27 May 2010, Oakland, CA – “Let your passion guide you. Dream as if you live forever. Live as if you’ll die today,” advised Thy Nguyen Anh Pham, a young and talented international student.
Even as a young girl, Pham dreamed big. Her dreams included: exploring culture and history around the globe, acquiring a medical degree from a prestigious university, and providing health care services to residents in Phan Thiet, Vietnam.
These dreams almost died when her father passed away. Not wanting to leave her widowed mother, Pham cancelled her plans to study in California. However, with her mother’s continuous encouragement, the 16-year-old eventually reapplied to an Alameda high school in 2005.
“My mother told me I only live once,” Pham recalled. “She encouraged me to do what I love and to live my life to the fullest.”
After three years at Laney and Merritt Colleges, Pham is graduating with 86 units, two degrees (Associate of Sciences in Biology and Associate of Arts in Liberal Arts) and a 4.0 GPA.
Pham will be honored at the Laney College’s 2010 commencement ceremony, scheduled for Friday, May 28, 7 p.m., at the newly renovated Fox Theater in Oakland.
Despite a full schedule, Pham found time to tutor other students in chemistry, biology and arithmetic. She was also active in the recent student efforts to fight the budget cuts.
“My teachers and friends are always helping me with my English pronunciation, my vocabulary and essay writing,” Pham explained. “I’d like to give back in whatever way I can.”
Pham will be studying biology and pre-med at U.C. Berkeley. She is on track to pursuing her dream of becoming a family doctor and helping others.
For more information, contact Public Information Officer Eliza Y Chan at elizachan@peralta.edu or 510-464-3161.
