On Friday March 21st, ISHCMC American Academy had their annual Sports Day. It’s an event where the four houses (Shark, Phoenix, Lion and Dragon) competed over 1000 house points. House Pride, the game of enhancing house spirit among students, began at noon after lunch. Each house had to make 3 posters and mega-phones to cheer for basketball teams. Subsequently, we painted our faces for the game. Shark was the most impressive and got 1st place. After that were Phoenix, Dragon and Lion. For the last event, we played basketball between houses. In the first match, Shark defeated Dragon. Subsequently, Lion defeated Phoenix on the second match. Thus, Shark and Lion had to play with each other to win 1st place. After tense games, Lion took the victory over Shark which pushed Shark down to 2nd place. Phoenix and Dragon drew at 3rd place. The last “Earning Points Event” was Individual Award which means if anyone from that house gets an award; the house will earn 20 points. Before the individual awards, Phoenix and Lion shared the 1st place with 140 House Points for each house. Following this was Dragon with 120 House Points and Shark with 80 House Points. In total, Phoenix got 1st place with 450 H.P throughout the day. Shark got 2nd place with 385 H.P. 3rd place was Lion which received 365H.P. The last place was Dragon with 320 H.P. With the participation of every staff member and student, we had a fabulous sports day of the year. Many awards have been given due to student’s and staffs’ achievements. ISHCMC American Academy success-fully created a day to push school spirit to a new level.

Congrats to all houses!

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Middle School High School

He has been a reliable student this year and I have seen growth in his character. He cares about

his work and he cares about helping others. He was absent

and submitted his work the next day with an explanation and an

apology for his lateness. I am im-pressed with that, because that is not the same Eric as one year

ago, so I am told.

Vu Ngoc Nam Phuong (Lily 8A)

Students of the Month Students of the Month

Teacher of the Month - Allen Miles

What Teavhers are Saying

Ea Gia Long (Eric 7B)

This month’s selection for T.O.M. was chosen for 2 reasons. The first reason being that he tirelessly gives to this school, both during and after the end of school bell. Examples of his impact can be enjoyed by all just by walking around our grounds. The work that his students produce truly makes this school a beautiful place. It’s easy though, to appreciate something out-wardly appealing like the health clinic sign, or the varsity basketball picture board, or his artwork recognizing the senior soccer team, or his expert work in door contests, and the many art fairs he organizes and runs.

It’s a bit harder to see the time and energy he puts in to working with his students behind the scenes. His door is permanently open and he has created a warm, welcoming environment for students to work in. He is also the head basketball coach and the backbone of our AA sports program. The energy and passion he provides students after school has been the driving force behind our many achievements and has paved the way for the continued success of our program. It is difficult to express how much he has done, because it has simply been everything. The second reason this teacher was chosen is because he is the ultimate role model. What this means is that he has the courage to live every day in pursuit of his passions, that being family, basketball, and art. He is the perfect representation of the recipe for happiness, Mr. Allen Miles.

Nguyen Hai Nguyen (Cheryl 11B)

Nguyen Hoang Hiep (11B)

Lily always takes time to think in class. She does not rely on the

teacher. She trusts her own ability to think for herself, even if she

cannot find the answer immedi-ately. She also works really well with her classmates, listening to

them and helping them. Awesome student!

What Teavhers are Saying What Teavhers are Saying

What Teavhers are Saying

Cheryl is a model student who demonstrates the necessary habits for academic success.

Whether if it is staying current on assignments, providing

thoughtful answer in class, or aiding her peers or teachers, Cheryl is a stand out student

leader!

Here is a student who makes a terrific amount of effort to use English in class and this year has seen a dramatic improve-ment in his English commu-nication skills. Beyond that, he is determined to succeed in all areas of school life: his studies, English, basketball...

everything.

Nguyen Le Bao Ngoc chatted with Mathematics teach-er and Student Council Advisor Mrs. Rebecca Swanson.

If you had to describe yourself with only three adjectives, what would they be? Kind, Positive, Intelligent

We know you are from the United States. What states have you lived in? Tennessee, Arizona, and Colorado

Can you tell us about one memorable moment that you’ve experienced in Vietnam? A memory that sticks out to me is the Moon Festival. Our apartment complex put on a lovely show which was our first real taste of Vietnamese culture and heritage.

Describe one of your favorite dishes. One of my favorite meals is black-bean burritos that I make with fresh guacamole. I cook the black beans with a bit of molasses which gives them a wonderfully unique flavor.

If you could own a summer house any-where in the world, where would it be? Describe the place.I would love a summer home in Salida, Colorado. It’s a small, mountain town that has access to great hiking, beautiful streams and rivers, and is close to dozens of skiing areas. The air there is pure and crisp, and it never gets too hot.

Meet the Teacher: Rebecca SwansonWhat is the riskiest or most dangerous thing you’ve ever done? Growing up in Col-orado, I have done my fair share of rock climbing. In college I was pretty good and was able to scale some challenging rock faces. I wore a harness and used ropes, of course, but rock climbing in nature can be risky.

What did you want to do for a career when you were a child? As a child I wanted to be a teacher. In high school, I was encouraged to go into engineering, so I started out as an electrical engineering major. After an internship, I realized I was not passionate about the field, so I switched my major to mathematics with the intent of becoming an educator.

