I am an energetic, caring, patient, and passionate person, dedicated to children and giving back to my community. As a Dallas Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA), we are appointed by judges to advocate for abused and neglected children’s best interests by collaborating with legal and child welfare professionals, educators, and service providers to ensure judges have all the information they need to make the most well-informed decisions for each child. I have been advocating for neglected and abused children since 2017. I have also served as a classroom assistant in the second grade deaf education class at Mockingbird Elementary. I enjoyed being a camp counselor for Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children, guiding nine-year-old campers with musculoskeletal diseases in active and challenging activities to demonstrate equitable opportunities while maintaining a safe environment. And lastly, I have been a volunteer ESL teacher at Literacy Achieves, having taught the basic principles of English reading and writing to non-English speaking adult students.
I was born in Saigon, Vietnam near the end of the Vietnam War. My family began our journey to the United States on a fishing boat that broke down until we were ultimately saved by the US Navy. We lived in a refugee camp in Fort Chaffee, Arkansas until we finally moved to Duncanville, Texas. In Vietnam, my mom only attended school until the third grade. She pushed her five children to live the American dream of success through education. I am proud to be the first in my family to achieve a bachelor’s degree, graduating with honors (Suma Cum Laude). My thirst for knowledge continues to evolve. In addition to speaking conversational Vietnamese, I am currently learning American Sign Language (ASL).
Upon achieving my bachelor's degree, I climbed the corporate ladder in media research (which included WFAA-TV). After a ten year career, I decided it was time to leave the corporate environment and pursue a more fulfilling career as an educator. I am dedicated, goal-driven, resourceful, and committed to the social and academic growth of each student. As a minority who grew up poor and spoke English as my second language, I understand how it feels to be a child who looks different, speaks differently, and comes from a low-income home. I am giving back to my community by devoting my career in education to help build a stronger society.
