Describeanexampleofyourleadershipexperienceinwhichyouhavepositivelyinfluenced

others,helpedresolvedisputes,orcontributedtogroupeffortsovertime.

Everyindividualholdsapersonalitythatisdifferentanduniquetooneanother.Whichever
personalitythatmaybe,Ibelievethatanyonehastheabilitytotakeonrolesofleadership.To
me,beingaleadermeanstobearolemodel,becompassionatetowardsothers,andtoknowyour
purpose.Asayounggirlnotonlytryingtounderstandthesocietyaroundher,butalsotryingto
discoverherself,theintrovertquicklysawherselffallingintotheideaofjustfollowingothers.In
caseyouwerewondering,thatgirlwasme.IfoundmyselfverycautiousofwhatIdsay,and
neverwantedtoputforthmyideasandopinionsforthefearIdbejudged.Ironically,allmylife
Ihavebeenapartofprojectbasedlearningwhichhighlyrestsuponcollaborativeworkand
communication.AsIgrewolder,Ifounditmoredifficulttoalwayshidebehindthecurtains,and
learnedthatovertime,personalitiesarealwayschanging.Iknowthisbecauseitwasntuntilthis
yearIuncoverednewqualitiesinmethatIdneverthoughtIwould.Forexample,myexperience
withoneschoolprojectinparticularcalledTheAmericanDream2.0.Inthisprojectnotonlywas
Ifascinatedinthecontent,butIfeelitshinedlightonmeasaleader.Becausethereweremany
componentstomakingthisprojectsuccessful,studentsweregivendifferenttaskstomanage.
Oddenough,IwasselectedtobecomeSeniorEditorwhencreatingourAmericanDream2.0
bookandmanagedalltheotherdepartments.Ifoundthissurprising,consideringthefactIam
alwaysonetofolloworders,ratherthanmanage.Giventhisleadershiprole,Ihadtheopportunity
manageotherdepartments,aswellaslookoverthechaptersthatwerebeingmadebeforethe
teacherlooksoverit.Notonlythis,butbecausetheprojectbecameoverwhelmingtosome
students,Iwasabletosupportthem.Inoticedonestudentinparticularstrugglingwithhispartof
thebookandasaleader,Iwasabletoencourageandreassurehimthathewasabletodo
anythinghesethismindto.Asforme,Iremindedmyselfofthosesamewordsandrealizedthat
Itoo,wascapableofbeingaleaderthatcanpositivelyinfluenceothers.

Whatwouldyousayisyourgreatesttalentorskill?Howhaveyoudevelopedand
demonstratedthattalentovertime?

Iseemyselfasanocean.Goingasitflows,andalwaysbeingopen.Bybeingopenminded,you
allowroomforimprovement,wanttounderstandotherpeoplesstandpoints,andarealways
curious.Throughoutlife,therewillalwaysbebumpsandchallengesintheroad.Ultimately,it
becomesuptothepersonwhethertheywanttoovercomeobstaclestheyhavefacedandlearn
fromtheirmistakes,orhavetheirmistakesbecometheirburden.Iamabelieverofhaving
everythinghappenforareason,andchallengesareputintoplaceformetobeabletoovercome
thebarriers.Toalwaysstayoptimisticandhaveagrowthmindsettoimprovemyfurtherchoices.
ByhavingthisgrowthmindsetIfeelIcanaccomplishanythingthatcomesmywaywhenit
comestomyacademicwork.Thisyearspecifically,I'veopenedmyselftotryingoutVolleyball,

andjugglehonorsworkaswellasaMesacollegecourse.I'mhappywiththedecisionsI'vemade
thisyearacademicallybecauseitjustprovesthatI'mabletomanagemyselfalongwithmy
academicwork.Bydoingthis,itdefinitelyhaspushedmylearningabilitiesasIstruggledto
studyforexams,writeseveralessays,buildmystaminainreading,andtoalwaysbecurious.
Thisskillofgrowthmindsethashastaughtmetobeopentonewchoices,andalwaysmaketime
toreflectonmychoicesaswellasallowroomforimprovement.Ibecomemoreawarewith
myselfasanindividualandwhoIwishtobeinthefuture.

Describethemostsignificantchallengeyouhavefacedandthestepsyouhavetakento
overcomethischallenge.Howhasthischallengeaffectedyouracademicachievement?