Describe yourself as a teenager. In high school, my main focus was learning and my grades. I was kind of a nerd, really. I had a good group of friends and was involved in a lot of activities: com-petitive swimming, yearbook, student council, sym-phonic band, and loads of volunteer work. I kept myself very busy.

Sounds like you haven’t changed much! You are still so busy with Student Coun-cil and other school activities. What did you like to do on the weekends? My week-ends were spent either attending activities or doing homework. If I didn’t have anything to do, I would

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hang out with my friends.

When you actually do have time to watch TV, what do you like to watch? I liked the show “Friends,” and I really enjoy a good documen-tary.

If you could have any superpower, what would it be? I would like to be fluent in every language in the world. How cool would that be?

Why did you choose to teach Math?

I’ve always enjoyed mathematics—especially when I got to college. I want to spread my love for this material to others.

How can students be successful in your classes? Come to class, do your homework, and ask for help when you get stuck.

Well, we certainly would not want to skip your Calculus class! Thanks for taking the time to talk with us. It was my pleasure!

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Pham Thi Thai An chatted with English Teacher and GATE Coordinator Mrs. Sarah Schnack.

Describe yourself in 3 words. Friendly, goofy, mellow

What places have you lived besides Viet-nam? California and England

What languages can you speak? I speak ex-cellent English, not very good French, and just enough Vietnamese to read a menu.

If you could own a summer house any-where in the world, where would it be? I would LOVE to own a summer house in Santa Cruz, California, which is where I went to University. It’s

Meet the Teacher: Sarah Schnackan adorable little beach town on Monterey Bay in Northern Cali-fornia, surrounded by mountains and redwood trees. It’s close enough to San Francisco to be able to visit the big city easily, but once I’m there I never want to leave! What is the riskiest thing you’ve ever done? Packing up my husband and three kids and moving to Vietnam was pretty risky, but so far it’s been fantastic!

What did you want to do for a career when you were a child? Did you have any other jobs before becom-ing a teacher? I always wanted to be an English teacher when I was young, because I love reading and writing (and bossing people around). After college, I wanted to explore some other career options, so I worked in internet advertising and a few non-profit organizations for about 10 years before going back to school for my teaching credential and mas-ter’s degree.

What were you like in high school? I was a drama nerd in high school, and mostly hung out with the other kids in the school musicals! I went to a Catho-lic school, so I wore a uniform during the week. My favorite music was (and still is) anything I can sing along to. In high school, I

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listened to a lot of depressing music like The Smiths and Depeche Mode, because I thought it was funny.

What do you like to do on the weekends? Do you prefer to go out, or to hang out at home? I like to hang out with my kids during the weekend. We go swimming, or build forts in the living room, or go to the movies. If I’m on my own, I love to have time to read just for fun!

Ok, when you’re not reading or building forts, do you like to watch TV at all? I love to watch The Daily Show to keep up on politics. My fa-vorite movies are Monty Python and the Holy Grail and The Princess Bride- I’ve seen both a million times, and can quote them from memory!

Do you have any special or unique talents? I am REALLY good at converting oxygen to carbon dioxide. I can also read really fast, which is a good talent for an English teacher to have.

Why did you choose to teach English Language Arts? I’ve taught grades 4 and 5, as well as 7th and 8th grade history and English. I love reading and writing, and it’s great being able to teach English and possibly inspire stu-dents to feel the same way.

How can students be successful in your classes? Show me that you’re trying your best. You can do this by com-pleting your homework and classwork assignments and participating in class discussions, as well as coming to me if you don’t understand something

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Meet the Class of 2014How would you describe yourself? Spunky

What are you passionate about? Studying the brain

Who in your life has most influenced you? My parents

What is the name of the university you will be attending? Why did you choose this uni-versity? The University of Kentucky. I choose this university because it ranked 5th in Pharmacy in the US.

What is the major that you want to study at university? Why do you plan to study this? I want to study Pharmacy at university because I want to help people.

What do you expect to experience in col-lege? I expect to experience what I’ve never done in high school.

What do you see yourself doing/being 10 years from now? I’ll be working in pharmaceutical company with high salary and I will be travelling around the world.

Do you have any advice for future seniors? Pick a subject that motivates you and be sure to man-age the time for studying. Work hard, play hard.

Pham Hong Thuy Tien

“Spunky” as a child too!

Interview by Tran Ngoc Tu Trinh

UNIVERSITY ACCEPTANCES Northeastern University

Temple UniversityUniversity of Kentucky

Tien was voted Most Academic. She is the class valedictorian. This means she has the highest average

across all subjects. Congratulations Tien!

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Nguyen Ngoc Hoang An - Annie

How would you describe yourself? Clumsy, goofy, and compassionate.

What is the name of the university you will be attending? University of Cincinnati. They have a great co-op pro-gram, over 100 programs for me to experi-ence as well as the College of Allied Health Department.

How did you feel after you got ac-cepted to this university? I felt excit-ed, nervous, and amazing!

What is the major that you want to study at university? Why do you plan to study this? I want to study health science major to apply for physical therapy because I want to help people and get a hands-on experience.

What do you see yourself doing/being 10 years from now? I see myself as a healthy and happy person.

