Hi Everyone,
It's been in a while since I sent out a life update, and I don't think I've sent one out after I graduated yet so here goes.
Some college highlights: Studying abroad in Vietnam, interning at Asian Health Services through HCC, interning at APIAHF, REACH!, Phi Nu Xi, roomies, SASC, facilitating a decal on API health, interpreting for SFHBC (now VHIO), BearWalk, teaching Englilsh at the Vietnamese Community Center
Immediately Post-Graduation
Well I graduated in 2009 with a double major in Public Health and Psychology. After I graduated, I got a job calling members of medical groups and screening them for depression. I ended up quitting, and I thought I'd be working at my mom's printing shop until I found another job.
Working at Family's Printing Company
This past year and a half, I've been working at my family's printing company. It's called Select Graphic & Printing (www.selectgp.com). We sell business cards, flyers, postcards, brochures, etc. It's funny because when I was in college, business was never something I wanted to do...one of the few things I "knew" I didn't want to do. Anyway, I ended up falling in love with the business...the learning aspect of it. I've learned a ton from marketing to sales to how to talk to people to investment vs. return, and I'm still learning a lot. I'm really passionate about using my skills and learning as much as I can to make my family's business grow. My mom and this printing company helped me pay for college, so I am trying my best to contribute what I can.
If you know anyone that needs printing or graphic design, please let me know, and I'll be happy to help. :-)
So what do I actually do there? Because it's a small business, I do a lot of everything. I take orders and do sales. I'm in charge of any marketing like promotions, search engine optimization, direct mail marketing, any advertising in magazines, newsletters, or other websites. I manage the website and take care of all the online orders that go through our website. I do almost all of the copyright (writing) on our company including content for our website, brochures, flyers, and press releases. I am privileged enough to be in a position where I can make decisions and implement ideas, and that makes the job very appealing for me because there is room for growth. I'm always trying to think outside the box to create solutions and think of ways (like changing the workflow and creating forms or price sheets) so that the office and business can run more efficiently. It's crazy sometimes, but I am learning a lot.
Nursing/Health Field
I recently applied to UCSF's Nurse Practitioner program again this year, but I was denied. Right now, my choices are either continue to work in the business or taking some more pre-requisites part-time to apply to other nurse practitioner schools. Still every time I step foot in a medical office (like today coincidentally), I feel like I want to be part of the healthcare system. Health in general is such an important priority that a lot of people fail to neglect, and I'd love to be part of the movement to make their lives more positive in that way.
Right now, I am leaning towards working at the business for a few years and then going back to school later. I still remember Marilyn saying that one's path doesn't always have to be conventional. I'm constantly reading about marketing and sales, and I still feel like I have so much transferable skills to learn and so much to contribute.
Volunteering for Mentorship Program
Besides work, I'm also volunteering as a mentor for a mentorship program called Project MotiVATe (www.projectmotivate.org). It's a mentorship for Vietnamese-American teens. I was one of the coordinators last year and now I'm a mentor this year.
We hold workshops and monthly events that address Vietnamese culture, promote civic engagement, and encourage higher education. I volunteer every Wednesday night there and also some weekends. I continue to volunteer at Project MotiVATe because I want to play my part in instilling in the youth a pride and appreciation for their culture, their language, their family, and their community. It's a really great program, and everyone from the board members to coordinators to mentors are ALL VOLUNTEERS.
In 2 weeks, we have our Gala fundraiser (Friday March 25 at 6:30pm at Mon Cheri Restaurant in Anaheim) coming up to raise money for our program (http://projectmotivate.org/gala/?page_id=2 ). Please consider buying a ticket to come out and support (http://projectmotivate.eventbrite.com/ ) or donating to the program and to the cause: http://projectmotivate.org/drupal/node/33
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