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Chuong Nguyen: I came to the United States with my mom. My uncle is the one who sponsored my family to come here.

Mimi Pollack: Well, in Vietnam, Phuong's husband died, apparently unexpectedly, and she was left a widow. And so she really had to struggle to maintain the family. Despite that, they were able to persevere. And she applied to come to the United States. You know, it's the immigrant story where the parents work and work and work so the children can succeed.

Chuong Nguyen: After I lived here for one year, I became a resident, so I able to enter Mesa college. And I took some ESL class in Mesa college, some math class. And first of all, I designed my major in electrical engineering, because I'm good at math. But later when I volunteered in at Memorial, in a Radiology Program. I really like this program, and I say to myself, this is my job.

Jane Uhle: I asked him how he came about getting into that program. And it was basically the feeling that this might get me a good job. The idea of job security was extremely important to him. Mind you, he did get his AA degree. But I think rather than go on and get BA that might not get him the kind of professional job he wanted, the radiology program seemed to fit.

Mimi Pollack: He makes it all look so easy. In other words, he always has a smile on his face even if he didn't sleep the night before, because he was up the whole night studying. He's always in a good mood. He took Spanish. He studied a year of Spanish. He was hilarious. He studied a year of Spanish, so that he could communicate with our Mexican students. And basically, he was on the waiting list for the radiology program, and he finally got in.

And then I think it was the first semester, half of the class couldn't make it and dropped out. But he persevered and he made it through the first year, which is a big accomplishment.

Chuong Nguyen: When you go from another country to another country, you change your life, you change the culture, you don't know your English, everything is changed. But you need to know you need to adapt to a new life, you need to have a goal, you have to live for tomorrow. If you have better job, you have a better certificate, your future will be better. So if you want to do something, do it with 100%. The majority that you have to study, don't say that is too difficult. Everyone's able to do it. Everything is possible.

Mimi Pollack: He got to work in my lab 15 hours a week, for about two years. And he was reliable, unbelievably reliable, and excellent with the students, and taking 12-15 units. And I just thought it was remarkable. He was never late. He was absent only twice. And he also had another job. To me, he epitomizes what we want to see in our students, our workers, and citizens.

Phuong Leiu: I'm very happy when my son goes school and he wins a scholarship. And I'm very happy, I thank you very much, all the teachers.

Chuong Nguyen: Adult school is a very good program in America. If you are an immigrant, you just come to the units that you should, take last class. Because last class, for me, that's like the place for me. When I entered to college and into my program right now. When you study that class, try to study serious, don't try like to go one day and off one day. Listen to your teacher. If you have to work, try to go to school as much as you can, that's all I can tell people. Don't be lazy.

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