ASG Student, Valerie Lam, Accepted to Pepperdine University

My name is Lam Huynh but people usually call me Valerie. I come from Vietnam, a beautiful tropical country in South East Asia. I have attended the ASG program for two years now in Ursuline high school.

America is known for its superb education in higher institution thanks to its unique liberal arts program. I decided to start early to maximize my chance in entering my best fit college, as well as improve my English skills.

I applied to Boston College, New York University, Skidmore College, and Pepperdine University. All of these schools are known for their world-class faculty and unparalleled business program, which I plan to pursue in the future. After careful consideration, I finally choose to go to Pepperdine University to spend my next four years. I believe that this Christian institution on the hill will nurture my soul, embrace my potential so that I could give back to the community.

As I mentioned before, I plan to major in international business with philosophy minor. I love doing math, analyzing, solving problem, and leading a group. Additionally, I would consider myself a thinker as I often find myself contemplating existential questions and dig deep into any event and human behavior that I have encountered in life. Therefore, I believe that this combination of subjects will help me live out my full potential and grant me a fulfilled life.

One of the most difficult part of university admission process is definitely essays. Besides the main one in Common Application, I also have to writes multiple supplements, hoping to deliver my personality and unique characters to the admission folks. Writing essay itself is already a challenging task, but as an international student, the challenge is added up to another level. Since I was not raised in an English-speaking environment, I found it particularly difficult to put on me an “ English-mindset”, to express myself in an “English style.”

Fortunately, Mr. Ben Ho was always there to show me my flaws in writing style and grammatical errors. I very much appreciate the fact that he did not clean up all the flaws for me but rather, he explained, by his unique metaphoric method, so that I can realize and fix them myself. Without him, my writing skills would have not improved so much and the college admission result might have not come out so satisfying.

Take initiative! We are in America now so standing up for yourself!

First of all, I would like to give thanks to Mr. Ben Ho for dedicating time and effort in helping me get through the college admission process. Second, I am grateful for Marlene and Kexin, my two lovely houseparents who have cooked the best dishes and encouraged me to overcome the cultural struggles in the foreign land. Last but not least, I am thankful for having Steve the driver as my buddy whom I can discussed from political to scientific matters. Each person has brought a fresh and new perspective into my life and enriches my experience abroad in a different way!