What has been the greatest achievement of your life? I got ac-cepted into many good universities in America and I am going to graduate from

UNIVERSITY ACCEPTANCES Liberty University

Mercyhurst UniversityNortheastern University

Oakland UniversityUniversity of Cincinnati

University of Colorado - Denver

Annie was voted Most School Spirit and Most Likely to Meet a US President. Annie is the class Salutatorian. This means she has the second

highest class rank. Congrats Annie!

high school!

Who/what did you want to become when you were a kid? A fish, a whale, an archeologist to look for dinosaurs, an astronaut or a pilot to collect stars.

What is more important to you in select-ing a future career, earning a high salary or getting a job that you can be passion-ate about? A job that I can be passionate about but also can support my life. However, I would still get a job that would not be what I passionate about but would support my live. After saving some mon-ey, I would do something that I love to keep me motivated to work for a long time.

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How would you describe yourself? Unique, Independent, and serious

What are you passionate about?Computers and other technology

Who in your life has most influenced you? My parents

What is the major that you want to study at university? Why do you plan to study this? Mechatronics engineering because I’m very interested in the field. It also prepares me to work for my family’s company when I come back to Vietnam.

What do you expect to experience in college? I want to achieve social adjustments and have an active university life.

Bui Duy Nhat - Jake

The young engineer

Interview by Luu Nguyen Phuc

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What do you see yourself doing/being 10 years from now? Working for my family’s company.

What has been the greatest achieve-ment of your life? Being able to take care of myself and building self-reliance while living alone, away from my parents.

8. What was the most meaningful as-signment and/or lesson a teacher ever had you do? The challenge to build a power generator in 9th grade physics class

Do you have any advice for future se-niors? Enjoy everything from your final year of high school.

UNIVERSITY ACCEPTANCES California Polytechnic University, Pomona

Monash UniversitySwinburne University

University of New South WalesUniversity of Sydney

Nhat was voted Most LIkely to Be-come a Millionaire. I guess we know who is funding the 20-year reunion party!

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Nguyen Duy TueInterview by Nguyen Ngoc Hoang An (Annie)

How would you describe yourself? Introverted. I’d like to think I’m more rational and liberal than most.

What are you passionate about? Video games, literature and films.

Who in your life has most influenced you? Mum. Ayn Rand, too, a little bit, to a certain extent.

What is the name of the university you will be attending? Why did you choose this university? University of Maryland. The ranking isn’t so high to come with certain expectations. It has good computer science courses. It’s near where my uncle lives.

How did you feel after you got accepted to this university? Alright. I thought it was good that I was accepted but I didn’t feel it needed celebrating.

What is the major that you want to study at university? Why do you plan to study this? Computer science. I feel that it fits my personali-ty, in that I don’t have to travel much, it relies on logical reasoning, I’ll get reliable income and my job would be stable. Furthermore, it’d be nice if it would land me a job in the gaming industry. I’d like to be involved in the development of games at some point.What do you expect to experience in col-lege? Self-reliance, confusion and anxiety.

What do you see yourself doing/being 10

years from now? Being a programmer. Not much else planned. I can see myself joining a team of indie game developers if I could.

Who/what did you want to become when you were a kid? A monk or an artist.

What is more important to you in selecting a future career, earning a high salary or get-ting a job that you can be passionate about? A job that I can be passionate about. I don’t have that many needs for money and a job I actually enjoy doing would keep me motivated.

Do you have any advice for future seniors? Unless you actively enjoy learning at home, take at least one free study class. Take classes that you like, it’s a lot easier that way. Leave classes that you don’t want to do early.

UNIVERSITY ACCEPTANCES University of Maryland - College Park

Tue earned the most superlative titles out of all the class of 2014:

Most OutspokenMost Likely to Have an Online Wedding

Most Likely to Publish a Best-Selling BookMost Likely to Have a Reality TV Series

Most Likely to Take Over the World

Universty of Maryland - watch out!

How would you describe yourself? What are you passionate about? Who in your life has most influenced you? I am a very friendly person who likes to socialize in a community and get involve in as a member of it. My passion is mostly about science. I really like to discover or research new things that are existed around us, and so I guess this is one area of science. My favorite is dissecting organisms even though there might be many creepy things during operation. My father was the one who influenced me the most. He was the one who told me to study at international schools. He was also the one who give important decisions in my life that it actual-ly turned out to be good impacts. He may be strict, always giving out decisions that I never agreed with, but in the end, I know father was the one who cared for me the most.

What is the major that you want to study at university? Why do you plan to study this? I want to study biology major at university. The reason is because I want to study dentistry and become a doctor in the future.

What do you expect to experience in col-lege? I like to experience a new community where I can independently make my own choices. I also like to join some activities or clubs in college as to en-courage myself expressing talents and finding my own hobby.

What do you see yourself doing/being 10 years from now? I hope to see a new me who started a new life in college to follow my dream. After been through many years of education and experi-ments, I want to be a doctor of dentistry. At that 10 year from now, I will be able to make money to help family’s business, and I may have a husband who al-ways cares for me. It is just a simple future that most ladies want, I guess.

Mai Minh Khanh - LisaInterview by Bui Khanh Linh

SENIOR SUPERLATIVES

Lisa was voted Best Dancer.

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Mok Ho Yee - Yeeny

How would you describe yourself? trust-worthy, patient, easy going, friendly, weird, dreamy. I can also be easily frustrated, emotional and hot-tem-pered when I’m not in a mood.

