Most things created in this world have originated from an idea. People learn, and people create. As for AASuccess, this organization was founded by Dave Nguyen, along with the many people who supported him on his mission of fostering future leaders and philanthropists.
15 years ago, the first members of AASuccess met up to start something new. Through efforts, trials, and progression, they laid the foundation for the ever-increasing family of AASuccess members, supporters, and volunteers. AASuccess isn’t just the community projects and events, but also a place to advocate for peoples’ education about things beyond what is taught in school. For 15 years, members old and young have been learning hard and soft skills through opportunities and experiences.
During a quick Q&A session with Dave Nguyen, founder of AASuccess, he spoke about his thoughts and goals for the organization during the past 15 years:
Q: What was your original vision for AASuccess?
A: In retrospect, I believe that when AASuccess first started out, I wasn’t able to articulate my vision right away. My message back then was that I wanted to help everyone to give back, to do well in their community, and at the same time take care of their family, their well-being. Those actions would pave the way to become a good leader. A good leader or person is someone who can harness the will to not only strive professionally but also find time to give back. However, deep down, my vision for this organization was also tied into my passion for changing a person’s life through any single moment. That change may appear insignificant at first. However, if they could be impacted in a structured way through AASuccess and continue to undergo new experiences… If they could be further supported to gradually grow, confront difficulties, and challenges, that would be called success. AASuccess’s team would be able to make a better change in students whether it’s in 5 or 50 people. Now, with the help of many AASuccess members, the vision and mission for the AASuccess community have become clearer than ever. It’s about building people. changing peoples’ lives at an early age, and not missing out on the capabilities of young and old people.
Q: What is it like seeing the organization evolving greatly over the years? As a member and founder, in what ways do you feel accomplished in seeing the growth of AASuccess?
A: I think the joy and the gratification I get has always been from the moments where I see students becoming well-versed in their life, moving beyond AASuccess, and continuing on while keeping the essence of what we stand for in their life. I feel accomplished when I see students’ accomplishments in their wellbeing, growth, education, and their ability to do good in their community. I have been a part of AASuccess for quite some time, so I don’t need every alumni to come back and show me their development. I believe that they will have the ability to carry on in their lives with the fundamental memories and knowledge. Furthermore, I would feel accomplished if I could put an impact on students so that they would grow up to make a change in others as well. That ripple effect will pass on to others. For example, I recently met an old student, Mai Linh, and I saw that she has had a personal journey in impacting others, when in the past, she was in a similar situation to them. It is a full cycle, and that is really meaningful. That shows how the hard work, resources, and time you put in to grow and learn can make a difference in both yourself and others. Working at a non-profit, there is less money earned, but the things that come out of it are enough to make me, and many other people happy. It gives me the happiness that money can’t buy. Another accomplishment that I feel is when I have the opportunity to work with the students and have the ability to garner trust and partnership with them. The human interactions that I go through whether it’s with other mentors or students help me to develop my core values of communication and collaboration to make life better and more complete.
