Personal Narrative: Myself As A Vietnamese Student

Passionate, open-minded, worldly, hard-working, leadership skills

Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

She points her pale finger at a word and I say, “Legislature.” She pauses, and then repeats the word, “Legislature.” I smile and nod and she beams back at me with the satisfaction that she got it right. Her name is Kathy, one of the Vietnamese women I was lucky enough to work with throughout my years of high school and who was also my boss's mother.

I continued down the pages.

We discussed every question that was required for American citizenship, and she never failed to amaze me with how diligent she was at learning a foreign language I was simply raised speaking. I always grew up learning and speaking one language, at home, at school, with friends, everywhere I went. My neighbors and friends were people similar to me, growing up in suburban homes in America with supportive parents and extended families nearby. While I read about different cultures, usually through my hundreds of books that I took to reading, transporting myself across the world,

Sammy, a Vietnamese woman who had learned English on her own and built her own small business was, and still is, one of the most inspiring women to me. Her small stature was deceiving to the space she took up in a room, commanding respect yet filled with kindness that touched each person with gentle fingers and comforting eyes. She not only sparked an interest in business within me but she also empowered me by instilling a passionate spirit that wanted to learn and grow. I am the leader I am today because of the trust she placed in me to train and teach other new employees. I am confident because of the strong role model she set as a minority woman in a position of