What is the name of the university you will be attending? I’ve been accepted to many universities in Australia, but I’m still considering which one I should go to. Those universities were highly recommended by the agencies that I went to.

What is the major that you want to study at university? Why do you plan to study this? Bachelor of Business and Commerce. In the fu-ture, I think I’ll come back home to help my parents with their businesses.

What do you expect to experience in col-lege? I want to meet new friends and experience all the crazy things that high school doesn’t have.

What do you see yourself doing/being 10 years from now? Hmm...10 years from now, I’d like to see myself becoming a successful business-woman or an interior designer, and of course a family caregiver.

What has been the greatest achievement of your life? Thus far, My greatest achievement is finishing my high school and i’ve also overcome my weakness and hardships to become more successful in life.

UNIVERSITY ACCEPTANCES Deakin University

Royal Melbourne Institute of TechnologySwinburne UniversityUniversity of Sydney

What do you regret not doing while you have been in high school? What opportunities have you missed in high school that you could have better taken advantage of? I didn’t get to go to Senior Field trip this year which was taken place in Danang. I also regret that I didn’t take as many AP courses as I could back then because things could have been much easier and less stressful if I didn’t save it for the last year of High School.

When you look back on American Academy in later years, what will you remember most? I will remember all my friends and especially all the amazing school dances we ever had. It was tiring but I had great time.

What is more important to you in selecting a fu-ture career, earning a high salary or getting a job that you can be passionate about? I think i’m more of a realistic person. So I would go for a high salary job because it then makes things a lot easier. It is never too late to find a job that suits us right ?! ;)

Do you have any advice for future seniors? Go crazy and enjoy your best on your last year at high school. Remember, be wise in whatever decisions you make.

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How would you describe yourself?I’m a normal man,; I don’t have anything overly special about me.

What are you passionate about? I’m pas-sionate about cars, houses, business and making money.

Who in your life has most influenced you? My Mom, because she cares about me a lot and teaches me how to treat girls right.

What is the name of the university you will be attending? Why did you choose this university? RMIT, because this is the only international university in Saigon.

What do you see yourself doing/being 10 years from now? I will continue my dad’s Logistic Company business.

What has been the greatest achieve-ment of your life? My greatest achievement by far is having a job when I was 17 years old.

What do you regret not doing while you have been in high school? What oppor-tunities have you missed in high school that you could have better taken ad-vantage of?Going to prom with a perfect prom date. But I will try my best to make it happen this year.

What was the most meaningful lesson you have learned? Do not trust anyone ex-cept for your family.

When you look back on American Academy in later years, what will you remember most? My fantastic moments and jokes with my friends everyday.

Nguyen Hoai Nam - CalvinInterview by Nguyen Hai Nguyen

SENIOR SUPERLATIVES

Calvin was voted Best Dressed Male.

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Dinh Trung HieuInterview by Nguyen Le Bao Ngoc

How would you describe yourself? Hu-morous, brave and friendly

What are you passionate about? Art and architecture

Who in your life has most influenced you? My father

What is the name of the univesities you’ve applied to? RMIT University and the University of Sydney

Why did you choose to apply to these universities? Because those are two famous Universities in Australia

How would you feel if you got accepted to one of these universities? I would cry!

What is the major that you want to study at university? Architect

What do you expect to experience in college? Learn basic knowledge and improve my skills

What do you see yourself doing/being 10 years from now? I will be a successful man.

What has been the greatest achieve-ment of your life? I was the leader of basket-ball and soccer in sport day and help them win the championship.

What do you regret not doing while you have been in high school? I did not put so much effort in my learning.

When you look back on American Academy in later years, what will you remember most? My friends

Who/what did you want to become when you were a kid? GAO red ranger

What is more important to you in se-lecting a future career, earning a high salary or getting a job that you can be passionate about? Earning a high salary

Do you have any advice for future se-niors? YOLO.

SENIOR SUPERLATIVES

Hieu was voted Class Clown.

How would you describe yourself? I think I’m kind of in between book-smart and street-smart, with all down-to-earth thoughts to up-to-sky ideas existing at the same time.

What are you passionate about? I have a great passion in journalism and photography, in capturing how things rotate on their own paths under the out-of-norm lens.

What is the name of the university you will be attending? Why did you choose this university? I’ll be attending Northeastern University, a research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. I’m attracted to it because of its unique co-op program that gives students oppor-tunities to get real-life work experiences prior to graduation, which I find it pretty cool since I can have a minimum of 6-month experience added to my resume when applying for jobs.

How did you feel after you got accept-ed to this university? Since Northeastern was one the top choices in my list, it was really unexpected and surprising when I got an email congratulating me that I was admitted.

Thai Ngo Quynh Vy - HilaryInterview by Le Hoang Phuong Linh

UNIVERSITY ACCEPTANCES DePaul University

Northeastern UniversityPace Univesity

St. John’s UniversityUniversity of Kentucky University of San Diego

Vy was voted Best Fashion Sense and Best Dressed Female.

When you look back on American Acad-emy in later years, what will you remem-ber most? Through almost 4 years of being in this school, I’ve met really amazing people. We’ve shared tons of memories and happiness and I would remember this the most when looking back.

Do you have any advice for future se-niors? Whatever you choose to do, make sure to do it with passion, and be responsible for your dreams.

