15 For 15 – AASuccess

2021: AASuccess Student Colby Pham Organizes a Fundraiser to Support the Victims in Vietnam of Typhoon Molave

Starting from late 2020 to early 2021, Colby Pham, an AASuccess student in the US, organized a fundraiser to support the victims of Typhoon Molave in Vietnam. Since early October 2020, Vietnam has been battered by storms, heavy rains, and floods which have affected more than a million people. Typhoon Molave caused mass destruction in Vietnam, leaving millions of people without electricity, and 56,000 houses in damage. Many families in Quang Nam are living on roofs and struggling to survive as they have lost many things to this storm. Vietnam urgently needs financial support to recover.

Empowered by the partnership with LaSan Vietnam Organization, Colby Pham took the initiative to start a fundraiser to support the victims’ recovery and the rebuilding process. Below is an interview with him about the projects and the results:

Q: When did you start doing this project?
Colby: I began working on this project in January, and it has been a long road to go. A fundraiser for the victims’ recuperation and the country’s reconstruction in Viet Nam came to me as an idea. Although I was born in the United States, I am still Vietnamese. Therefore I have a strong desire to give back to my native land. And I’m not working on this project alone; I’m fortunate to have the LaSan Vietnam Organization on board as a valuable collaborator.

Q: What was the most memorable memory when you did the project?
Colby: The part that stands out the most to me is the kind and enthusiastic support I received while working on this project from those close to me, especially my parents. Their support helped me complete my assignments in a more timely manner.

Q: How did you raise funds for your project?
Colby: I was hoping to raise money for this project by making advertisements, and creating flyers but it didn’t work so well at first. I turned to my family and friends for help. Thanks to their support, I was able to meet my budget target after a few months. Although the fundraising process took a long time, it was well worth it.

Q: Did you encounter any difficulties doing this project?
Colby: Obviously, I say. To begin, I had no idea where to begin this project, and as a result, I kept running into roadblocks. As previously mentioned, it took me a few months to complete this budget for the project. However, this is something I continue to strive for. I built a to-do list and set deadlines for each item on the list to urge me on to enhance productivity. My parents as well as AASuccess also spread the news and offered advice whenever I needed it.

Q: What was your feeling after completing this project? What did you learn?
Colby: The fact that I had so much fun working on this project made it even better. I am glad to know that my efforts can help others who are going through tough times. Due to geographical distance, I was unable to work with my Vietnamese collaborators face-to-face, but seeing their cheerful faces in the photos they shared on social media while they were working on the project made up for it. This project was extremely beneficial to me, as well. I’ve noticed a significant improvement in my ability to communicate after learning how to be outgoing and honest about my thoughts and feelings with others. Another benefit is that I learn how to take responsibility for the duties I am given or whenever I am involved in any activities or tasks.

Q: Do you think the younger generation should focus more on social activities and how important are social activities?
Colby: Obviously, I say. Social activities, in my opinion, are crucial for young people like us. Getting out of your comfort zone early in life is extremely beneficial for you since it allows you to meet new people, learn how to deal with challenges, and develop your confidence and outgoing personality. In comparison to other youngsters who don’t participate in these activities, these social activities help you make significant progress.

The project brought about significant changes for at least 132 students in the affected areas by Typhoon Molave. In Quang Nam, 78 sets of textbooks were delivered to 3 places in Quang Nam provinces. Some books are still waiting to be picked up, as one of the locations is still locked down due to the COVID-19 outbreak in Vietnam at the moment.
In addition, LaSan has helped distribute 54 sets of textbooks to underserved children in various villages in Ha Tinh province. We appreciate the quick response and dedicated work of LaSan for helping AASuccess to reach out to more in-need students in Vietnam. AASuccess hopes to bring more resources and use our platform to support students both in Vietnam and the US in the future.

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2020: AASuccess Student Ashley Rodriguez Raises Awareness and Advocates for Menstrual Poverty

Menstrual poverty is a stigmatized issue within society, and is not often addressed by the public. Ashley Rodriguez, started the Period Project in November 2020 with the purpose to advocate and bring attention towards menstrual poverty in her community. Ashley’s fundraiser raised money to purchase menstrual products for women’s shelters in Northern Virginia.

Ashley Rodriguez, a level 2 AASuccess student, raised $1,300 through social media campaigns and donation boxes. All proceeds went towards local women’s shelters that were in need of menstrual hygiene products. In January, the Period Project donated pads, tampons, and liners to many shelters and organizations including Homestretch, Thrive D.C., A-Span Ending Homelessness in Arlington, Bridges to Independence, Patrick Henry’s Family Shelter, and BRAWS. Ashley also intended to raise awareness towards menstrual poverty, by increasing other’s knowledge about it’s dehumanizing effects in society.

