I
remember the day before I flew down to Irvine for the CelebrAsian 2004 event; I
could not sleep the night before. May was a hectic month and all the Advanced
Placement test were on the day of my flight to Irvine, California. Prom was the
day after I came back to San Jose and Mother’s Day was also the Sunday I
returned. Although I was only a couple hours away from Irvine, the trip was
exciting for me because it was the first time I traveled south of California
with some friends and no “parents.”
May 6,
2004, right after the English Literature and Composition AP Exam, my friends and
I rushed home to grab our luggage and drove to the airport. The flight to LAX
airport was short but taking the shuttle to Irvine was long because the
chauffeur made so many stops. Riding in the back of the shuttle was a funny
moment for my friends and I because the road was bumpy so we were bobbing and
bouncing in the back of the car. After a couple long hours riding in the back of
the shuttle, we finally arrived at the Hyatt Regency Irvine.
When I
first got out of the shuttle, I was amazed at the formal wear and the amount of
people outside the Hyatt. There were so many people and I observed what was
going on. I was finally attending the CelebrAsian 2004 event. Looking back at my
attire, I was wearing some jeans and casual shirt. I said goodbye to my friends
and told them I was going to meet them at the University of California, San
Diego the next night.
I met
Morgan and Matt who were coordinating and taking care of the scholarship
recipients. I was so happy because although I bombarded them with questions,
they were always willing to help and never shied away from my requests. I was
surprised because Morgan and Matt were so young and had to take care of so many
things to make this event possible.
Because
Morgan and Matt was so busy running around doing errands for the CEO and other
things, the scholarship recipients and I were able to walk around and meet other
business people. The next morning, we ate breakfast and listened to some
important speakers about businesses and starting up a business. Although in the
Fall I will be majoring in Human Biology, I listened because it doesn’t hurt to
learn more about other subjects because it may be useful to me one day. Later
that afternoon, we ate lunch with all the businessmen and businesswomen and had
guest speakers speak. I am very thankful that the US Pan Asian American Chamber
of Commerce and sponsors paid for all the meals and flights for the scholarship
recipients because without them, I wouldn’t be able to attend this prestigious
ceremony.
During the night when I shared rooms
with the other scholarship recipients, I made two new friends. My roommates
Sabane Thach and Lie Vu were all very nice and we got along very well. The first
night we stayed at the Hyatt, we couldn’t stop talking before going to bed and I
was happy that this bond was created between us. Although we knew each other
very little, we communicated and it was a once in a lifetime memory to share.
May 7, 2004, the scholarship dinner was finally starting. I was extra hyper
because that night I was going to meet the author Adeline Yen Mah. I happened to
read her book Falling Leaves the summer before and my goal that night was
to get her autograph. I succeeded in getting her autograph. That night, everyone
was dressed formal and I was stunned at decoration and background setting that
was put up. I daydreamed of how great it would be to have a wedding as elegant
as the CelebrAsian 2004 event. The food they served was excellent and I couldn’t
even finish my meal. Dessert was nicely arranged on a plate and served cold.
When it was my turn to be called up to receive my award, I stood up tall and
proudly accepted my award. This event made me feel special because all my hard
work and dedication to academics and community service has been worthwhile.
CelebrAsian 2004 has made me realize that working hard and keeping up my
determination would guide me to success. The award isn’t the important thing;
it’s the connections I’ve made with other people along the path of my life that
will help me in the future.
That
night, Matt and his wife drove me down to UCSD so I can fly back with my
friends. I am so thankful for everything the USPAACC staff has done. I would
like to give special thanks to CEO Susan Au Allen, the Bernadette Wong Yu
scholarship committee, Morgan Motto, Matt and his wife, John, and all the people
who have made this event possible.
I
remember the day before I flew down to Irvine for the CelebrAsian 2004 event; I
could not sleep the night before. May was a hectic month and all the Advanced
Placement test were on the day of my flight to Irvine, California. Prom was the
day after I came back to San Jose and Mother’s Day was also the Sunday I
returned. Although I was only a couple hours away from Irvine, the trip was
exciting for me because it was the first time I traveled south of California
with some friends and no “parents.”