In her own words
Sarah Than
Growing up, my family emphasized the importance of pursuing a higher education degree. It was important because it allowed for both personal and career growth. They were unable to pursue any form of education back in Vietnam due to financial reasons, so growing up, they constantly worked in order to fund my college tuition. Watching my parents take on multiple jobs and long hours instilled in me a deep sense of responsibility and gratitude. There is a word in Vietnamese, “cố gắng”, which means effort. My family always repeated this to me whenever I would talk to them about how tiring my days were. Their response put everything into perspective. My exhaustion from studying could never compare to the physical and emotional toll of their labor. This is why I am determined to pursue a degree in Computer Science. Technology has the power to transcend borders and create opportunities that my parents could only imagine when they left Vietnam. By studying CS, I am not just building a career for myself. I am honoring the journey my family took to get here. I want to leverage the problem-solving skills and innovation that computer science offers to create meaningful impact, whether that’s developing solutions that help communities like mine, contributing to technological advancement, or achieving the stability my parents envisioned. Their journey to America was filled with hope and sacrifice. Pursuing this degree is my way of ensuring that their hope was not misplaced. I am committed to embodying “cố gắng” in everything I do, transforming their hard work into a future that honors their courage.