As a first-generation American and the eldest daughter of Vietnamese immigrants, these experiences have distinctively influenced my life. Witnessing the sacrifices and determination of my parents to strive in a wealthy major city impacted my character. Their journey demonstrates the importance of diligence, educational power, and loving nature, all of which I keep in high regard. Additionally, my family has had economic struggles. The challenges of living in a wealthy neighborhood as lower wage earners, instilled in me a sense of financial responsibility. My parents chose to rent homes near the previous one, so my brother and I could stay within the same school district and attend schools with helpful resources. Despite hardships, our strong family bonds, spirituality, and education stayed a priority. These experiences further reinforced my desire to obtain higher education to break free from economic restrictions. Being part of a Vietnamese immigrant family, I connected with my cultural heritage. Taking part in cultural events and celebrations like Tet Trung Thu (Mid-Autumn Festival) or Tet Nguyen Dan (Lunar New Year). Daily, I speak Vietnamese at home and English at school. The two parts of my identity allowed me to bridge parallels, creating an understanding of different cultures and empathy for those who are different from myself. Soon to be a full-time first generation student at Santa Clara University, I hope to share my unique experiences of economic challenges and cultural heritage to expand the opinions of those around me. My experience as a first-generation American and the daughter of Vietnamese immigrants shows how diversity can contribute to a community. Being nurtured in a large city, I have witnessed homelessness in my local neighborhoods and financial struggles within my family. The issue of housing affordability has always been a topic in my home. However, being middle class, I was never poor enough to recieve school-provided meals, but not wealthy enough to take extracurricular arts courses. Having constant worries about finance, I developed an aspiration for my future career in business. I am inspired by my parent's hardship and struggles to be financially stable. Having a drive for financial freedom, I hope to pursue a Management Information Systems major and become a project manager. Although my upbringing has influenced my pursuit of Management Information Systems, my work style, paired with my personality, impacted my career aspirations. Management Information Systems combines business and technology, both of my interests. Management Information Systems allows problem-solving and leadership skills in a team-based environment. As technology advances, I hope to use the skills of Management Information Systems to increase organizational efficiency, impacting society through effective teamwork and leadership.

Throughout my childhood, I have many memories of playing Nintendo games and borrowing a friend's 3DS to play games like Zelda, Smash Bros, or Animal Crossing. Although it may be a common answer, Mario Kart was my most memorable game, but for my unique reasons. The combination of the game's simple race tracks, mixed with the obstacles and power-ups, made it easy enough to play as a kid and complex enough to be memorable as an adolescent. Along with the colorful game's visuals, a memorable multiplayer session in the electronics section of a Target store, where I first encountered the game, truly stood out and secured Mario Kart as my top choice in the category of Nintendo co-op games. On an ordinary Sunday afternoon, my friend had come over to have some dinner at my house. Sitting at the small family table in a warmly lit room while enjoying a family-style meal, my parents thought it would be a good idea to stop by Target and get some fresh air. Growing up in rented homes meant my family was extremely mindful about spending. Therefore, my younger brother and I were not lucky enough to indulge in video games as our peers did. Instead, we would momentarily borrow a friend's 3DS to play during electronic day or after-school hangouts. My parents would take us to grocery stores or the mall to pass the time, whatever would keep me and my brother entertained. Arriving at Target, my friend, brother, and I decided to split off from my parents to roam. After walking around every aisle and exploring the racks of clothing, we made our way to the electronics section. Heading toward the bold red iconic plastic Mario statue, we grabbed a controller and stared at the giant screen. As it was time to select our characters, I instinctively chose the most adorable female character, Baby Rosalina. Meanwhile, the boys selected male characters like Bowser and Diddy Kong. My first Mario Kart race was finally on. As the timer counted, I was ready to spoil myself with colorful visuals and devious strategies. Since it was my first time playing Mario Kart, I became overwhelmed by the joy it brought me. The competitiveness made the game seem timeless. Mesmerized by the game, we all forgot to keep our voices down. The cheers and groans of a win or loss became known to every customer walking by. After a few more games, my parents finally collected us all. Sadly, leaving behind the controller and walking out of the store empty-handed, the only thing I looked forward to was my next visit to Target.

The end goal of becoming a project manager was not a fixed career path growing up. Having Asian parents, I have mostly been encouraged to pursue something within the medical field, whether it is nursing or becoming a doctor. The role of a project manager finally came when I took more consideration of my strengths, weaknesses, and how long I wanted my duration of study to be. Throughout life, I have found that I have an interest in working with group settings, specifically those that have established systems and procedures. Being able to work toward a leadership position will allow me to help guide others. I would also satisfy my need for organization in pursuit of ambitious aspirations, like possibly starting a business in the future. At Santa Clara University, I will be pursuing Management Information Systems because it combines business and technology, both of my interests. Management Information Systems allows problem-solving and leadership skills in a team-based environment. As technology advances, I hope to use the skills of Management Information Systems to increase organizational efficiency, impacting society through effective teamwork and leadership. Although my major is only the start of what I will be able to achieve in the future, it will give me some insight into how systems work in group settings while also teaching me to create concise plans. Past professional experiences have played a significant part in my dreams of being a project manager. Working my first job, I was able to see how people rely on each other with a strong leader for business to run smoothly. Overseeing and solving problems as a group taught me valuable lessons on communication, approach to challenges, motivation, and, most importantly, the experience it takes to become a leader. I have also learned a lot from failed group settings as well. Working in a group without structure or plan, I found myself overwhelmed and overworked since plans were in disarray. These experiences made me strive to become a stronger leader and organize groups in a way that helps everyone succeed. Personally, seeing my immigrant Vietnamese parents struggling to find stability in the United States, I chose the career of a project manager so I could better plan the entity of my life. With a field that is organized through strong leadership, I feel that I will be able to achieve more in life, not wasting time wondering what will come next. I believe that life is short and time is something that people cannot buy with money, so pursuing my passion for projecting and managing will allow me to work efficiently at my full potential, leading to a fulfilling life.