My Family Is The Embodiment Of The American Dream

As a child, I used to sit on my mother’s lap and she would tell me stories about my family, origin, and culture. Through these stories, I learned that my family is far from typical. Both of my parents were “boat people,” refugees who fled Vietnam after the Vietnam War. My family escaped to America with nothing but the clothes on their backs; however, despite coming into a foreign world with so little, they rose through the ranks. In many ways, my family is the embodiment of the American Dream; yet, I discovered that their success was not an individual effort, but one supported by those around them. It was because of hosts, family, and friends that they found the encouragement and opportunities needed to prosper.

For example, when I was young,

Family members, such as my uncle, taught me the importance of self-sacrifice and I took on my culture’s communal values, determined to use my experiences and time to benefit those around me. Beginning in high school, I used my free-time to volunteer within my city, helping out with charity events and more. Through volunteering in my community, I saw how my own efforts and services could aid others. As a university student, I exposed myself to a variety of volunteer-work in the realm of medicine, learning more about healthcare as well as how medicine is related to community-service. By volunteering in events such as Vietnamese Health Fairs, where I helped provide health screenings to low-income Asian-Americans, and by volunteering in urban hospitals such as Texas Health Dallas, I not only learned more about medicine but I bared witness to how diverse my community was and discovered more about the struggles of the individuals living in it. Additionally, I sought positions where I could encourage and mentor others within my university. By acting as the President of Molding Doctors and a General Chemistry Supplemental Instruction Leader, I have been able to use my experiences as a student to guide my