The story below is from Nguyen Nguyen who talks about his experience being a low income student.
Usually, many students are able to access various resources to help them through their academics; however, as a low income student, Nguyen faces challenges that make him feel like he is always a step behind. Not only is it difficult for Nguyen to afford books to further his studies but also the worry of his financial situation is constantly on his mind. His mother works an 11.5 hour shift to simply be able to pay bills and put food on the table. Although Nguyen is heartbroken thinking about his mother’s sacrifice, her smiles bring him inspiration to continue to work harder in school. Nguyen continuously finds ways to support his family and is in the process of applying for a job. With the motivation of doing well in school to be able to later on support his mother, Nguyen was able to pass 5 AP classes with an A. He plans to continue his studies at a top university with a major in computer science. Nguyen’s goal is to bring financial stability for his mother and one day take her on vacation.
Nguyen is from San Francisco, California and a current rising senior at Galileo High school. Nguyen enjoys break dancing, reading light novels, drinking boba and steak: “I LOVE steak.” He also likes to run in his free time.
Written by Lana Nguyen on 6/11/2020