Lauren Nguyen

Lauren is currently finishing high school. She is intelligent and ambitious, and she loves to read and spend time helping other people. She is fluent in both languages: English and Vietnam. She helped with translation. She went above and beyond what expected of her.

Lauren's Reflection.

"wasn’t ever about me, it’s all about the good we could do for the children."

“Last year I went along with the other volunteers to Vietnam for seven weeks to teach English to the children of Phuc Dia parish. This trip had a profound impact on not only me and the other volunteers but also the children in our classes and the larger community. Before this trip, I was very reserved and reluctant to go anywhere. This was my first big trip away from home, and my parents and I was very nervous. remember the first night after we flew to Vietnam, I cried because I thought that I had made the biggest mistake of my life by going and that I wasn’t ready for the responsibility of being a teacher and a role model for these children. However, I sat down and rationalized with myself, if I didn’t have the confidence to do this for myself, then at the very least I could think about the children and I could do it for them. Because at the end of the day, this trip wasn’t ever about me, it’s all about the good we could do for the children.”