My name is Kristy Nguyen, and I take my last name with pride and honor. Coming from a Vietnamese background, my heritage and culture woven itself into the fabric of my academic life. I have been inspired to not only excel academically but give back to my community, to Vietnam. One realization changed the trajectory of my life’s path. A beautiful morning left me and my mom in an intimate and emotional conversation. I watched as she cried about her home country, mourning for the poor families and citizens that do not have the luxuries of food, medical attention, or even homes. This heartfelt moment compelled me to take action. In the summer of the same year, I created a medical nonprofit that sends ambulances to people in need called Pangea Kids. It took many months of paperwork and connections, but the hard work was all worth it to see my mother so proud and excited. I still remember how she reached out and held my hand and thanked me. Through the many months of my nonprofit, I saw the effect it had, the people that were helped and even saved. I was assisting and helping a part of my home country, my heritage, my identity. It still shocks me how I can create my own impact on the country I love. One of my greatest accomplishments is traveling to Vietnam this summer in 2024. My mission and purpose of the trip was to help Vietnam further more. I held my mother’s love for Vietnam to my heart as I volunteered in Tan Binh’s 1A hospital. I met numerous of patients and helped with physical therapy and even shadowed orthopedic surgeries. For the 5 weeks I was attending, I met patients who could not physically move; however, with time and persistence, they were able to miraculously take more steps. Seeing this transformation, I realized that my purpose was evolving. There was a reason why I came to Vietnam, and this made me realize that I could make progress in my goals. Every patient I helped made me closer to my ultimate goal to become a global health doctor. Because of my passion for my heritage, I gained my own purpose. Through the many interactions with Vietnam citizens, I came to the epiphany that I wanted to impact Vietnam in a greater way. I gained the passion to become a physician and to not only help people but help people globally. One day, when I gain my MD, I desire to travel to Vietnam and help citizens medically. Furthermore, I strive to become an orthopedic surgeon after my experience with 1A hospital, so I could one day come back and treat people myself. I want to see my mom feel safe about Vietnam. Her wishes suddenly melted into my own desires. I want Vietnam to prosper, and I know that I can help. Although I am only making a small difference currently, I am ready and I will help Vietnam on a larger scale. As I sit in Saigon, watching children pass by, giggling and laughing, it only occurs to me again that my purpose is to help Vietnam. I want to keep seeing people laugh and smile. I want my mom to be at ease with her home country and know it is safe and thriving. With every patient I help, every mouth I feed, and every life I possibly save, I am stepping forward to a better Vietnam. This is my purpose and I intend to excel in it and conquer it.

Amid Vietnam’s humid air, beside the trees that hang over the bustling streets, lies a hospital full of patients and doctors, a little closer reveals my fumbling hands helping a patient stand upright. I stand my ground to help her balance as she repeatedly taps her foot in and out. Although I cannot support her weight any longer, I reply with a nod and a smile when she asks if I am okay. Her excitement as she finishes her routine makes me feel the same, maybe tenfold. Her excitement and progress will always remind me of my purpose: to create a better place for Vietnam. Ever since my mom’s cries about the poor state of Vietnam, I realized why my feet continue to make their mark on the world. I continue onwards to help Vietnam. Therefore, the Maxwell Tuan Nguyen scholarship will help my journey, specifically relieving my college finances to help me focus on my main purpose and goal. For the past two weeks, I have dedicated my time to Tan Binh’s Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. In the hospital, I shadow surgeries and help with patient care, including internal medicine and physical therapy. Every day, I see the same patients, and I see them grow and change. The hardest hurdles are the seemingly permanent wounds. Some patients go through strokes, brain trauma, and incidents that lead to immobility in specific parts of the body. Somehow, these individuals came from stagnance to mobility with their willpower and hard work with routined therapy. The only thing I wish for is to help more. The “more” is my biggest goal in my life. First, my smaller goal stood before me: create at least a small difference in Vietnam in my undergraduate