Truong Ho and his parents.
Soon after Truong Ho and his family arrived in the United States from Vietnam in 2015, his mother became ill and needed to go to a hospital. That experience made an impression on Ho and furthered his desire to pursue a medical career.
“My family and myself couldn’t speak English that well, so we had a really hard time in hospitals,” he said.
“They (the hospital) could provide my family with a translator, but it’s not convenient to talk with a doctor (through a translator),” he said. Cultural differences added to the difficulty, he said. “It’s different from Asian to American,” he explained. “We’re not open to talking about (personal) stuff. It wasn’t easy for her to talk about it and I understand that. So, I want to be a doctor and understand other types of people and connect them to healthcare.”
Ho and his parents moved to the United States for his education. “They knew I would study better in a bigger country, especially America,” he said
Despite a significant language barrier, he hasn’t wavered from his goal of becoming a doctor. He was admitted to ESF as an Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) student in the fall of 2017 and will graduate in May 2020, completing his biochemistry program with a minor in mathematics in three years.
Ho is an active member of the ESF community, both in and out of the classroom. He has consistently been on the Dean’s List and shown leadership as a general chemistry teaching assistant, a College tutor for chemistry and calculus, and an EOP chemistry review session leader. He served on the board for ESF’s chapter of the National Society for Leadership and Success and is involved in ESF’s Alpha Xi Sigma Honor Society, the Food Recovery Network and the Alchemist Society. During the summer of 2019 he received a CSTEP (Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program) fellowship to work in Dr. Christopher Nomura’s lab on PHA-based biodegradable plastics.
Ho was honored with the inaugural Norman R. McConney Jr. Award for Student Excellence in the fall of 2019. The award recognizes outstanding EOP students for their academic achievements. He was among 42 SUNY students honored by SUNY Chancellor Kristina Johnson at a reception at the SUNY Global Center in Manhattan, New York.
About the award ceremony, Ho said, “We had a chance to see and talk with the SUNY chancellor and important state legislators, which was such a great experience. Their speeches gave me even more motivation and encouragement to become a doctor and follow my dreams.”
Kailyn Wright, ESF’s EOP director said, “Truong is a truly remarkable student. He has worked diligently to not only become proficient in a second language but to excel in an incredibly demanding degree program that is taught exclusively in a second language. This incredible feat is due to his strong work ethic and ability to maintain focus on his goal to study medicine. ESF is lucky to have a student with such impressive academic and personal resolve.”
Receiving the EOP-specific award has significant meaning to Ho. “The mission of EOP is to help people succeed and I want to do the same thing as a doctor, but with health. I want to help underserved people connect to healthcare.”
“I just want to motivate other people,” said Ho. “I came to America four years ago and couldn’t speak English. Now I got an award and am a senior in college. So If I can do it, anyone can do it. Don’t let anyone tell you, you can’t do it. Take a deep breath and try again.”
Karen B. Moore is editor of ESF Magazine.