What did you want to become when you were a kid? I once dreamed about being an animal conservationist. I still see it as my own little desire, and am going to seek for chances in the future if it’s possible.

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Vo Gia Cat - Benla

How would you describe yourself? Confident, family lover and humorous.

What are you passionate about? I like traveling and discovering new things about culture, religion, economy and history.

Who in your life has most influ-enced you? My father

What is the name of the university you will be attending? Liberty Univer-sity or De Anza College. Liberty University has my main major and a good internship program. The counselor from LU said that Marketing would be a good fit for me. Next, I chose to apply to De Anza College be-cause it’s located near my relatives in the US.

How did you feel after you got ac-cepted to this university? I felt glad and excited for new future.

What do you see yourself doing/being 10 years from now? I am not really ambitious, but I still want to see my-self in a CEO position.

UNIVERSITY ACCEPTANCES De Anza CollegeLiberty University

Cat was voted Most Likely to Plan the 10-Year Reunion.

What do you regret not doing while you have been in high school? Actually, I missed a lot. I forgot to make myself to be a hard worker, because if I try more the more successful I can get right now. I hope I can fix it from now.

Who/what did you want to become when you were a kid? Gao White Ranger

Do you have any advice for future seniors?Be prepared to do your applications, and remember to start getting ready for you English Proficiency tests right now.

Interview by Le Hoang Phuong Linh

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How would you describe yourself? Quiet, independent, and unique

Who in your life has most influenced you? My parents

What is the name of the university you want to attend? Why? I want to study at RMIT University in Ho Chi Minh City. I chose this university because I want to stay in Vietnam for the first two years and study abroad later.

What is the major that you want to study? Why? I will choose Professional Communication because I love doing work like creating social events.

What do you expect to experience in college? I want to gain as much knowledge as possible.

What has been the greatest achieve-ment of your life? I can now take care of myself and not rely on my parents anymore.

What was the most meaningful as-signment and/or lesson a teacher ever had you do? The probability chapter in pre-calculus

Who/what did you want to become when you were a kid? A superhero, a psy-chologist, a philosopher, or an astronaut

Do you have any advice for future seniors? “Practice makes perfect”

Luu Nguyen Phuc Interview by Luu Nguyen Phuc

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Nguyen Do Hoang KhoiInterview by Nguyen Hai Nguyen

How would you describe yourself?Awesome, cool, funny

What are you passionate about? Making money (a lot)

Who in your life has most influenced you? My big daddy

What is the name of the university you will apply to? RMIT

What is the major that you want to study at university?Entrepreneurship. I want to make a lot of money in a creative way.

What do you see yourself doing/being 10 years from now?Everything that I expect will be in my hand.

What has been the greatest achieve-ment of your life?Teaching a dog how to cook? *laugh*

How would you describe yourself? I am clumsy, lazy, talkative, realistic, and a rebellious girl – secretly.

Who/what did you want to become when you were a kid? My first dream, as I remember, was being a super woman who can fly in space. I imagined myself finding a new planet, and name it my name – MY. In addition, when people see it, they can call it “My star.”

What was the most meaningful lesson you learned in school? Learning how to manage my time. I am a girl who likes to work under pressure. I can only fully concentrate when I am stressed out. However, this habit limits my grades, since I don’t have enough time to check over my work again. Therefore, I decide to make an everyday to-do list. It’s really hard to stick with the list, but the feeling of crossing off com-pleted assignments is undeniably good.

Chu Thi Tra My - Ashley

UNIVERSITY ACCEPTANCES Lancaster University, UK

Liberty UniversityMercyhurst University

Mount Holyoke College

My was voted Best Smile and Most LIkely to Appear on a

Magazine Cover.

How did you feel after you got ac-cepted to university? I applied to four dif-ferent universities, and I got accepted to all of them with some scholarships. Now you tell me how does it feel? For me, I can only describe it in one word – INCREDIBLE.

What do you see yourself doing/being 10 years from now? I will be a successful women! I mean old, but happy and rich!!!

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Chu Tuyet Ngan

What is the major that you want to study at university? Why do you plan to study this? Business Administration – Fi-nance; I think I can do best at this area. Manage-ment is one of targets I want to do in future. I’m interested in business so that’s also a reason.

What do you expect to experience in college? In college, I expect to meet with many people who have the same passion like me. My cousin said that your college friends would help you a lot in your life afterwards. College will be the place I can study the major, and subjects that I want. I hope I can learn life skills and that can help me a lot in future.

When you look back on American Academy in later years, what will you remember most? In future, when I remem-ber about the school, I think I would remember about my friends and my lunch times. It might be

funny but actually, all good and even bad memories come from lunch times. I will miss my friends a lot. Sometimes, I actually consider them as my family members. Some of them are my best friends. We have been together for a long time. I will remember the time we have been together, the memories between us.

What is more important to you in selecting a future career, earning a high salary or getting a job that you can be passionate about? For me, I think I will choose a job that I can be passionate about. When you do something you like, you would feel happy and energic to do. Personally I think, when you done a job that you are not interested in, you can’t take it for long, even with high salary.

Interview by Pham Ngoc Chau

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Conestoga College of Canada

How would you describe yourself?I am a person who has a pretty complicat-ed personality. It doesn’t mean that every action I make does not match with my thoughts. I am an extrovert when I interact with other people in the community and I pretty much expose my charismatic part of the my personality when I socialize. How-ever, I feel like I am a different person that is more toward the introverted side some-times.

