Lisa Tran

Mrs. Beyikian

Literature and Modern Media

Period 6

Personal Insight Questions

During my freshmen year, I set a goal for myself: I wanted to increase the presence of
Vietnamese American Culture Club at my school. I joined the club because I wanted to share the
beauty of Vietnamese culture with others and bring diversity to the club. At Westminster High
School, the Vietnamese American Culture Club consists of only Vietnamese students, thus, I was
hopeful to improve race relations at my school. My school has a fairly balanced mix of races,
however, people of the same race usually stick together. I believe that by spreading knowledge
of Vietnamese culture, I can create favorable impressions of my culture with others and lessen
the racial tension that plagues in my school. Being a member in the club for four years, I made
many contributions. Every year, I would perform at middle schools for Multicultural Day to
promote Vietnamese American Culture Club. I also perform at my school and six different
elementary schools during New Year. My performances include: lion dancing, ao dai fashion
show, and traditional Vietnamese dances. Through my performances, I was able to represent my
culture and share with others the traditions that take place during New Years. I was also able to
spread knowledge of Vietnamese culture to younger childs. Lastly, I made new friends of
different races and inspired that to join Vietnamese American Culture Club.

Personally, my greatest pride and joy is being in Westminster Girls League. I joined the
club because I believe that gender equality is a first and foremost human right. Women are
entitled to live in freedom and free of fear. Empowering women is essential to improve the
quality of life of women and men. I believe that gender equality implies a society in which
women and men have the same opportunities, outcomes, rights and obligations in life. Through
being apart of Girls League, I was able to stand up for my beliefs and make others aware of
women's oppression. In Girls League, we volunteer every weekend. We participate in
organizations such as: TREES4CITIES, Surf City, OC Marathon, March for Dimes, and Back to
Natives Restoration. We volunteered over 500 hours helping underprivileged families, our
community, and our school. We even planted our own Girls League tree in Huntington Beach
garden. During my second year in Girls League, I decided I want to contribute and give back to
the club that made the greatest impact in my life. Thus, I ran for board. To be apart of this club,
one is required to fill out an application and be interviewed. To run for board, one is required to
write a speech and be interviewed. Today, I am secretary of Westminster Girls League. In the
beginning of school, I helped run a school program called S.W.A.G ( Student with Academic
Goals). I was also in charge of finding service events such as March for Dimes where
Westminster Girls League helped fundraise $400 for premature babies.

Trying to discover yourself is like peeling an onion with many layers. Until you began to
peel, you will not find the hidden meaning of who you are. As I watched my mom try to make
ends meet, I realized the importance and burden of being a first generation college student.
Because the highest level of education my mom received is middle school education, I grew up
to be self-reliant. Some of my skills include: time management, goal oriented, and much more.
Layer by layer, I learned and improved my greatest skills. My strengths allows me to complete
and take pride in my tasks. Ever since I was a little girl, I have been extremely organized. As
time passed, I learned new skills through teaching myself.I learned to cook, sew, and much more
by living with my mom. By having chores, I was able to stay on task with my schedule and
improve my time management skills. Moreover, I am goal oriented. I am consistent with my
grades with mostly As and Bs in my classes. I joined track and field for three years and won the
most improved awards. I am also dedicated to other clubs and activities outside of school.

Life is designed to be difficult with hurdles blocking ones way. If life is simple, than
many people would become unmotivated and give up when facing challenges. Because nothing
is offered on a silver plate, one must be diligent and hard-working to achieve his or her goals.
During my freshman year, I faced an onerously difficult challenge: jumping over a hurdle. When
my track coach placed me in the 300 meter race, the most arduous race there is, I felt extremely
anxious. I knew that I could not make it over the hurdle because I never practiced hurdling
before. As I began my first race, I face-planting and fractured my wrist. Although I was injured
and extremely embarrassed, I amassed up the courage to finish my race. Generally, the key to
success includes preparation and practice. Therefore, I researched how to properly hurdle,
strengthening and endurance workouts, and proper nutrition. After my scarring experience, I
spent my time consistently fine-tuning my form and pushed myself to practice hurdling
everyday. I learned to view challenges as opportunities to improve. Setting goals for myself and
achieving the goals I set out becomes addicting and extremely satisfying. In virtue of this
experience, I learned to hurdle over obstacles I encounter. Whenever I have a test, I prepare
myself by making reviewing my notes. Then, I would make flash cards and do practice
problems. Also, I would make up acronyms or songs to help me memorize important information
needed to pass the test. Through hurdling, my work ethic improved and I learned to how
organize my work to accomplish my goals.