IwasraisedbyafamilythatcametoAmericaasLaotianrefugeesfromtheVietnamWar.
Becauseofthis,Iunderstandthattheyhadadifficulttimecomingintoforeignland,switching
intocompletelydifferentenvironments.Mygrandmotherhadalwaysinstilledinherchildrenand
grandchildrentorecognizetheircultureandknowyourroots.Tome,thechallengeIfacedwas
findingmyownidentity.IfeelasifImtwodifferentpeoplewhenitcomestotryingtolookfor
approvalfrommyeldersandtheLaocommunity,tofindingamorerealandindividual
LaotianAmericanthatIcanbe.TheanxietyIfelt,aconstantthoughtracingthroughmymind
forthefearofnotdoingsomethingthatwassociallyacceptablefrommyLaotianculture,aswell
asmypeersatschool.Thisfeelingofuncertaintyalsodraggedalongwhenitcametomy
academics.Asaresult,Ihesitatedtocommunicateandaskquestionstomyteachers,Ineverfelt
contentorconfidentinmyselfwhenitcametoparticipatinginclass,andneverwantedtospeak
onhowIfelt.Mostly,Iwasjustafraidofwhatothersthoughtaboutme.Notonlydiditaffectthe
possiblerelationshipswithothersthatIcould'vebuilt,butIfeltasifmywordswereneverbeing
heard.Duringthistimeoftryingtofindmyself,IhadtheopportunitytojoinAnthonyRobbins
GlobalYouthLeadershipSummit.Mymomhadreallypushedthisorganizationonme,because
shethoughtitwouldbuildupmyconfidenceandopenmyselftonewexperiences.Ibecame
againsthersuggestion,asIbelievedatthetimethatIdidntneedtobuildconfidence.
However,itistruewhenpeoplesaythatmotherknowsbest.Whilethere,Imetpeoplemyage
fromallovertheworldwhoallwereeagertofindthemselvesandtheirownidentityaswell.
Throughthis,withinaweekIvecreatedfriendshipswithothers,andItestedmyowncapability
ofconfidence.Ibroughtthisbacktomyschoolenvironment,whereIwasinspiredtoinstillin
myselfthatIamapersonwhohasthevoicetobeheard,andupliftotherswhoneedit.Tobethe
bestIcanbeandrealizethatIcannotchangemyselfforthesatisfactionofotherpeople.

Whathaveyoudonetomakeyourschoolorcommunityabetterplace?

Allacrosstheworld,peoplevaluecommunityasaplacewhereidentitiescanrelateandfind
stabilitywithinthemselvesandtheirsociety.Inanyenvironmentyourein,therearemultiple
communitiesyoufallinto.Whetheritisthecommunityofyourreligiousbeliefs,yourschool
community,ortheneighborhoodyoulivein.AllmylifeIhavelivedinthesamecommunity
whereitislookeduponothersasinferiorcomparedtomanyothercommunities.SouthEastSan
Diegohaskeptthestereotypeofbeingapredominantlyminoritycommunitythatisuneducated
andseenasghetto.Atschool,theHighTechsystemvaluesasenseofastrongcommunity
wherestudentshaveavoice.Asaresult,thishaspushedmetobeapartofthecommunitywhere
Iamastudentambassador,informingothersandbuildingleadershipskills.ThenotionthatIam
abletomakeadifference.AndIwonder,whycantIdothataswellforthecommunityIlivein?
Overthesummer,IdecidedIdjoinanorganizationinwhicheducatespeopleabouturban
gardeningandbetteringtheSouthEastDiamondcommunity.Throughthis,Ivebeenabletodo
civicmindedactionswhetheritwasvolunteeringatalocalcommunitygardens,tojustgiving
backtothecommunity.Theyinstillinyoungergenerationsthatweareabletobreakawayfrom
thelabelsthatothersgiveontheSouthEastcommunity.Notonlythis,butwithinmy
neighborhoodcommunity,therearemanyLaotianAmericanslivingthere.Whenpeopleask
aboutmyrace,theyoftendontknowwhatImtalkingaboutorhaveneverheardofthecountry,
Laos.IbelievetheLaocommunityhasreallymadeanameforitselfinSanDiegoandIenjoy
beingintouchwithmyculture,participatinginfestivalstheyhave,volunteeringforparades,and
overall,informingothersaboutwhatmynationalityis.Beinginseveralcommunitiesis
somethingItrulyvaluebecauseitisachancegiventomakechangeforthegreatergood.