My Final Exams

It was December of 2013; just after completing my final exams for the Fall semester at The University of Texas at Austin. I had a major decision to make. I could either pursue a steady career in the finance industry or face the more uncertain world of law school in pursuing my new goal of being an attorney. Racked with indecision and choices to make, I thought long and hard about my future and career goals. I immediately found that thoughts of uncertainty to be overwhelming. I needed immediate insight into who I was and what my journey has led to. In order to do so I needed to retrace back to my youth.

Growing up in a large, Vietnamese American family, I often struggled to maintain my identity and relationships with my first generation parents and with my peers in school. Looking back I realized my relationship with my parents was strained as they were constantly concerned with our continued survival. My parents lacked the education and the resources to fully achieve that elusive American dream they always pushed me and my siblings toward. From a young age, my parents constantly reminded us of the struggle they have faced in order to give us such opportunities available to us in America.

I learned from my parents that if you are willing to work hard, I could accomplish what I set my mind to. Attending The University of Texas (UT) has been my latest accomplishment. The adjustment from a small town in south Texas, to Austin and the learning environment at UT has been a molding experience for me and has continuously tested my abilities to perform under pressure and maintaining the relationships I deemed so important to my identity. I was motivated everyday by UT’s motto of “What Starts Here Changes the World”.

Throughout my undergraduate path at UT, my first semester was by far the most challenging. Numerous friends that I started UT with allowed obstacles to overcome their pursuit of dreams and returned home only after a year to continue