“The Period Project gave me the opportunity to not only express, but also act on my concern for menstrual poverty. The amount of love and support that I received from both students and mentors at AASuccess, as well as my family and friends, was unexpected and very humbling. I felt empowered by my conversations with individuals who began as mere strangers but became wholehearted supporters as I informed them of the growing issue of menstrual poverty in our community. Being able to turn what started as an idea into a tangible fundraiser showed me the power and importance of enacting change to realize my passions.” (Ashley Rodriguez, 12th Grade).

The Period Project was one of the first projects in AASuccess that strived to help women in Northern Virginia. Ashley was able to pass down her knowledge about menstrual poverty to AASuccess students and push them to be more open-minded towards women-related issues. Her project had a long lasting impact on her community through donating feminine menstrual products and enlightening those around her. Ashley Rodriguez’s strong passion to destigmatize menstrual poverty and help the women in her community also further expanded AASuccess’s motives to help the underserved.

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2019: Mentor and Student-Organized Winter Gift-Giving Event for the Community in Need

During the holiday season in 2019, AASuccess students and mentors teamed together to help spread some cheer around the community. They organized over 25 gifts for children at Henry’s Homeless Shelter in Falls Church, and five new immigrant families in Takoma, Maryland. In addition to that, the members assembled 7 baskets of goodies for mail carriers.

What started as an idea to engage in another giving back project, turned into an event that painted many smiles on the faces of those receiving gifts and event volunteers. The event volunteers spent time together to buy, wrap, and deliver the gifts to their new owners. It was an opportunity for students to collaborate, learn more about the importance of doing good things for others, and the happiness that will follow it. Nancy Cu, an AASuccess student, was the person who initiated this cherishable event.

“I’m glad that my idea of a toy drive was a success. It makes me happy to see people smile when they receive new clothes and toys for their kids.” – Nancy Cu, Lead

“The Christmas Toy Drive was a very meaningful event to me and I think it really encapsulates the spirit of AASuccess very well. It was a lot of fun and I was able to bond with many of my fellow mentees over mutually not knowing how wrapping paper worked. As a new student, seeing everyone working together for a cause we all believed in and then being able to deliver the presents made me understand the importance of giving back.” – Linh Le, Student Volunteer

The holiday season is all about giving back to others and spending time with loved ones. Giving back is what AASuccess specializes in. With the work of Nancy and the earnest members, many deserving members of the NOVA community were able to be positively impacted. With this occasion, many other students continued to find inspiration to start projects based on their own passions and interests in the community.

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2018: First Trans-National Collaboration between Students in the U.S. and Vietnam on “Project Butterfly”

In 2018, AASuccess students in both the US and Vietnam had the opportunity to collaborate for a Summer giving-back project. The US team successfully organized a bake sale and car wash fundraiser and raised $500, and the Vietnam team utilized the money raised to visit, cook, and spend time with children in temples and orphanages in Vietnam. Project Butterfly was named by the students, because they wanted to inspire people to spread kindness everywhere they went, just like butterfly pollination.

We recently reconnected with Nguyen Lam Bao Phuc, a 2018 Vietnamese DELTA Success student and Project Butterfly participant. Phuc is an 18-year-old student who recently graduated top of his class in high school and is about to enter university. Continue reading to see how he reminisced about the time when he participated in this new and exciting, but also challenging project.

When did you start participating in this project?

Well, we started this project in July 2018. It was the very first big project that I have ever participated in my life. I was 13 years old back then.

How long did this project take to reach the budget goal?

It took us about 10 days. It was quite a long period of time, because all of the team members wanted to make sure that we utilized the budget goal well. None of us had any experience in running a project before, so we did not anticipate any obstacles coming our way or create backup plans to address them. We truly struggled with this project at first. Fortunately, we were still able to maneuver through it, with all of the members’ efforts. Moreover, we did a lot of advertising activities for this project so everything went smoothly as planned after a few days.

What was the most memorable memory you gained from the project?

Personally, the most memorable memory while doing this project is probably the tasks we had to complete after gaining the budget goal. We used to spend a lot of time thinking about the plan since we all wanted to use this money for meaningful purposes. I really miss those days when we gathered together to come up with the ideas as well as planned the activities for this project. I think I really got on well with all the members so we had a good time during this project. One funny story that I want to tell you is that the day we did the project was during the rainy season in my hometown. We had difficulties traveling. But doing social activities are fun and very meaningful to us so we kept trying hard to continue on and finish the project.