What is the name of the univer-sity you want to attend? Why did you choose this university?The name of the university I want to at-tend is San Jose State University. It is not a super challenging university like the University of Washington or UC Berkeley that many students have been dreaming of attending. This university itself is really open-minded for students who need to start over. It doesn’t require high results

Nguyen Tich Thien - Mike

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from applicants in order to get accepted; however, it is a really good school with a variety of courses with extra help so these students can effectively receive support on their start-over road to become success. Other people may not know that San Jose State University is ranked #36 out of Re-gional Universities in the West according to US News & World Report.

How would you feel if you get ac-cepted to this university?I would feel really delighted since San Jose State was on the list of the universities that I wanted to go to. However, I also have a kind of anxious feeling when thinking of the time I first get there. I’m afraid that everything will somehow be different from here. I feel like I’m not ready to get off this ship to take another turn. So I wonder, is it this just a temporary feeling?

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Tran Huynh Khuong Duy - DanielInterview by Nguyen Bich Hong (Sally)

How would you describe yourself? Friendly, self-fo-cused, sometimes quiet, hard-working, handsome

What are you passionate about? Drawing and sketching houses

Who in your life has most influenced you? My parents, they started from nothing into a big and renown construction company. My dad was a construction engineer as well as architect.

What are the names of the universities you ap-plied to? Why did you choose these universities? I chose to apply to Conestoga College in Canada, I want to study in this college because first, this college accepted our school’s study program. Secondly, I have relatives who live near the college. Last but not least, Conestoga College has an architecture program, which is my intended major. Right now I’m undergoing a portfolio review and then I need to do an interview before they reach a decision.

I also sent my admission application to Temple University in Japan. I have an interest in this university and its location. I especially chose Temple University because it has 3 campuses in 3 countries: Japan,Italy and the United States. Therefore, my goal if I get accepted in Temple, I would like to spend 2 years in Japan and 2 years studying abroad at one of the other campuses.

What is the major that you want to study at university? Why do you plan to study this? I will choose Architecture as my major to inherit my parents’ company as the first reason. I really like to sketch my ideas of houses and buildings.

Do you have any advice for future seniors? Study hard. Choose your major carefully, follow your dream, study what you like and think through. Go to the counselor any-time when you need help. More importantly, respect your teachers, because in university, there will be no professors that will take care of you like American Academy teachers do!

SENIOR SUPERLATIVES

Duy was voted Biggest Sweetheart.

How would you describe yourself? Calm, critical, unsociable, spontaneous, stubborn.

What are you passionate about? Photography or any kind of aesthetic material.

What is the major that you want to study at uni-versity? Interior design or some kind of sociology.

What do you expect to experience in college? Trips! I’d move everywhere I could if I could find enough money for the trip. I’ll be working part time to have the mon-ey to travel.

What do you see yourself doing/being 10 years from now? I’d see my husband and I with our own brand of anything that needs creativity and alternatives.

When you look back on American Academy in later years, what will you remember most? I’d remember ¼ of my school years spending and only finally understanding it during the last year.

What is more important to you in selecting a fu-ture career, earning a high salary or getting a job that you can be passionate about? I can only do well if I like the work I do. We can start small, even from 0, and be 100 later.

Ta Ngoc Thuy Trang

SENIOR SUPERLATIVES

Trang was voted Biggest Sweetheart and

Most LIkely to Travel the World Before Age 35.

Do you have any advice for future seniors? I realized for my-self that criticism is the most essential thing that we, as humans, should pos-sess. Trust me, it’d help you in all of the aspects that you look at. But… always trust yourself.

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Interview by Chu Thi Tra My

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Truong Ngoc Bao Vy - Jersey

How would you describe yourself?I am a funny person who used to make jokes for everyone to laugh. I can also, be angry, childish, friendly, sensitive, and confi-dent but quite impatient!

What are you passionate about?I am passionate about drawing clothes for dolls, playing guitar, singing and dancing.

Who in your life has most influ-enced you? My dad has influenced me the most because he’s the one who taught me how to behave in life and to be strong no matter what happens. He taught me about the little things that I need to have. He is a successful businessman so that will be my target: to get rich and marry the guy who can treat me well like my dad did.

What is the name of the university you applied to? I choose Temple Uni-versity as my university because I will study about fashion and my dad’s friend said that the school provides a strong course about fashion so that is where I want to be.

How would you feel if you get accepted to this program? I will be very proud of myself to become a member of the university. I’m very excited to have new friends and a new life.

What will you study in university? One of my majors will be Art because I want to become a fashion designer, a famous one, I mean (Laughs).And the other major will be Business (Op-erations and Management or Marketing) because I want to sell my own products. My hope is that this will make me unique and I will be able to make big profits.

Interview by Nguyen Tich Thien (Mike)

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SENIOR SUPERLATIVES

Jersey was voted Most Contagious Laugh and Most Likely to be a Movie Star.

How would you describe yourself? I’m a rather easygoing person with a lot of interests but very few times in my hands. My motivations come and go. I think it’s kind of a miracle for me to survive school this long.

What do you expect to experience in college? Because I have to go abroad to attend college, I will definitely have to learn to adapt without my parents and learn to fend for myself, which is probably the toughest challenge I would face during my teen years.

