About
Ty
I
was born in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam.
I am half Chinese and half Vietnamese... Chinese from my father's side,
and Vietnamese from my mother's side. In 1981, my family and I immigrated
to the U.S. I was five at the time and did not know the reasons why
we had to move. All I knew was that everything around me was changing.
I was leaving friends and relatives behind and going some place new and
alien to me. I had mixed feelings of sadness and excitement.
Somehow, we ended up in Massachusetts in the small
town of Natick.
Being
in a foreign place and not knowing any English was a bit terrifying for
me. I was thrown into kindergarten with many children who looked
differently from me. I felt very uncomfortable and very isolated
from them as I observed them playing and talking. But one boy made
me feel at ease. He shared paper brick blocks with me and invited
me to play with him. His name was Jason LeBlanc, my first American
friend.
From
kindergarten till the third grade, I went from school to school attending
ESL classes (classes that taught English to foreign children). My
ESL teacher was Mrs. Devlin and Mrs. Gobron who taught me English.
By the third grade, I knew the English language and was reinstated into
regular classes where I made many friends.
I
attended Wilson Middle School where I secretly had my first crush on an
American girl. Her name was Heather Pillsbury, a girl who I thought
was unbelievably gorgeous. She didn't know that I existed but I still
remember always being extremely nervous around her and stealing quick glances
at her when she wasn't looking.
In
high school, I didn't do much of anything except watch TV, do homework,
or hang out with my best friend, Jeremy Goodman who to this day I still
keep in touch with. I was a very quiet and introverted kid.
It wasn't until junior and senior that I joined in activities like plays
and musicals at Natick High. I had crushes
on many girls, but two I remembered clearly. Their names were Krisden
Ferrari and Monica Mitchell. I admired Krisden for her tenacity,
her beauty, and her intelligence. She would always put so much effort
in to whatever she did, from school work to plays. I admired Monica
for her artistic ability, her kindness, her musical talents, and her beauty.
She had a certain aura around her that sparked life and happiness.
I even mustered up so courage to ask her out on a date once. We saw
the movie Forever Young starring Mel Gibson. I never
asked her out on a second date, which I'll always regret.
Now,
as the years quickly go by, I find myself reminiscing about the past and
thinking about what lies ahead in the near future. I definitely have
to say that Wheaton College was the turning point in my life, especially
with a certain girl that I had dated, but we kind of grew apart.
Allison was my first love, who I will never forget.
What
can I say about Wheaton? Let's see... Wheaton, a very small (and
very isolated if you don't have a car) liberal arts college, was a stepping
stone for me. It was a place where I learned not just the lessons
of academics, but also the lessons of life, of friendship, and of diversity.
But most importantly I learned about myself. Thank you Wheaton!
Well,
that's my life's story in a nutshell... Thanks for reading.
:)
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