Time could not move any slower. Pencils dragged in midair and sounds muddled into mush. I waddled through the knee-deep waters of Junior Kumon. Suddenly, the door slammed. Breeze was in the room. Breeze had not always been in the room. I had only worked at Kumon for four months and most students could read their classwork with little help. However, I had a few challenging students with whom I was fully engaged. But then Breeze arrived. She was shaking...

No one knows how to pronounce my last name. Some call it “Yoo-ong,” others “Ooo-ong.” But for my family, it is “Wong.” My grandfather carried this last name from China to Vietnam. My father then took it to sea with him as a refugee from the Vietnam War. Everyday, he tells me I am very lucky to be an American, with a roof over my head and enough food to eat. My parents told endless tales about how they overcame...

Researching early is key, I started in November when most students were still applying to schools. Since I finished my college applications by September, I reused and recycled the content for my scholarship applications. I also Google'ed every characteristic that could make me eligible for a scholarship (i.e. women, Asian American, applying to private university, studying business, etc)....