Did you encounter any difficulties doing this project? If yes, how did you overcome them?

To be honest, lack of experience is the most challenging problem. We have not participated in any projects like this before and we had no idea how to utilize this budget with the most efficiency. Fortunately, I received a lot of support from my family and my relatives. I am also one of the good communicators in the group, so it was easier for me to contribute to the team’s success.

Have you done any projects like this before Project Butterfly? If yes, did it have any differences compared with this project?

I had not participated in or been involved in any projects which are similar to Project Butterfly before. I cherish the time participating in this project. This project is meaningful to me in the sense that it helped me to improve myself and made me realize the importance of giving back to society. If I have another chance in the future, I still want to participate in many projects that are similar to this project!

How do you feel after participating in giving-back activities? What are the impacts they have on you?

I really enjoyed the time during this project and I am very thankful that I had a chance to be involved in it. This project taught me how to contribute our effort to the community and how to come up with and request for a budget. At first, this project was so new so it was a challenge for all of us. But as time passed by, I gradually got used to it and realized it was not as difficult as I used to think. These kinds of social activities have fulfilled my life of happiness and joy and helped me to be aware of the importance of social skills. After this project, I knew how to confront difficulties and challenges and how meaningful my life is. That is all I want to share with you today.

As DELTA Success activities and programs continue to expand in Vietnam, we hope to be able to bring more awareness about social issues to youths and facilitate many more meaningful projects like Project Butterfly in the future. Support us with our mission for #15moreyears to empower young people to be successful and happy in their lives while utilizing their talents to give back to their communities.

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2017: Launch of the DELTA Success Student-led English Program in Rural Vietnam

In the Summer of 2016 and 2017, the DELTA program made its official debut and began its first projects. The DELTA program is a student-led English program based in rural Vietnam, with a goal to help ethnic students receive a better education. This article focuses on one of the pilot students, Nguyen Ngu Thuong. He had the opportunity to teach English and work on other projects with students in Vietnam.

Nguyen Ngu Thuong applied to become a DELTA student because he believed the Vietnamese education system does not do a good enough job teaching the students and supporting their interests. In the early years of DELTA, Ngu Thuong, along with a 12-year old student named Thuy, raised 1,137,900 Vietnamese dollars for an elementary school in an under-developed mountain area, where they taught English to younger students. They also taught English to 2nd-4th graders at a Kaho ethnic church for 4 weeks.

“My aunt Hang and I went to a church of the Kaho ethnic minority in a village in Di Linh. It’s about 5 km from my house or more. The Vicar of that church agreed for Thuy and me to teach an English class for ethnic children in grades 2nd, 3rd, and 4th in about 3-4 weeks. Thuy and I planned to teach 3 lessons a week (Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, from 17:00-18:00). The children are very nice and their pronunciation is also very good. Thuy and I taught in that class for 2 lessons. The Vicar is very exciting and he wants to continue this class for more than 1 month. I am thinking about his suggestion because I really want to teach for those students but I am in grade 12 now, I have to learn to pass into my favorite university. But If I have free time, maybe I will teach them every Sunday evening. My aunt told me that I should buy boards and markers for the children because they need to have group activities. I think that idea is great but I think it’s not possible for them because I want to spend it on scholarships for children in my class.” (Nguyen Ngu Thuong, former student of DELTA program)

The DELTA program has expanded over the past 5 years and now has many active students and alumni in Vietnam. The students are continuously engaging in different service projects and creating new plans to make small and big changes in their community. While developing soft skills, they get to create stronger bonds with the people they support. For example, several students recently sent a gift to their local healthcare workers and also completed community projects to help people in need, during the rise of Covid-19. The students in Vietnam also occasionally contact and work with the US students. Now, DELTA and AASuccess students will usually meet virtually every week to update each other and collaborate on projects.

We had an interview with Ngu Thuong recently: https://blog.aasuccess.org/reconnect-with-a-delta-success-student-after-5-years/

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2016: AASuccess Participates in the “Build A School – Leave A Legacy” 5k Fundraiser

On September 17, the founder of the “Build A School – Leave A Legacy” program, Jimmy Thai, organized a 5k run fundraiser in Washington D.C. to raise money for the construction of schools and bridges in Vietnam. Many donations were received from families and friends who were invited to participate in the 5k run and BBQ picnic. Through mutual connections, AASuccess partnered with Jimmy Thai and hosted the event.

Jimmy Thai has a passion for helping underserved Vietnamese children who are not fortunate enough to receive an education or a decent house. Jimmy created the “Build A School – Leave A Legacy” program with the goal to build 100 schools by the end of 2025. The program is based in San Diego, but it also branches across the east coast. He recruited many volunteers and organized many fundraising events to raise money for the construction of schools. According to the 2021 status, the “Build A School – Leave A Legacy” program has constructed over 77 schools and 5 are still in progress.

