Tuan looks forward to being the first member in his family to graduate from an American high school, a source of pride for his entire family.  Tuan emigrated with his family from Vietnam in 1994 with the assistance of the Humanitarian Operation Program in the hope that they could escape the extreme economic conditions in their homeland. 

Despite his father’s background as an officer in the Vietnam Army, here in the United States, he has been sorely under-employed, currently working in a t-shirt factory. Tuan’s mother suffers from chronic arthritis that prevents her mobility and the ability to work. To make matters worse, his father’s recent hospitalization and diagnosis of a liver disease has threatened the family’s only source of income. Fortunately, even with their limited financial resources, they have been able to live in the same apartment for the past eleven years but only with the help of housing assistance.

Because he is able to speak English fluently, Tuan serves as the interpreter for his family.  This means that he often misses school to go with his parents to the Social Security Administration or the hospital.  Lately, his father’s serious health issues have not only required more of Tuan’s time as an interpreter, but also have caused him extreme concern for the physical welfare of his father and the financial situation of his family.  Tuan describes the brutal conditions at his ailing and aging father’s current job with sadness and worry. 

But rather than being overwhelmed by his circumstances, Tuan uses his family’s situation as inspiration to achieve academically, seeing a college education as a way to help his family.  Despite his numerous and demanding responsibilities at home, he has been able to maintain a 3.7 GPA and serves as an assistant to the user support specialist at his high school and as a technical support volunteer at the local community center.

Tuan describes his future education plans with great maturity and seriousness that is rare for a high school senior, because he equates his success with the health and future of his family.  Yet Tuan describes his family situation without a hint of bitterness.  Instead, he sees his role in his family’s future as an obligation that he can’t refuse.