THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, August 19, 1994 TAG: 9408180227
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 03 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JO-ANN CLEGG, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 74 lines
FIFTEEN YEARs AGO Michael and Tran Van arrived in the United States with their 3-year-old son, Phillip, and six other family members.
Behind them was their Vietnamese homeland, torn by years of war and an uneasy peace.
In front of them was the promise of their new homeland where, if the stories were to be believed, all things were possible for those willing to work to make it so.
These days, Michael, a chef, and Tran, a waitress, are well on their way to realizing the same dreams which have inspired generations of immigrants.
The comfortable, tree-shaded, neat-as-a-pin house in Aragona is proof that, as is the success of their children, 14-year-old American-born Amanda and 18-year-old Phillip who graduated recently from Bayside High School with a long list of honors and big plans.
He's bound for the University of Virginia later this month, taking with him a reputation for hard work, the ability to overcome adversity and enough scholarship aid to pretty much cover the costs of his undergraduate education.
With English as his second language, Phillip worked his way diligently through Virginia Beach Public Schools where he enjoyed a reputation as a good student.
``Or at least I like to think so,'' the tall young man said with a shy grin. ``Only I really didn't motivate myself until about my sophomore year.''
Whenever the motivation arrived, it was enough to assure that Van graduated with honors and received a mortarboard full of scholarships, among them ones from the Tidewater Builders Association, the All Saints Foundation, the Civitan clubs and the Lincoln-Lane Foundation. In addition, U.Va. offered a financial package which will allow Van to get the kind of education which will qualify him for admission to medical school.
``I want to go into medicine,'' he said, ``clinical, not research. I want to be with people.''
Van has had a fair amount of experience with this country's health care system since his arrival here. The loss of his right eye in a childhood accident has left him with partial blindness, a condition on which he chooses not to dwell.
``It happened when I was so young that I've learned to compensate for it,'' he said matter of factly.
In high school he worked at overcoming shyness and at getting through advanced placement English. ``Not that I had trouble with the language, I just don't enjoy reading books,'' the scientifically inclined student admitted.
Music is another matter. He's a violinist who loves the classics and plays well enough to have been concert master for the school orchestra but admits to a fondness for Top 40 and alternative music as well.
In addition to being in the orchestra he served as president of the National Honor Society and was captain both of the debate team and Bayside's Science Bowl challengers. He was also a member of the Junior Engineering Technical Society and a participant in the National Engineering Design Challenge.
In his spare time he plays a pretty decent game of tennis and enjoys hanging out with friends.
For four weeks this summer he attended the prestigious National Youth Science Camp at Green Bank, W.Va., one of the two Virginians to be chosen for the honor. The challenging regimen of lectures, seminars and outdoor activities fit right in with Van's philosophy.
``Always push yourself to the limit,'' he said, ``but make sure you have time to have fun. If you don't, you don't get a perspective on what you're doing.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo by JO-ANN CLEGG
Phillip Van plays the violin well enough to have been concert master
for Bayside High School's orchestra.
by CNB