“About 7 students didn’t mind the cold winter day to go out on a 5K walk. The mission of this fundraising walk is to raise up to $20,000 to build schools in rural Vietnam and make a difference in the lives of many unfortunate Vietnamese children.”

During Jimmy Thai’s stay in D.C, he also provided innovative and interactive workshops that taught important life skills for the AASuccess students who were participating in the fundraising event. The 5k fundraiser that took place in 2016 initiated a partnership between AASuccess and Jimmy Thai’s program. AASuccess agreed they would be more than happy to participate in future events hosted by the “Build A School – Leave A Legacy” program.

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2015: AASuccess Members Travel to Belize for Project Water Buffalo

On November 16th, 2015, AASuccess collaborated with the non-profit Project Water Buffalo, to initiate the “Backpacks to Belize” project. The project involved traveling to Toledo, Belize and collecting backpacks filled with school supplies to support underserved children there.

The Backpacks to Belize project was led by Nick Tran, also the lead of Project Water Buffalo. It was initiated to assist the children in the Toledo District, the southernmost part of Belize that is often disadvantaged. The AASuccess members and volunteers of Project Water Buffalo flew to Belize, distributing backpacks filled with school supplies as well as assisting the local community. They also filmed a promotional video for the Toledo Ecotourism Association, raising awareness for the people in Toledo and to create positive change for the community.

“The Belize trip aligns exactly with my three-month-plan goal of [Networking] with professionals from outside of the AASuccess organization. This trip will allow me to meet and work with professionals from all types of backgrounds with a common cause bringing us together. Through my interactions with the diverse backgrounds of the Water Buffalo volunteers, I plan to expand and test my communication skills in a new environment. In addition to accomplishing my goal, I have the opportunity to grow my repertoire, as a result of working with the young elementary school students from Belize, of age groups I rarely have the chance to work with. Finally, I hope to learn from being the representative of AASuccess , a connector between ourselves and Water Buffalo, and even with our internal Marketing, Finance, and Life Skills Academy groups.” (Duy Pham, project participant and former AASuccess member)

“My 3-month plan is to improve my communication and articulation skills, so I can clearly state all my thoughts and ideas to others. The Belize trip will help to develop my ability to communicate with people from different backgrounds in order to help the people in Belize. I would also need to articulate things in a language as simple as possible to understand them, and also for them to understand us. This will be my first time going on a trip on my own, with a mission of helping the poor, in a location where people don’t share the same lifestyle, language, and culture as I do. This will be a big challenge and an experience that will push me out of my comfort zone. Also, learning different cultures helps me to inspire the students that I mentor in AASuccess by sharing with them what I see, hear, and feel.” (Cho Kiu Wan, project participant and current AASuccess member)

The Backpack to Belize project came out as a success, and it gave AASuccess members an opportunity to make a global impact with their talents and skills. Although, there is more purpose behind this project than just helping the people in the Toledo District. This collaborative project was also meant to teach AASuccess students new life skills to apply in their daily lives, in hopes they would have the ability to pass their wisdom on to the next generation of students in AASuccess. This project is one of the most unique projects in AASuccess as it expanded the variety of projects the Arc360 program has to offer, as well as it proved that any member of AASuccess is capable of making a change on a global scale.

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2014: First Student-Led YouthCon Scholarship Program

The 2014 YouthCon Scholarship Program was the first YouthCon event to be conducted as well as organized by the students of AASuccess. YouthCon’s 2014 first-place winner, Tristan Tran, was awarded along with many other participants.

After hosting the YouthCon Scholarship Program for 3 years, the YouthCon team decided to alter the way the event was originally organized. The YouthCon team believed it would be a good opportunity to allow AASuccess students to take part in the planning process. The purpose was to expose the students to a considerable amount of responsibility and cooperation. In return, they would further develop the skills needed to handle larger tasks in a team-based environment. After countless hours of preparation and the support from the YouthCon team, the AASuccess students were successful in hosting the 2014 YouthCon Scholarship Program. Tristan Tran also became the first place winner of the first student-led YouthCon Scholarship Program in AASuccess history.

