The
2017 recipient of the Jimmy Nhat Nguyen scholarship is the first
child in her family to attend college. Her determination and strong
will have helped her overcome many obstacles, proving that ‘destiny
is in our hands’. We wish her success in school and a bright future
ahead.
Scholarship essay by Cindy Jeong
My
name is Yeon Joo “Cindy” Jeong and I am currently studying math
and engineering at Long Beach City College. My educational
aspirations include obtaining an associate's degree in math, then
transferring to a four year university to acquire a bachelor's degree
in mechanical engineering. Throughout my life, circumstances have
always make concentrating in school difficult for me. Nevertheless, I
have learned to embrace and utilize my inner strengths of dedication
and perseverance. It has been quite a journey for me to get here, and
I can assure you that I will not let anything stop me from
accomplishing my goals.
I
immigrated to the United States from South Korea with my mother and
older brother at the age of 3. Growing up, my mother provided for our
family as a single parent working in a foreign country with no
college education and a great language barrier. To provide for our
family, she constantly worked but we barely got by with the money she
made. Pressed by the turmoil of living in poverty, I dropped out of
school at the age of 16 and started to work to help out my family.
My
lack of a high school diploma never slowed me down. I was hiring as a
receptionist in a law firm where I worked up to supervising
paralegal. Determined not to let my prior decisions define my life, I
obtained my GED while working at the firm. Succumbing to the comfort
of a livable income, I was ready to settle for a second-tier career
as a para-professional by the age of 21. However, it became more
apparent to me the longer I worked there that I desired to do more
with my life. With plans to return to school full-time, I took a leap
of faith and left my steady and secure job after five long years.
Struggling
to transition my life, however, I ended up working again. I was
scouted into a hospitality management group to assist in the
coordination of repairs and renovations. During my contract, I
liaised with consultants, architects, and engineers, working with
them to research and plan for projects. This was my first exposure to
the world of engineering, and it simply fascinated me. The reality
that science transforms the world around us consumed me. Inspired by
my new fascination, I enrolled as a part-time student at the nearby
Long Beach City College. After my contract ended with the management
group I became a full-time student.
Although
it was extremely difficult, I resisted taking on any full-time work
again in order to prioritize school. My adamant of this has been
challenging but it has opened up my eyes to my endurance. At the
beginning of the summer session in 2015, I became homeless for a
couple of weeks. Days after getting off the street, my car broke down
so I had to take the train from downtown Los Angeles for the rest of
the session. Regardless of my situation, I completed 9.0 credit units
that summer with a 4.0 GPA. It's safe to say that the summer of 2015
was the turning point for me.
Since
the summer 2015, I have become more involved with school and more
mindful of my education. I have made the Dean's List with
Distinction, have been invited into Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society,
and have earned a membership with Alpha Gamma Sigma Honor Society
club at LBCC. Moreover, I have decided to pursue an associate's
degree in math as I believe it will be a great foundation for my
future in engineering. After earning my associate's degree at LBCC, I
aspire to transfer to California Polytechnic State University at San
Luis Obispo to obtain a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering.
Currently
I work around 30-35 hours per week and I am taking a total of 15.0
credit units this semester. Needless to say, this semester has been
very exhausting. I struggle to make enough time to study and I rarely
get to attend my supplemental instruction sessions. I am always
rushing to classes and I am limited to the time I can meet with my
professors. In spite of my schedule, I make extreme efforts to do
well in my classes. I also spend time volunteering on campus with my
Alpha Gamma Sigma Club.
I
remain grateful to be able to attend school and I will continue to
work hard to accomplish my goals. Reflecting on my journey I can
honestly say that I do not regret how I have used my time. I used to
believe that there was no better way of using my time than to be
making money. However, my newfound realizations about myself and
about the world has taught me differently. When I think about my
education plans, the one thing that I always feel that I am missing
is [enough] time. I wish to spend more time networking with
professors and peers, and to get involved with the science and
engineering community. If chosen as a recipient of a scholarship, I
would invest more of my time into my studies and into my involvement
with school and the community. I feel privileged to share my story
and my goals with you, and I'm hopeful that you will find my dreams
worth supporting.
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