What has been the greatest achieve-ment of your life? Getting an Honor Roll for the whole semester one is probably one of the most memorable achievement of mine.

What do you regret not doing while you have been in high school? Like many things in life, I do have some regrets on the things I wasn’t able to accomplish such as: getting higher marks in some subject and have a chance to enroll in some more after school activities that I haven’t tried yet.

What is more important to you in selecting a future career, earning a high salary or getting a job that you can be passionate about? All the option above, I guess. If I’m able to find a job I like but not able to support myself wouldn’t be a good idea. Also goes with a high paying salary job I dislike.

Do you have any advice for future seniors? Consider to take and practice for your SATs and TOEFL soon because you’re going to need it. Also, don’t let any subjects drop to a D or your chance of getting into a university will drop slightly.

Le Cat Van Quan Interview by Tran Ngoc Tu Trinh

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Nguyen Van Hoang Tung - WayneInterview by Bui Khanh Linh

How would you describe yourself? I’m just a normal guy who loves food, drawing, and drinking coffee.

What are you passionate about? Art, basket-ball and food

Who in your life has most influenced you? Dr. Lam: she was the principal at City College Cam-pus when I was in grades 9 and 10. She was a role model and always supported her students.

What is the name of the university you will be attending? I’m applying into RMIT here in Ho Chi Minh City. I think it’s the best choice for me.

What is the major that you want to study at university? I think I’m going to study Market-ing.

What do you expect to experience in col-lege? I don’t know yet, but I expect fun things.

What do you see yourself doing/being 10 years from now? I still don’t have a clear vision about that.

SENIOR SUPERLATIVES

Wayne was voted Most Likely to Appear on MasterChef.

Some seniors declined our interview: Duong Ngoc Minh Quan

Lam Nghia DatNguyen Ngoc Tuan (Fabo)

Tran Thi Thanh HaTran Vinh Quang

Not all seniors have received their college acceptance letters yet.

What has been the greatest achieve-ment of your life? I don’t know.

What do you regret not doing while you have been in high school? What opportunities have you missed in high school that you could have better tak-en advantage of? I don’t regret anything. In the last 4 years in this school I’ve tried my best at everything I did and I have nothing to regret .

Ms. Mirrell Desjardins, Counselor

Yeehaw! Our seniors have only a few weeks left of school. It is always thrilling to have accomplished something after years of hard work. Now, it is time to begin the next phase of your journey.

For many of you, this means moving away from your family and friends and studying abroad at a tertiary institute. This is bound to cause some un-easiness. I did some research, and I found some of the top concerns of high school students entering university for their first time and some strategies to cope with them.

Do I Have What it Takes?

The top worry, for most students, was “Am I smart enough?” This is a natural cause of anxiety, and it is unnecessary. Actually, successful navigation of any system (educational or otherwise) is determined not by intelligence but hard work, grit and consci-entiousness.

Hard work- effective studying, self-discipline and a commitment to goals -will ensure academic success. If you work effectively for three hours a day and take time to enjoy the process, you are guaranteed to learn and grow. Grit and conscientiousness are the more difficult skills to master.

These are the abilities to overcome obstacles and practice mindfulness. If you can master these, then, you are smart enough! These are skills you can start practicing now to ensure you have a solid understanding before you get to university.

Will I Gain Too Much Weight?

Another area of distress was “The Freshman Fif-teen”. Many first year students gain weight when they enter university. This happens for a variety of reasons. Students stop exercising regularly because they are studying a great deal of hours. In addition, the learners moving away from country, home and family often experience a change in diet.

Young adults may find it a struggle to maintain a

good balance of protein, fat, fruit and vegetables and carbohydrates. Asking your mom or helper for some fa-vorite recipes and how to cook them is a great first step toward safeguarding against disequilibrium. Researching about nutrition will help you make the right choices.

Many of my friends would plan and cook their meals on Sunday so that they would not have to be concerned about that during the week. I, myself, ran every morning before school. Remember everything is OK in mod-eration and that good nutrition and exercise promote cognitive abilities.

Will I Be True to Myself?

Finally, peer pressure and safety seemed to be subjects that cause apprehension for freshman university students. At this point in the journey of life, many young adults are still defining who they are and what they believe in. Their self-identification is not fully developed, yet. Thus, learners can easily be persuaded or pressured to engage in behavior that could be destructive and not congruent with an individual’s value system.

One way to safeguard against this is to take some time to know your own personal value system. This can guide you during times of confusion. These issues are preva-lent around the world, so I encourage you to always ask for help and assistance from the university international student center. This is what they are there for.

These are only a few of the concerns that students encounter as they start their academic career in tertiary education. Conflicts like this usually incite a fright, flight or fight response from people. This is natural. I do not want American Academy students to feel this way. Yes, change can be scary and inhibiting.

Change is the only thing that remains constant in this world, and I encourage you to invite the winds of change as they blow around you. Remember, nobody ever learned anything by staying in their comfort zone. It is time for American Academy students to feel proud and confident that they are ready to take on this exhilarating experience. If you are not sure you feel this way, then you better go see your friendly neighborhood counselor.

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Preparing for Change

Senior Superlatives

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It is a tradition in American high schools to conduct a vote about the members of the senior class. This year we started the tradition by asking teachers and upper-class students to take part in an anonymous vote for the following categories. Here are the results!

