Leung's Biography 

Leung Thongthap’s life began in 1979 in Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand. She was born to a Thai national mother and a Lao refugee father. 

Due to a lack of education, her parents never registered her birth with the Thai government. As an undocumented child in her own birth country, Leung was in limbo. She would be unable to attend school, vote, or participate in a plethora of legal activities. Despite this, she hoped that one day, she would be able to live or retire in Thailand. To learn about her roots and the country of her birth place. 

Born during the end of the Vietnam war, Leung and her family experienced poverty. As a result, her father decided it was best for the family to enter a refugee camp and come to the United States in 1980. She attended Kindergarten through 12th grade in Minneapolis Public Schools. Although she loved to learn, her childhood and adolescent years were a tough period—she never “clicked” with her school.

As she got older, Leung found that she enjoyed learning on her own about the world around her. Her love of writing manifested at an early age; it was a way for her to express herself. She also wrote and exchanged letters with pen friends from many countries across the world during her school years. When Leung entered adulthood, her self-esteem remained very low and bled into her passion. She was frustrated by the idea that her limited vocabulary skills were not good enough to go any further than writing privately. Although she struggled with her confidence as a writer, fun and unique stories always wandered into her mind. 

Leung stopped journaling after she got married and had kids. However, she began telling her kids stories without books using her pure imagination, which her kids enjoyed. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she picked up journaling again. It reminded Leung of her true self and what she always had loved to do. Thanks to a few online influencers—as well as nature walks, where she could spend time by herself—the universe spoke to her. Leung realized that her experiences and imagination were both part of her life, crying out to be share to the world. Thus, StarKidz Literacy Press was born.

Leung currently lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota with her husband and two sons. During her free time, Leung still takes walks outdoors (even if it’s just around the neighborhood). Walking in nature causes her creatively to come alive. Due to her curiosity, she also enjoys cultural events if she has the opportunity to attend. Leung and her family also enjoy traveling, which they hope to do more to expand their minds. Their life goal is to learn about people in different environments and comprehend the world around them.