Page 4 – AASuccess

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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Life Skills Academy – Local Programs

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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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2011: AASuccess Students Promote First AASuccess Scholarship Open to the Public

On January 29th, 2011, AASuccess students organized a promotional event for an upcoming YouthCon Scholarship Program at a Tet Festival. It was the first time YouthCon engaged with the greater community by welcoming applicants from outside of AASuccess.

Before 2011, the annual YouthCon Scholarship targeted AASuccess students and close affiliates to demonstrate their mindset of giving back and drive to learn. However, in 2011, AASuccess looked to change gears for this event. The organization wanted to empower more students outside of AASuccess, and for our own students to help support community youth and lead this event. After all, it’s called YouthCon. So, how did we spread the word about this scholarship? With our students! This created an opportunity for them to develop their skills and give back to the community in a new setting. Five students, including Nini Nguyen, Kenny Ho, Mai Ly, Vihanh Tham, and Julie Hoang collaborated with one another to promote the scholarship. They were tasked with making flyers, poster boards, and recruiting people of different ages to apply. While building their communication skills, they got to network and promote the mission of YouthCon and AASuccess to the greater Northern Virginia community.

Because of this promotion, more people became aware of this program and were interested in applying. The 2011 YouthCon Scholarship ended greatly. Due to this effort, YouthCon programs in subsequent years have become increasingly student-led and widespread across the D.C-Metropolitan area. As shown through this impact, AASuccess has and will always work to impact people and communities through its mission, including recruiting more students from different backgrounds and strengthening our community bonds through giving back projects like YouthCon.

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2010: The First Sustaining Member Program Event

In December 2010, AASuccess held its very first sustaining member program event to welcome potential and long-lasting AASuccess donors and allies. The event additionally informed the members about the importance of community involvement and showcased the milestones of AASuccess.

The objective of this dinner program, in which our Founder Dave Nguyen hosted, was to show how much our organization values our Sustaining Members and the new connections that we build. In addition to that, being a Sustaining Member would help with promoting their professional status, community involvement, along with assisting students in achieving their short-term and long-term goals. During the event, Chairman Mr. Scott Plein and Executive Director Ms. Khanh Mi Nguyen spoke to guests and had the chance to speak up about the significance of their involvement in AASuccess. Mai Ly, an AASuccess student, and member of the AASuccess finance team, also spoke about her experiences as a student who directly benefits from the addition of resources.

Here are some testimonials from our dedicated board member, Jim Alstrum-Acevedo:

What about AASuccess first sparked your interest in joining?

I attended a meeting of AASuccess in which one of the student members spoke. I had been told that the student who spoke had previously been very reluctant to speak publicly, so I was impressed by what I perceived to be the impact of AASuccess in providing this young person confidence and poise that enabled him to speak in front of a group of mostly strangers. At this point, I thought AASuccess had a good model and I was interested in seeing how I could help out.

How has your impression of our organization changed over the past? How do you think we have grown?

AASuccess has streamlined its processes over the years and has become more professional in the way in which it provides training in leadership and soft skills to our student members. It has also become well-known in the local Vietnamese community as an organization that is a community resource that strives to help where it can. I’m very optimistic about the impact AASuccess will continue to have in the future, especially when you consider that the students who graduate from our Life Skills Academy are proven leaders and active in their communities. AASuccess continues to disprove the notion that the “younger generation is not interested in civics or the broader community.” Young people want to make a positive impact on their communities and the world and AASuccess is giving them the tools they need to do just that.

How has AASuccess impacted you as an individual?

The impact of AASuccess on me has been to continually give me hope for the future of our community and country as the young people who come through the AASuccess doors are impressive individuals who are interested in helping others improve their lives. AASuccess is achieving its mission and I know the future will be in good hands.

Do you have any fond memories of the times you have been with us?

I really enjoy my memories of the different YouthCon events I’ve attended over the years. The students never fail to deliver a great event and to assume the challenge of leading and organizing such a big event. Additionally, I’m always impressed by the projects proposed by the YouthCon finalists. Each year I attend YouthCon I am impressed by what our young men and women, many of who are in high school or junior high school, accomplish. AASuccess is in good hands.

Looking into the future, AASuccess will continue to host events to further recognize and acknowledge sustaining members of AASuccess. The steady flow of support brought in by sponsors and members has allowed students to initiate community projects and assist in alleviating modern issues for many years. A big thank you to everyone who has been with us!

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