Clayton State Student Meh Pue Receives the 2026 Yashoda Reddy Education Award

(October 19, 2026) - Clayton State University Nursing Student Meh Pue received the 2026 Yashoda Reddy Education Award at the Atlanta Women's Foundation Community Investment Celebration. The award includes a $5,000 grant to support Meh’s future education goals.

According to the Foundation, “The award was established in honor of a remarkable woman who embodied strength, perseverance, and the belief that education transforms lives. Her daughter, Dr. Sujatha Reddy, an AWF Board alumna, and her brother Rohith Reddy created the award to honor their mother’s legacy.”

Meh was born and raised in Thailand after her parents fled Burma. She came to the United States with her family in 2009. After becoming a mother while still in high school and taking time away from college to support her family, she returned to school while working as a Certified Nursing Assistant at Northside Hospital. 

Meh shared that “At Clayton State, I really like that they supported me with childcare and offered the opportunity to receive scholarships.  I also want to thank the Atlanta Women's Foundation. I am so proud to be selected as the 2026 Yashoda Reddy Education Award winner and so happy to bring my fiancé and my son and daughter to the ceremony. They were very excited and proud of me. I am especially grateful for Deborah Deckner-Davis nominating me.”

Clayton State psychology professor Deborah Deckner-Davis enthusiastically nominated Meh for the Yashoda Reddy Education Award. “I have the pleasure of knowing Meh through my work as the director of Clayton State University’s Child Care Subsidy. I nominated Meh because she exemplifies the passion and drive for education the Yashoda Reddy Education Award embodies. Her academic record is exemplary., and she is pursuing her degree in nursing, a major known to be deeply challenging,” said Deckner-Davis.  She added, “Her academic record by itself is impressive, but Meh’s motivations for pursuing nursing, , make it clear that her academic excellence is simply an extension of her passion to serve.”

In her nomination, Deckner-Davis said, “She is the mother of two young children and has overcome numerous personal challenges in pursuit of her education. Her personal history speaks volumes about her resilience and commitment to turning her own challenges into gifts for others.” She adds that “Meh’s desire to work with refugees, and in particular refugee women, conveys a deep empathy and desire to be the change she wants to see in the world.”

Deckner-Davis believes the $5,000 in financial aid Meh receives by being awarded the Yashoda Reddy Education Award will make a big difference in helping ensure she completes her higher education goals. Deckner-Davis said, “Meh possesses tremendous potential. Improving the odds that she completes her degree through increased aid promises to strengthen Meh and her children’s financial futures but to also ripple into the communities that Meh strives to serve.”

Meh is currently pursuing a career in nursing, hoping to specialize in labor and delivery or mother-baby care and eventually become a Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner advocating for underserved communities. 

The Atlanta Women’s Foundation described Meh’s personal story this way: “Her journey reflects the power of education to break barriers, create opportunity, and inspire the next generation.”

About the Atlanta Women’s Foundation

We invest in programs and initiatives for women and girls because when they have the support and opportunities they need, families grow stronger, communities flourish — and we all benefit.

Our mission is to be a catalyst for change in the lives of women and girls. We help create a ripple effect of opportunity, equity, and lasting change across metro Atlanta through strategic grantmaking, education, and community-building.

For more information, visit AtlantaWomen.org