Who am I? I am a public servant, financial service agent, and a passionate writer and public speaker. I am also a mother of two, a wife, a loving daughter, and a caring sister. I was born into a middle-class Vietnamese family in Da Nang on March 13, 1970 (the fourth of seven children). Towards the end of the Vietnam War in 1975, we were forced to flee to Saigon and leave everything behind. With nothing other than the clothes on our backs, we soon found out what poverty was, most of the time would go to sleep with an empty stomach. The turning point in my life was when my precious baby brother passed away from a heart condition due to the lack of money and medical care. It was then that I made a promise to help my family, thus escaping Vietnam with my big brother on a fishing boat to an Indonesia Island refugee camp to find a better future. In 1986, as a teenager, I came to the United States as a refugee. It was very difficult for me as a teenager to adapt to a new culture without guidance from my parents. My life might have gone in the wrong direction, but I was determined to stay on the right track because I had a dream of becoming successful one day to care for my family. I completed a High School Equivalency Certificate in July 1990. Then I graduated from Pasadena City College in August 1995 receiving the Associate of Arts Degree. Then in 2002, I graduated from Cal-State Los Angeles University receiving a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science. I have worked for the Department of Public Social Services as an Eligibility Worker since December 2000. I would like to retire when I reach 25 years of service in 2025 and dedicate my time in the financial service industry, writing, public speaking, and philanthropy. I have published two books: My Poetic Journey to Freedom and Finding My Voice. They are available on Amazon.com. I also collaborated with 20 plus Vietnamese writers to publish a book in Vietnamese. After retiring with the County job, I will continue writing more books, giving motivational speeches which I have always loved. With the success on the horizon, I will fulfill my dreams of helping my family and others. I hope to inspire many people to reach their dreams no matter how difficult they can be at times.