hills and is a Nurse Practitioner.
My brother Allen is a CPA who specializes in taxes.
My husband Paul is a former Vice President of Sales and Marketing for ConAgra foods, where he helped to
introduce the Healthy Choice food line. He also introduced Flavored Alka Seltzer when he was at the
Bayer Corporation. Today, Paul (CFP, MBA) is a Partner with Moran, Kimura & Heising, LLC, and the
company is very successful. His senior partner Rich Moran has been voted one of the Top 20 CFP’s in
California and Top 100 in America for the last six years by Worth Magazine.
Both of my daughters, Marissa and Misty, were star soccer players in high school. Misty was also a pole
vaulter who won the Empire League division crown during her junior and senior years. Marissa graduated
from San Diego State with a B.A. in Communications and was awarded Brand Manager of the Year two
years in a row at Nordstrom’s, where she headed the Clinique cosmetics line. Today she is a
pharmaceutical representative for Sanofi-Aventis, where she recently came in third in sales for the Western
region for her first year. Misty graduated from UCLA with a B.S. in Psychological Biology and was awarded
the “Distinguished Bruin” and “Senior of the Year” titles. She has done research at the National Institute of
Mental Health in Bethesda, Maryland for a year and is currently a medical student at Albany Medical
School, where she is studying to become a psychiatrist. She is doing a research project this summer in
Japan between her first and second year of medical school.




A CALL TO THE LIGHT
What is Engeye Health Clinic?
Engeye Health Clinic is comprised of a small group of immensely dedicated individuals, both
Americans and Ugandans, working one step at a time, one day at a time, to improve the living
conditions and reduce the unnecessary suffering in rural Africa through education and
compassionate health care.
WHY WE NEED YOUR HELP
Until we receive our non-profit 501c3 status, we are entirely dependent on donations from individuals like you who want to make a personal
investment in the future of people less fortunate. Once granted non-profit status, the path is cleared for our grant writer to access significant
funding to help us achieve our short and long-term goals.
Our goal for spring break of 2007 is to bring basic health care to Ddegeya Village and its surrounding villages in southern Uganda for the first
time ever. Prior to our arrival, we'll need to have acquired medicine cabinets, examination beds, curtains, office supplies, and medical
supplies. The beds and medicine cabinets will be custom made for very little cost in the neighboring Masaka Village. Medication and other
supplies will be purchased either in Masaka or in Kampala, the capital city, prior to our arrival.
ALBANY MEDICAL COLLEGE VOLUNTEERS TO HELP OPEN HEALTH CLINIC IN UGANDA
Former UCLA “Distinguished Bruin” Award Winner Is Member of Uganda Volunteer Group
Huntington Beach, November 30, 2006 - On March 30, 2007, eight volunteer medical students from Albany
Medical College (AMC), along with Dr. Paeglow and Dr. Murley from AMC, will arrive in Ddegeya Village to open
the doors to the newly constructed Engeye Health Clinic and volunteer quarters, bringing basic essential medical
care to residents in Ddegeya and in neighboring villages for the first time ever!
Engeye Health Clinic is run by a small group of immensely dedicated individuals, both Americans and
Ugandans, working one step at a time, one day at a time, to improve the living conditions and reduce the
unnecessary suffering in rural Africa through education and compassionate health care.
The Engeye Health Clinic was established by Stephanie Van Dyke, who today is in her second year at AMC, and
John Kalule in 2000. Stephanie spent time volunteering in Katooke Village in rural Uganda. The urgent need
for the most basic medical care that she witnessed every day inspired her to pursue a career in medicine, with the
ultimate goal of building and running self-sustaining clinics in Uganda. During her 2000 visit, Stephanie met
John, a native Ugandan from Ddegya, who helped her adjust to the challenges posed by life in rural Africa
(including, but not limited to, sharing her bed with rats and fire ants). The word Engeye means "white monkey" in
Ugandan, and is John's family clan name.
The cost of the Spring break mission is expected to be around $20,000, much of which will be one-time expenses
for permanent fixtures. The volunteers will contribute most of the money required for airfare and food. The
volunteer group must purchase medicine cabinets, examination beds, curtains, office supplies and medical
supplies for the new Engeye Health Clinic. The beds and cabinets will be custom made for very little cost in
neighboring Masaka Village. Medication and other supplies will be purchased either in Masaka or in Kampala,
the capital city.
Until the volunteer group receives non-profit 501c3 status, they are entirely dependent upon donations from
individuals who want to make a personal investment in the future of people less fortunate. Once granted non-
profit status, the path is cleared for their grant writer to access significant funding to help them achieve their short
and long-term goals and alleviate suffering in Uganda. The grant writer is Misty Richards, a second year AMC
student who attended El Dorado High School in Placentia, CA, and graduated from UCLA with a B.S. in
Neuropsychiatry. Misty received the “Distinguished Bruin” and Senior of the Year awards from UCLA in 2003.
The Albany Medical College Engeye project volunteers are Stephanie Van Dyke, Misty Richards, Brooke
Richards, Evan Rodriquez, Kimberly Robinson, Jacqueline Schwartz, Dr. Paeglow and Ms. McNamara.
100% of all donations will go towards the Engeye project. Contributions can be made online at the website for
the new Engeye Health Clinic in Uganda: www.engeye.com. For more information, contact Dawna Heising at
heising@msn.com or RicharM@mail.amc.edu..

© Photographs Are Copyright Protected & Cannot Be Used Elsewhere Without the Written Permission of the Ambassadorial Society of America