Minh Le

As an immigrant from Vietnam who lived in a third world country, I dream of studying international politics to solve problems in underdeveloped regions and become a writer on poverty and oppression. My love all starts with a "p": politics, psychology, prose and philosophy.

After witnessing domestic violence in my childhood, I found an organization to stop violence against women. Daughters of Vietnam sell books to fund UN Women and children in Vietnamese orphanages. We have raised more than $1,000 at daughtersofvietnam.com

In hope of becoming a political activist, I join Model UN to discuss international problems such as nuclear war, refugees crisis, socioeconomic problems, and human rights abuse. As President of Model UN, I train my team to compete in regional and state political debates.

Realizing the lack of SAT classes in my school, I found a free online website at mhssat.weebly.com to help students in school in standardized tests. The website is now developing 9 online AP classes and expand beyond my local school to students in other countries.

As an aspiring writer, Yearbook provides me an outlet to showcase my writing skills and helps me understanding events and philosophy of my school. I work as chief writer, host meetings and direct activities for the school's yearbook.

Being part of NHS makes me realize the greatness of community service and strengthens my values to help others. Working as a tutor, I assist struggling students who need support in all types of subjects: maths, English, history, biology and chemistry.

In 2014, I worked for LifeSteps organization and helped translating English educational brochures to Vietnamese for seniors and low-income individuals. I want to help my Vietnamese community as they readjust to the new lives in America.

Last summer, I received a great opportunity to work on the Boston Busing Desgregation Project from Northeastern University, where I transcribed interviews from individuals who lived during desegregation era. This has been an eye-opener for me about the injustice and tragedy of racism in 1980s.

After watching The Pianist - a movie about a Jewish pianist who undergoes the horror Holocaust, I found myself being pulled in by the world of music and its power to combat the darkest moments of life. I self-studied piano by watching YouTube videos and listening to classical music.

Literature is my fountainhead. It gives me beauty, darkness, ideas, love and whirlwind of emotions. An encounter with Dicken's A Tale of Two Cities and Bronte's Jane Eyre turned my heart completely towards classics novels. I also dabble in book photography at instagram.com/cassandrale179