Steven Nguyen

OAKLAND TECH HIGH SCHOOL | HEALTH CARE SERVICES AGENCY

I grew up kind of poor. I didn’t have access to a lot of things like good education and good health care, so me and my parents ended up suffering a lot.

I was a clumsy kid who fell a lot and had to learn how to take care of myself when my parents were at work. I got interested in the utensils, bandages, and cleaning cuts. As I grew up, I started taking care of my friends if they got hurt.

I am a child of two immigrants who came from Vietnam. As a baby, it was predicted that I would go into health care. When a baby turns 1 year old, they put you on a mat with a bunch of toys like an airplane, rocket, and calculator. Depending on what you pick up, that reflects your future. I picked up a first-aid kit, so that’s where it all began. It just kept on going.

When I was at HEAL, I worked with a lot of doctors. One doctor said it took her 10 years to become a doctor because she kept dropping out of medical school because of family problems, stress, and health problems. But she kept on trying and eventually got her MD. I found that really empowering for someone to go through all of that and still come out on top. I feel like that is what I’m trying to do.