Sponsored! Vy

Hello! My name is Vy, I am a junior at The Preuss School UC San Diego. I am a first-generation Vietnamese immigrant. I live with my parents and younger sister in a low-income household. My dad is a tailor, and my mom is a nail technician.

Growing up, I attended school in Vietnam until the age of six. Every morning, I arrived at school on our old broken-down motorbike. On lucky days, my dad surprised me with half a banh mi, a Vietnamese sandwich, or some loose change for snacks. At home, I had a small foldable desk, where I crisscrossed on the floor and did homework. At night, I listen to the loud sewing machine sound coming from the living room while trying to fall asleep. Then, I became severely sick with scarlet fever and was transferred to multiple hospitals. My body was itchy with red rashes, and my tongue hurt, so it was hard to eat for months. My parents took me to see doctors from all over South Vietnam. Fortunately, my sickness was cured but for the trade-off of our money. My parents could not keep up with my medical expenses on top of school tuition. This made them finally make the decision to move to the U.S.

In the U.S, my parents left for work until 7 in the evening, 6 days a week. I get to interact with them at the dinner table and before bed. Whenever my parents returned home late, I fed my sister whatever was left in the fridge. When we were able to afford a sewing machine, my parents decided to also work at night for extra money. I continue to fall asleep listening to the whirring music from the sewing machine. Despite my parents' hard work, we still had to rely on state welfare benefits to cover our food and health. To repay them, I took over any responsibilities I could. I had translated and completed all sorts of paperwork my family needed. It has always felt rewarding to help ease our financial burden.

Through my many encounters with healthcare, I desire to pursue dermatology, gastroenterology, or psychiatry. The skin stood out to me because I want to help my patients

improve their self-esteem and physical well-being. Then, gastroenterology will enable me to support those with gut and dietary problems. I also wish to improve how people perceive mental health care because there are many stigmas behind it. The stigmas I want to tackle are in the Asian community because many people don’t seek help for mental illness.

In my free time, I enjoy exploring a wide variety of hobbies. I am drawn to activities that involve working hands-on and interacting with other people. These include drawing, reading, journaling, and taking pictures. Doing these activities lets me explore my creative palette. I was fascinated by the substances that make up an effective skincare product, so I researched them. I also enjoy learning about nutrition, so I spend lots of time in the kitchen cooking and baking. As for sports, I play squash in a school program, Access Youth Academy, and badminton at home. I am constantly practicing to improve my skills with friends and family. All of these activities allow me to strengthen my mind and body.

With the sponsorship money, I would like to spend it on necessities that will ease the weight on my parents’ shoulders. These include a computer to enhance learning; a bullet journal for expanding self-awareness; athletic clothes for comfortable play; a desk and school supplies to improve focus, and recipe books to enhance my cooking skills. Also, a camera, photo equipment, and editing apps for exploring photography. Another essential is to expand my creativity by investing in high-quality art supplies like drawing pencils, paintbrushes, paint, and canvases. I would additionally like to use the money for in-person college tours, college application fees, and summer programs in the future.

Thank you for considering me as an applicant. I greatly appreciate your time reading my narrative.

If you are interested in making a difference in the life of a teen through an A Bridge for Kids sponsorship please contact Grace Jo at gjo@abridgeforkids.org.