Hello, I am Jasmine. I attended Gonzaga University, where I competed in cross country and track. Currently, I am a mechanical engineer working in project management and equipment design. I am also a recent English instructor for the Lotus level class at Helping Link/Một Dấu Nối.

I am a second-generation Vietnamese American, and I am grateful to be fluent in both Vietnamese and English. Knowing Vietnamese has allowed me to connect to my heritage and Vietnamese people. It has opened unique opportunities such as helping in English classes at Helping Link/Một Dấu Nối. I believe that learning English creates more opportunities. Whether it is for community involvement, employment, or education, learning English can open many doors.

Teaching this class has brought many moments of laughter and joy. My students have learned far more than they often realize. During a feedback survey, one student asked me, “I have only been learning English for one quarter. How am I supposed to write about what I have learned?”

Another student chimed in and jokingly said, “You haven’t been doing your homework. That’s why you can’t remember what you’ve learned.”

I stood there without saying anything. Then, the original student who had asked the question began speaking in English. They introduced themselves, used complete sentences they had learned, and spoke several short phrases from the quarter.

In that moment, the students around him all said, “See, you did learn things!”

We all laughed and it was a warm moment of realization and acknowledgement of how far that student had come from just one quarter.

I hope that students leave class with new knowledge and a sense of accomplishment, and recognize the progress they have made, even if it sometimes takes someone else to help point it out.