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Kansas Association of Migrant Directors
2003 Scholarship Winners
Anh Hoang, Salina
Bao-Tran Nguyen, Liberal
Phuong Tao T Le, Wichita
Ana Guadalupe Montanez, Ulysses
Anh Truc Ngoc Nguyen, Shawnee
2003 Gerry VanDaveer Scholarship Winner
Anh Hoang, from Salina, Kansas
"I came to the United States from a poor country called
Vietnam. It's almost as a third country because of its
wealth. Not knowing a word of English I struggled my way
through life. But, I taught myself one valuable thing, that
is, to set myself higher than anyone. By setting myself higher
doesn't mean to have more pride in me, because it's my downfall.
But, by challenging myself would help me leap further into my
ideal way of life, a life of success.
"I could never forget my biggest challenge in life, the language.
Being born in a poor immigrant family, we couldn't afford to live
in a nice neighborhood; so we had to settle in a neighborhood
full of drugs and gang activities. I studied almost everyday
in my little room. Studying only helped half of what I do know now.
The other half depended heavily on interaction. I hung out with
the people in the neighborhood not because I wanted to be like them;
but because I wanted to learn how to speak English from them. Of
course, sometimes I was tempted by those people to do drugs, but
I could never be separated from my goals in life. They quit trying
after a while. School also taught me a lot of English as I was
struggling at first. But after four years of hardship in learning
the language, I transformed into a whole new person. I felt so
good when I overcame the biggest challenge of my life. I was able
to interact with everybody; but I still have a lot more to learn.
"School plays a big part in my life. Since the day my English was
much better, I started taking much harder classes to advance myself.
High school is competitive. I compete with other classmates by taking
the hardest classes that I could. Sometimes my grades suffer because
some classes are not in my greatest strength such as English and
History. I can handle math and science really well because I love them.
They're considered to be my best subjects. But advanced English and AP
History would prepare me for college even if they're not my best subjects.
When I look back, I feel so proud of myself that I've made it this far.
All of the people I hung out with are ended up in jail or suffer from
overdose drug usage somehow. I feel so blessed of being in the top ten
percent of my graduating class. All of the effort I put in was really
worth it.
"My plan for college is straightforward. I only have one path in college,
and I determine to achieve it, and may God guide me. The only plan I have
for college is to get through four years of Pre-med and try to get into
a medical school. Then, from there I want to become a doctor. I used
to think being a doctor would bring me lot of money and respects from
people, but I never thought about how I would treat my patients. But, being
through three internships changed my mind completely. I saw young, old
people lying in bed suffering of diseases and waiting to die. I felt a
sorrow in my heart because I knew that my beloved parents would be like
that someday, and I would eventually end up the same. I feel hurt to see people
suffer and I nothing to offer but my skills and training as a doctor if I ever
going to become one. My principles are worth much more than money to me
now because I know how it feels to suffer.
"I knew I was brought over to America for a good cause. By trying hard
in school would help me advance much better in life. I set goals for myself
to be successful someday because it would be a big waste of not taking
advantage of being here. But, going to college is a big pain. There will
be two people in college that my parents have to support and it means that
I once again have to get through another big challenge by struggling my
way through it. I hope you could consider me for this scholarship and
I thank you for taking your time reading this letter."
2003 Gerry VanDaveer Scholarship Winner
Bao-Tran Nguyen, from Liberal, Kansas
"My main goal right now is to further my education at the University of
Kansas. I would like to major in Computer Programming. Because technology
is a growing part of our economy and our lives, I will base my career
on computers. I would like to be a successful woman in a business that
males are likely to excel. I also want to build a career where finances
will not be a problem for my family. I want to be able to give my children
everything they desire as well as furthering their education. And of course,
as a woman, I want to also be a house maker. I would like to care for and make
a happy home for my family and myself for years to come. Throughout my life
my parents have played a very important role. They have always been there
to support me, no matter what I have decided to do. My family and I regard
education as the most important steppingstone to a brighter future. I am
Vietnamese and I have lived in the United States since I was eight years
old. My parents have emphasized, time and time again, the significance
of our culture and instilled those values into my life. I also want to
excel and be the first of my family to complete a higher education. Above
all, I wanted to make my parents proud of what I can accomplish."
2003 Kansas ESOL/Bilingual Education Scholarship Winner
Phuong Thao T Le, from Wichita, Kansas
"My name is Phuongthao Le: I am senior of East high school. My goals
are trying to get the good scores and graduate in this year. After I
graduated, I will come to the college, which is WSU. The major that
I chose is become a doctor. It is my dream when I was the childhood,
because in my country Vietname, there are a lot of poor people, they
didn't have the money to come to the hospital or to buy the medicine,
and the result is they died by the disease. From that I always determined
to become a doctor to help the people around me. I want to bring all
ability to help the people around me, especially is the poor people,
the older people and the children.
"The dream is only the dream, but I will strive to make it become
the true. I hope after I graduate college I'll open the consulting
room to examine for the patient and through it can help a lot of people."
2003 Kansas ESOL/Bilingual Education Scholarship Winner
Ana Guadalupe Montanez, from Ulysses, Kansas
"My goal is to enroll at the Kansas University to get my Bachelor's
degree in computer engineering. At the present time the world depends
upon the computer system and devices. I have chosen computer engineer
as part of my career because of my eagerness to learn how to create new
systems and operate them for various purposes. My desire is to work in
a computer software and hardware company. As a long-range goal, I would
like to be part of a corporate company."
2003 Kansas ESOL/Bilingual Education Scholarship Winner
Anh Truc Ngoc Nguyen, from Shawnee, Kansas
"I like to go to school, have contact with teachers and friends and
learn new knowledge. I realize that the more education I get, the better
job I will receive. So, I would like to go to college where I can excel
and grow. I also want to learn more after college, because I would like
to get a stable, interesting job so that I can give something to society."
KANSAS ESOL/BILINGUAL EDUCATION SCHOLARSHIP
PURPOSE: The purpose of this scholarship is to provide financial assistance to a qualified student in an English
to Speakers of Other Languages or a bilingual program in order to further their post-secondary
education.
For more information on either the Gerry VanDaveer Scholarship
or the Kansas ESOL/Bilingual Education Scholarship, please contact
Cynthia Adcock (Cynthia.Adcock@usd305.com)
or Ron Johnson (rjohnson@ksde.org).
This page was last updated on 06/12/07.
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