My family is ethnically Chinese but had called Vietnam home for several generations. My parents escaped Vietnam after the war and came to the US as refugees, eventually settling in Portland, Oregon where I was born and raised. Ever since I was a little girl, I dreamt of becoming a doctor and helping to give other children around the world the opportunity for a better life, as my parents had given to me.
 
Working as an administrative assistant during the day, a mentor for underprivileged youth in the afternoon, and a barista at night, I supported myself as the first person in my family to go to college. Along the way, I was bitten by the engineering bug and was convinced it would expand the ways in which I could help my patients in the future. So I invested six years into honing my skills as a biomedical engineer, helping design innovative technologies for ophthalmology. During this time, I was also able to start my lifelong commitment to leading medical humanitarian efforts abroad.

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Now as a pediatric ophthalmologist, I can not imagine a more fulfilling endeavor than working to empower children – no matter where they are or what cards they were dealt – with the fundamental ability to see and lead a meaningful life.