W. Tong and A.C. Wong 2026 Legacy Scholarship

My relationship with my parents has always been strained, to say the least. Growing up as a child of Mandarin-speaking immigrants, I often found myself helping them navigate situations that many take for granted. Translating documents, making phone calls, and even explaining school forms to them soon became a new norm in the family. I became that makeshift bridge of communication between them and the world around them. I was more than ecstatic to assist them, but at the same time, I was balancing my responsibilities as a high school student. I recall my parents and me in the school’s front office at one point. We were trying to make sense of enrollment documents and transportation home. The forms were complicated, written entirely in English. I spent an hour at home with those papers, trying not to stutter over the translations as I explained the tidbits to them. Although I had exams and assignments of my own to prepare for, I still sat there and addressed all the questions they had about my education. What motivated me most was when I realized how difficult language barriers could make everyday tasks. My parents worked tirelessly for the sake of my brother and me, and yet something as simple as making a phone call or understanding the content of a form was a challenge. Watching them face those obstacles soon gave me a deep appreciation for the endless opportunities I have through education. Throughout my high school years, I worked as a cashier for my parents' restaurant, and that made me even more sure that learning more could help them and many others. Rather than seeing the pursuit of higher education solely as a pathway to personal success, I now see it as a way to transform life for my family and for others in my community with similar barriers. This lesson and many more have inspired me to pursue the career of a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA). I want to be a healthcare professional centered on patient advocacy, especially those who may face language or cultural barriers similar to those of my parents. Helping my parents time and time again has also taught me that in my community, I, too, have an obligation to support those who need support. It showed me that even the smallest acts of assistance can significantly impact another’s life. As I carry those ideals with me, I strive to be the type of healthcare professional who prioritizes an environment that is more accessible and less intimidating for households like my own. Education is a means of changing the world through literacy, and to me now, education is so much more than exams in the classroom and a five-letter grading system. It’s to apply the knowledge and make the lives of those around you better.

When I was eight years old, I hugged my mother goodbye in Ho Chi Minh City and boarded a plane to the United States with my father after their divorce. I did not know when I would see her again. At that age, I could not understand why our family had to be separated. I only knew that my father believed leaving everything behind was the only way I could have opportunities that neither of my parents had. Starting over in America meant starting from almost nothing. My father worked overnight shifts lifting packages at Amazon before spending his days driving for Uber. Some nights he slept only a few hours before doing it all again. Every dollar went toward rent, groceries, and my education. Despite years of relentless work, financial hardship never disappeared. He eventually filed for bankruptcy, while my mother remained in Vietnam, unable to contribute financially and only to watch across sea. Watching him sacrifice his health and stability for my future changed the way I viewed success. To me, success is not measured by wealth alone, it is measured by what you are willing to sacrifice so someone else can dream bigger than you could. Growing up as a Southeast Asian immigrant meant learning to live between two cultures. At home, I spoke Vietnamese and held tightly to the values my parents taught me: humility, perseverance, and gratitude. Outside our home, I was learning a new language, adapting to a new culture, and trying to find where I belonged. As a kid growing up, I never enjoyed translating unrecognizable paperworks, picking up every calls when neither my vietnamese or english was proficient, nor learning everything on my own through girlhood living with my dad. However, over time through so many challenges, I realized my identity was never divided between two worlds. It was strengthened by both. My family's sacrifices became my motivation. I challenged myself academically and physically while working part-time throughout all my high school years, captained volleyball teams, volunteered in a hospital, and completed an optometry internship where I witnessed how compassionate healthcare can change a person's confidence and quality of life. Those experiences inspired me to pursue dermatology. I have also conducted independent research exploring how artificial intelligence can improve dermatologic diagnoses across different skin tones because I want future innovations to serve every patient, not just those who have historically been represented in medical research. I hope to become the kind of physician my parents would have trusted when they first arrived in this country: someone who listens, understands, and recognizes that every patient carries a story beyond their diagnosis. I also hope to mentor first-generation students who, like me, are navigating higher education without a roadmap. My family's journey has taught me that opportunity becomes meaningful only when it is shared. The W. Tong and A.C. Wong Legacy Scholarship reflects the values that shaped my own family: hard work, education, and believing that one generation's sacrifices can create a better future for the next. Receiving this scholarship would ease the financial burden of pursuing my education, but its greatest significance would be allowing me to continue the journey my parents began when they chose hope over certainty. Their sacrifices opened the first door. I intend to spend my life opening doors for others.

I grew up in a family where opportunity was never taken for granted. My parents immigrated from China in search of a better future. My father works long hours as a cook, and my mother has been unable to work because of health challenges. Like many children of immigrant families, I grew up watching my parents make sacrifices that often went unnoticed. They worked tirelessly to provide opportunities for me, even when they were navigating an unfamiliar country, language, and educational system themselves. Because my parents had never attended college in the United States, many responsibilities naturally fell to me. I translated school forms, medical paperwork, and official documents. When it came time to explore colleges, research opportunities, scholarships, and financial aid, I often found myself learning everything from scratch. While some students had family members who could explain the process, I became the person searching for answers and building the roadmap as I went. Those experiences taught me independence, but they also shaped the way I see the world. I realized that access to information can profoundly influence a person's opportunities. Whether it is a student trying to understand a college application, a patient struggling to navigate the healthcare system, or an immigrant family facing language barriers, knowledge is only useful if people can access and understand it. This realization became even more personal when my grandmother developed Alzheimer's disease. Watching her memory slowly fade sparked my interest in neuroscience, but it also exposed me to the challenges families face when trying to understand complex medical conditions. I became fascinated by the intersection of science, medicine, and communication. That passion has guided much of what I do today. I founded NeuroHub, a nonprofit organization dedicated to making neuroscience education more accessible to students and families. I serve as a medical scribe and Mandarin translator at a free clinic for uninsured patients, where I help bridge communication gaps between providers and patients. As the director of an international English tutoring organization, I have worked with students around the world to help them gain confidence and access new educational opportunities. Outside of school and volunteering, I have also worked several part-time jobs while balancing AP classes, research, and leadership commitments. Managing those responsibilities has taught me discipline, resilience, and the value of every opportunity I receive. This fall, I will attend Stanford University to study Bioengineering. My goal is to become a physician-scientist who develops innovative treatments for neurological diseases while ensuring that scientific and medical advances remain accessible to the communities that need them most. As the child of immigrants and a first-generation college student, I have seen how education can transform a family's future in a single generation. My parents came to this country hoping to create opportunities they never had themselves. Everything I have accomplished has been built on their sacrifices, and everything I hope to accomplish is motivated by a desire to create opportunities for others in return.