Thanh Hua, Class of '08
Growing up in rural Vietnam, Senior Biochemistry and Molecular Biology major Thanh Hua and her family had very limited access to health care. "Conditions were not good," Hua reflects. Coming to UC Davis to study the sciences, she experienced similar difficulties here. "As an immigrant family, it was not easy to get health care in the United States." This personal struggle inspired Hua's desire to work with underrepresented communities in California.
Currently Hua works at the Sacramento-based, UC Davis student-run Tepati Clinic for Latino families. At the clinic, uninsured and needy families in the Latino community can get quality health care and assistance from a dedicated group of future doctors and service workers. "I have always been interested in making people feel better, in getting to know the patient," she says. A junior year trip to Mexico further inspired her work, as she had the opportunity to learn the "history, culture and politics of the [Latino] community" firsthand.
When asked which scholarship has helped to make her work possible, Hua giggles modestly and asks, "Which one?" Her diligence in applying for scholarships has led to four different awards over the last few years, allowing her to explore a variety of important opportunities. In addition to her work at the Tepati Clinic, Hua serves as the current president of the Prytanean Society, a women's honors club started at UC Berkeley in 1902. "Not having to work, scholarships help me to focus on other areas of my education," she says. "Scholarships help me to give back to the community."
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