Most School Spirit Nguyen Ngoc Hoang An - Annie

Most AcademicPham Hong Thuy Tien

Most AthleticNguyen Ngoc Tuan - Fabo

Most OutspokenNguyen Duy Tue

Most Likely to Travel the World Before 35Ta Ngoc Thuy Trang

Most likely to be a movie starTruong Ngoc Bao Vy - Jersey

Best SmileChu Thi Tra My - Ashley

Most Contagious LaughTruong Ngoc Bao Vy - Jersey

Biggest SweetheartTa Ngoc Thuy Trang

Tran Huynh Khuong Duy

Best DancerMai Minh Khanh - Lisa

Best Musician Tran Thi Thanh Ha

Class Clown Dinh Trung Hieu

Most Likely to Appear on MasterChefNguyen Van Hoang Tung - Wayne

Most likely YouTube starNguyen Ngoc Tuan - Fabo

Best Fashion SenseThai Ngo Quynh Vy - Hilary

Best DressedThai Ngo Quynh VyNguyen Hoai Nam

Most Likely to Become a MillionaireBui Duy Nhat - Jake

Most Likely to Take over the WorldNguyen Duy Tue

Most Likely to Date a Supermodel Nguyen Ngoc Tuan - Fabo

Most Likely to Have an Online WeddingNguyen Duy Tue

Most Likely to Publish a Best-selling Book Nguyen Duy Tue

Most likely to appear on American IdolTran Thi Thanh Ha

Most likely to Meet a US President Nguyen Ngoc Hoang An - Annie

Most Likely to Have a Reality TV SeriesNguyen Duy Tue

Most Likely to be on a Magazine CoverChi Thi Tra My - Ashley

Most Likely to Organize the 10-year ReunionVo Gia Cat - Benla

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Travel Feature: JapanPham Ngoc Chau (Jenny)

Photos from left: Ymk.sato, Aflânio Tomikawa, Rosa Kourtudis, Athit Perawongmetha

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Cherry BlossomsJapan’s famous and beautiful Cherry Blossom Festival is not to be missed. It is significant cultural tradi-tion, and it represents what is perhaps the most beautiful season of the entire year in Japan. When the cherry blossoms bloom in pink and white and cover all the roofs, walls, trails, and fences, the Japanese people greet this event by celebrating a series of festivals. The trees bloom between March and June, depending on the region. Generally speaking, the best time to go to Japan to see the festivals is at the end of March and the beginning of April. One of these is the cherry blossom viewing named Hanami. The best place to view cherry blossom blooming is at Honshu island, the biggest island in Japan.

Viewing cherry blossoms is not the only attraction at Hanami festival; Visitors can also participate in many other fun activities with family and friends. These include picnicking under the cherry blossoms, drinking beverages, singing, and taking beautiful photographs. You can sip Sake cup in the spring weather with the romantic background of the cherry trees.

Photo: Horyuji Temple by Paul Sherwood

Japanese Traditions

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Japan is a country with a unique culture and an interesting historical journey. In addition to the cultural and economic centers such as Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto, or the famous natural landscape such as Fuji Mountain, snow-covered Hokkaido, and Okinawa sea, here are some other places to visit in Japan.

Recognized by UNESCO as World Heritage site in 2003, the ar-chitectural ensemble of Buddhist Hyryuji is national treasure located in Nara province. Here you’ll find the Horyuji temple, with the old wooden buildings and its Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara with eleven faces.

Ancient Kyoto and surrounding areas cov-er a large area that includes the cities of Kyoto, Uji and Otsu. The ancient capital of Kyoto is home to 14 Buddhist temples.

Among them, the most prominent is the Kika-kuji temple with wooden architecture on the top of the mountain. Kikakuji Temple is covered with pure gold leaves. Kozanji Temple with its rock garden, in the depth of the forest is per-fect for a spiritual and meditative experience and is thus a special and in meditation style.

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Zoey Drogosz Josie Goytisolo

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Trip to HanoiChu Thi Tra My

Animals Asia is a non-profit organization. It is an Asia-based charity founded in 1998 by British national and animal welfare ad-

vocate, Dr. Jill Robinson MBE. This foundation is devoted to the welfare of wild and domesticated animals. Its headquarters is in

Hong Kong, and many other offices are in Australia, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, the United States, China and Vietnam.

The students of ISHCMC American Academy’s Global Issues Network had a chance to visit Animals Asia in Hanoi to do some

volunteering. One of the most interesting activities was the hunting food game. This game gave the students a chance to get into

the bear cages, while the bears were locked in a different place. The students then hid the food for the bears to hunt for it like

they would in the wild. After that, the students separated into two groups: the boys and Mr. Nathan helped the staff lift the heavy

rocks to make the road/way into the bear’s farm; the girls and Mrs. Van Anh were in charge of cutting the bears shape for the

kindergarten and primary students to play with when they visit the foundation. This trip also gave the students a chance to visit

Hoan Kiem Lake and Hanoi’s Old Quarter.

“With our students taking one small step to support Animals Asia and the Sun Bears, we can join with others to accomplish what

at first glance may seem impossible. I am very proud of our students, and that we are taking daily efforts to foster a sense of

positive and effective global citizenship here at ISHCMC American Academy.” (Mr. Nathan Bryant, Dean of the Students)

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