years. Every week, I self-funded an event to send one hundred banh mis, hoagies, to Tan Binh’s Hospital, hopefully helping the poorer families of patients. Although I am assisting a fraction of their hunger, I feel at home to aid my home country. Despite helping these patients and families, their mere existence creates a mutual gratitude, giving me love and trust in return. My biggest goal is to become a global health doctor. A dream that awaits far away from where I stand now, but I am eager to run to it. Regardless of this dream, the cost of college and medical school weighs upon me, haunting my every move. Especially since my time and funds go directly to Pangea Kids, my nonprofit, founded because of the mother’s compassion. I am proud to say that the nonprofit funds medical trucks to go around Saigon, providing emergency care to people in need. I will never forget the face my mother had when we sent our first donation to the trucks and teams. My mother's heart goes to Vietnam, and my heart does the same. She is my muse and the reason why I do so much. The scholarship could help me continue my passions and my mother’s cause, our cause. As I sit in Saigon, watching children pass by, giggling and laughing, it only occurs to me again that my purpose is to help Vietnam. I want to keep seeing people laugh and smile. I want my mom to be at ease with her home country and know it is safe and thriving. With every patient I help, every mouth I feed, and every life I possibly save, I am stepping forward to a better Vietnam. This is my purpose and I intend to excel in it and conquer it.

Amid Vietnam’s humid air, beside the trees that hang over the bustling streets, lies a hospital full of patients and doctors, a little closer reveals my fumbling hands helping a patient stand upright. I stand my ground to help her balance as she repeatedly taps her foot in and out. Although I cannot support her weight any longer, I reply with a nod and a smile when she asks if I am okay. Her excitement as she finishes her routine makes me feel the same, maybe tenfold. Her excitement and progress will always remind me of my purpose: to create a better place for Vietnam. Ever since my mom’s cries about the poor state of Vietnam, I realized why my feet continue to make their mark on the world. I continue onwards to help Vietnam. Therefore, the Morgan Levine Dolan scholarship will help my journey, specifically relieving my college finances to help me focus on my main purpose and goal. For the past two weeks, I have dedicated my time to Tan Binh’s Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. In the hospital, I shadow surgeries and help with patient care, including internal medicine and physical therapy. Every day, I see the same patients, and I see them grow and change. The hardest hurdles are the seemingly permanent wounds. Some patients go through strokes, brain trauma, and incidents that lead to immobility in specific parts of the body. Somehow, these individuals came from stagnance to mobility with their willpower and hard work with routined therapy. The only thing I wish for is to help more. The “more” is my biggest goal in my life. First, my smaller goal stood before me: create at least a small difference in Vietnam in my undergraduate years. Every week, I self-funded an event to send one hundred banh mis, hoagies, to Tan Binh’s Hospital, hopefully helping the poorer families of patients. Although I am assisting a fraction of their hunger, I feel at home to aid my home country. Despite helping these patients and families, their mere existence creates a mutual gratitude, giving me love and trust in return. My biggest goal is to become a global health doctor. A dream that awaits far away from where I stand now, but I am eager to run to it. Regardless of this dream, the cost of college and medical school weighs upon me, haunting my every move. Especially since my time and funds go directly to Pangea Kids, my nonprofit, founded because of the mother’s compassion. I am proud to say that the nonprofit funds medical trucks to go around Saigon, providing emergency care to people in need. I will never forget the face my mother had when we sent our first donation to the trucks and teams. My mother's heart goes to Vietnam, and my heart does the same. She is my muse and the reason why I do so much. The scholarship could help me continue my passions and my mother’s cause, our cause. As I sit in Saigon, watching children pass by, giggling and laughing, it only occurs to me again that my purpose is to help Vietnam. I want to keep seeing people laugh and smile. I want my mom to be at ease with her home country and know it is safe and thriving. With every patient I help, every mouth I feed, and every life I possibly save, I am stepping forward to a better Vietnam. This is my purpose and I intend to excel in it and conquer it.