10th Anniversary Student Spotlight: Tony Chau

Michael Nance, ABFK Founder, and Tony Chau at 2021 DreamMakers

Tony Chau is one of ABFK’s finest. If you know Tony Chau, you know he is one of a kind… and if you don’t, this article is a chance to at least get to know him a little bit better. 

“Everyone here knows someone who may not have had the same resources as the people around you, and we can’t help but think about “what if…"

I think about that a lot, and now more than ever as I have grown older. What if my parents never emigrated from VietNam to search for a better education for their children? What if I never attended a school where teachers and faculty were not all in on helping their students go to college? What if I never sought out to give back to learn more about my community? Would I be the same individual standing here before you, or would my core values change due to the difference in experiences? And today, I ask myself, “What if A Bridge for Kids never believed in me?” 

- Tony Chau, Nov 123at A Bridge for Kids 9th Annual DreamMakers Fundraiser

Tony is a first generation Vietnamese American, born in sunny San Diego. His parents came to the United States two years before he was born, in search of providing Tony with a better education and life. Growing up, Tony’s parents constantly prioritized his education, taking him to tutoring all throughout elementary school because not being fully fluent in English made it hard for them to help him with his schoolwork. Tony was introduced to the ABFK family halfway through sophomore year when his college counselor, Jessica Resendez, first surfaced the ABFK organization to Tony. She mentioned it may be a good fit for him, as well as others, and he took the initiative to apply. “I was interviewed by an ABFK volunteer, and in that conversation that went on twice as long as originally planned, I felt something different, something foreign. I felt heard and empowered. Empowered that I can be the generational inflection point for my family for years to come… Until this day, I am incredibly thankful she thought of me for this opportunity,” says Tony

The first purchase Tony ever made was a pretty standard item. Cracking up, he mentioned that he was in need of office supplies, so naturally the first thing on his list was a paper shredder. However, the bulk of his sponsorship went towards college applications and SATs/SAT prep. All that being said, Tony said the most impactful thing to him throughout his time with ABFK was nothing he could have purchased. ABFK provided him with 1) The opportunity to go on a college tour and determine that Claremont Mckenna College was the one for him. 2) The relationship he was able to build with his sponsor, Randi and ABFK Founder, Mike Nance, showing him the importance of mentorship. And 3) The sponsorship provided him with a community of people to talk to who are all going through similar issues. 

After graduating from Claremont Mckenna College, applied to over 100 jobs, and landed a job in San Francisco at a company called AppLovin - a company which helps mobile developers across the world grow their apps. Tony made a connection from ABFK to his current job by saying that ABFK instilled the importance of mentorship in his core. It taught him not to be afraid to ask for help. He noted that he used to mentor Jose Mendoza, an ABFK student, who reminded Tony of a younger version of himself. Tony walked Jose through all of the senior year challenges, and has been by his side since. Relating it to AppLovin, Tony mentioned that the company got acquired and there were a lot of new employees, so he found himself putting a lot of time into the betterment of others. Whether the help is training, or answering questions that are small or large, Tony really enjoys the process of being a mentor.

Now you know Tony and where he is now, but here is a glimpse of where he hopes to go:

“As I think about where I see myself over the next five years, I hope it involves a mix of intellectual and creative adventures. It was easy for me after graduating from college to feel at ease with where I was, but now I'm constantly looking for the next challenge.”

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College Tours Provide "Once in a Lifetime" Experience to ABFK Students

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3rd Annual College Scholarship Program to Award $20,000