“…after reflecting on my time at AASuccess, I have become a completely different person. I realize that without AASuccess, I wouldn’t be as driven or as self-aware as I am today. Today, I am a part of many organizations and on the executive board for two of them. I happily and strongly lead conversations toward bettering both organizations because I found that I was passionate in what I was doing. AASuccess honestly pulled out the leader in me…” (Tristin Tran, 2014 Primary Sponsor Award Scholarship Recipient)

After the 2014 YouthCon event, YouthCon believed that students were capable of leading the scholarship program. To this day, AASuccess students have managed to successfully host the scholarship program annually. The 2014 YouthCon Scholarship Program gave future AASuccess students many opportunities to learn and grow in an environment that required an immense amount of responsibility. Students were able to display their ability to work in a team setting as well as take on a leadership role. Since its inception, the student-led YouthCon event has consistently strengthened the trust between students and mentors in AASuccess, and motivated students to take on bigger responsibilities and positions in future events.

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2013: AASuccess Sponsors Student Elizabeth Do’s Studies in the Philippines

In 2013, Elizabeth Do, a founding student of AASuccess, embarked on an explanatory research project in the Philippines for 6 weeks. During her time there, she worked to study more about modern-day social issues in developing countries.

Since the start of her involvement at AASuccess, Elizabeth has always had the aspiration to study abroad. This meant broadening her education and knowledge to include new languages and cultures which would help widen her perspective on different world issues. Noticing her significant involvement with the organization, the AASuccess Board of Directors assisted Elizabeth in raising funds for her trip to the Philippines. She then was able to have the opportunity to study and conduct research on the modern-day environmental issues in developing countries. Elizabeth was able to begin her illuminating experience in the Philippines on May 22, 2013.

Talking about why she wanted to embark on this project, Elizabeth shared:

“I plan to conduct research on how the Philippines government can improve their people’s lives who are living in landfill areas and learn about their challenges, struggles, aspirations, and dreams. Millions of people’s homes are being demolished because the government is building high rises for businesses. Through my research project, I intend to bring awareness about the urban poor in Manila and to expand my understanding of community affairs at the international level.

I am captivated by this project because, as an anthropology major and global health major, I am concerned about the corruption in developing countries and the abuse certain people experience. Everyone should have an equal opportunity to achieve success in his/her life, even if the definition of success is simply to have food for tonight’s dinner.”

Here is a testimonial from her past mentor, Dave Nguyen:

“I believe that Elizabeth has a good trait in being very thoughtful and compassionate about her AASuccess friends and those that she cares about. She has a very good heart. And whatever she excelled in was always tied into working with others. For example, in 2014, she led the Health Fair project and I worked with her on that. She built her work based on the energy coming from those she cared for. After coming back from her trip to the Philippines, I think that she had become more confident and mature, and she was very proud about the difference that she got to make there. She witnessed the environment that underserved communities had to deal with such as overflowing landfills. She grew through the research, people, and experiences that she encountered.”

Now, Elizabeth is currently studying abroad in Europe. This AASuccess alumni has set an example for following students who wish to pursue their education and goals. The members at AASuccess believe that it is important for people to have aspirations and dreams. They encourage the students and provide assistance through our mentorship program. In addition, internships are given to students to give them opportunities in work experiences that they may have not been able to receive otherwise and to train them to become future leaders.

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2012: AASuccess’ Public Health Fair Aids More Than 400 Families

In 2012, a team of AASuccess students coordinated a Public Health Fair with support from the Vietnamese Medical Society of North East America (VMSNA) and the Fairfax County Health Department. During the event, free medical assistance and health education were provided to more than 400 Asian American families in NOVA.

On August 8th, 2012, it was a busy day for many, as AASuccess members and many honorable volunteers gathered for the 2012 Public Health Fair. In past years, the majority of Health Fair participants were Vietnamese; AASuccess worked to expand their horizons in 2012 by reaching out to more people and volunteers of other ethnicities. The site of the event was crowded with medical professionals, volunteers, and visitors. Specifically, there were 3 Internal Physicians, 1 OB/GYN Physician, 1 Naturopathic Physician, and 2 Chiropractors. Additionally, four Medical Collaborating Groups attended the event: Walgreens, LabCorp, Annandale Lions Club, and Hepatitis B Initiative of Washington, D.C. Thanks to their much-appreciated work and free screenings, many people had the opportunity to receive valuable medical advice and learned about preventative care measures to protect their health. Other than clinical stations, other doctors and experts hosted health promotion programs on various topics.

Ms. Soo Yee discussed her experience with conducting the Health Fair as an advisor

The event was deemed a success, and many people left with new knowledge and a meaningful experience. The 2012 Health Fair was a big step for AASuccess as an organization, demonstrating impactful work and a promising future. In 2013 and 2017, AASuccess held additional Wellness Events, providing the community access to medical professionals and offering the students an opportunity to plan an event bigger and better than before!

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