“In the future, I will be able to help Southeast Asian people like my mom find better healthcare access. I will research ways to improve population health among minorities. As a Lao American, I see how difficult it is for Lao people to get access to healthcare since there were difficulties getting health care access for my mom.”
In learning about the different health disparities and issues that affect these minority access to healthcare, I pursue to understand the system. My family's support inspires me to finish college and continue my path.
“Moving out to college was a new path for me. I wouldn’t say it was a hard decision, but it did put me out of my comfort zone. I chose to move out not only for the experience, but I knew being away from home would help me focus on my learning.”
“Going into college, I did not really have a mentor to guide me, so I did feel very alone at first. Also, there were not many Lao people for me to know so I become more disconnected from my culture.”
I love the Lao food and the festivities! Nothing beats homemade Lao food. Lately though, I've often miss out on Lao festivities, because of school and work and I miss these events so much. I am hoping that the COVID-19 pandemic passes quickly. I honestly did not realize how much I missed this when I was away on campus.
“I also love to Lao dance; I remember the first time I moved to San Diego, I went to Lao New Year for the first time around when I was 10 years old and saw my best friend, Emily Lao dance. I thought it was so pretty and I wanted to do it too. Now, Lao dancing means a lot to me, as a way to preserve culture and stay connected. It's a way to tell stories and pass these stories on.”
“My friends and I are in the dance group, Dok Kulap Sinlapakorn. Dancing is our way of embracing the Lao culture!”
“At times, it gets really busy at college, so I do not come home as often and participate in many Lao dancing performances. As someone who has been doing Lao dancing for a while to feel connected to my culture, being away from it made me feel disconnected. I felt underrepresented. Although, there were many Asian identifying individuals on campus, few were Lao. It has been difficult.”
“My life goal currently is graduating from college with my degrees in global health and public health. I want to pursue research in disease prevention and community work. I chose to pursue work that focused on community and population health because I realized how disadvantaged minorities were in getting access to resources that affected their health. There are different health disparities that put certain populations at more risk for different health issues. I wanted to work in an area where I can change these processes.”
“I also wish to continue to Lao dance! I see this as a way to tell stories and pass it on to others. I think being able to show others these performances connects people in a different way – it makes you feel connected. This is how I felt when I first saw the performances.
I hope to inspire and mentor those to pursue their dreams despite feeling underrepresented. I hope that my presence inspire others on their journey.”
“My mom is also the main drive for me to continue performing as she is always at my performances! It always makes me happy to see my mom always there at my performances! I miss going to the temple with my mom every first Sunday morning of the month. I hope to also take my mom out to more places and take her traveling to Laos. I know that she has been wanting to go for a long time! I have also never been out of the country, so I really hope to travel. I would also like to meet my mom’s side of the family in Laos.”
“I would like to be as involved in the Lao community as I once was, if not more, and I hope to see Lao dancing grow even more. I hope to be a representative of the Lao community and inspire others like myself to become more involved in the Lao community while pursuing their dream careers.”
“In the next few years, I hope I am a candidate for a Master’s in Public Health in Epidemiology and working in clinical research if I have not finished grad school yet. I want a career in research and epidemiology. Before graduate school, I plan to take time off and gain experience in my career.”
