Growing up in Vietnam taught me the importance of working hard, overcoming hardship, and helping those around me. Experiencing the poverty and the suffering of the Vietnamese people, I am motivated to learn, succeed, and contribute. With a Master’s degree of BYU, I believe I will have an influence in the accounting profession in Vietnam and achieve my dream of “learn, learn, and return”.
As a transfer student to BYU in the fall of 2003 I do not feel I was well prepared for the rigors of the accounting courses at BYU. Despite the language barrier, culture shock and financial hardships, I was admitted to the accounting program. Being an international student, I did not qualify for federal loans, so I relied on an academic scholarship and two part-time jobs when I had to write papers for money and work for the LDS Church for my support.
Working twenty hours per week, I struggled to find the time to keep up with homework and assignments in the junior core. I also struggled mentally because of the turmoil and death in my family. At one point I considered quitting the program. Remembering the hardships of the people back home gave me the courage to continue. I decided to learn from my failure, rather than to give up. I also remember the time I told my mom that I got admitted to one of the top accounting programs in the US; she was crying because of happiness, and I knew she was proud of me. These memories provided me enough strength to continue the program.
Despite the hardship of the past few years, I remained actively involved in both the Finance Society and the Vietnamese Student Association. I also participated in BYU’s Business Plan Competition in 2003, in which my teammates and I won the Honorable Mention Award. The competition provided me opportunities to grow, develop, and strive for self-improvement in my communication, leadership, and organizational skills. Outside of my academics life, I enjoyed promoting cultural awareness in the Girl Scout Association and helping Habitat for Humanity.
Although unexpected events contributed to grades being lower than I expected, I realize that they do not always accurately reflect what I really learn. Overcoming the obstacles of the junior core has given me the optimism and commitment to succeed in the Master of Accounting program. The courage to overcome difficulty, to learn from mistakes, and to grow through my experiences will bring me success. As a student, I have a thirst to learn, to work hard, to succeed, and to make a difference that will allow me perform well and accomplish my goal of being a successful accountant.
