Yeng
University of Wisconsin-Madison with a major in biology with plans for a career in healthcare.
“He told me I should be confident because I’ve done a lot to bring myself to where I am today.”
Since she was in elementary school, Yeng has been determined to do well in school and knew she wanted to continue her education after high school. “I’m aware that I can go further in life if I work hard and challenge myself by furthering my education.”
After meeting Mr. Lam her freshman year when he was her soccer coach, she knew she could also come to see him so she could get the “coaching” she needed for her future. She said he was always very approachable and that she was able to go to him for help whenever she had questions. He would often reach out to her whenever he saw her at school — not just at the Future Center office.
“I connected with Mr. Lam because I knew he would be able to help me with my post high school path. Throughout my high school years, he’d come into classrooms and speak to students about college and his own experiences and offer some advice. I could tell that he cares about our education.”
Yeng says that she noticed that Mr. Lam was very in-tune to students and motivated them to succeed and get the assistance they needed –especially the seniors as they are preparing to graduate and go off to college soon.
“He has helped me prepare so I am ready for my next steps by the time I graduate. I don’t usually approach a staff member and let them know about my concerns and tell them about my family background. However, for the first time, I was able to speak to Mr. Lam about that since he has helped me to apply for scholarships. His is the first staff member to ask me about that and I trusted him.”
Yeng worked at Future Center on applying for scholarships and her advisor helped her decide which ones to apply for. They also reviewed the content of her essays and made revisions.
“This made a huge impact on my financial situation positively because I was able to receive most of the scholarships for my first year of college. I was very grateful to receive more scholarships than I had expected to since I’m not one to be confident in myself a lot of times.”
Yeng thinks it’s important the students visit the Future Center early and often to find out what opportunities are available for them to prepare for college or whatever it is they want to do after graduation. She said they should take advantage of all of the possibilities for them – like job shadows outside of school, campus tours and job fairs for high school students who are seeking a job to help earn money for the future.
“The Future Center is like a bridge for students to help them build connections. I recommend that students seek help from the Future Center not just during their last year of high school (like me), but any time throughout their high school years. High school flies by fast, and instead of rushing everything, it’s best to do it early.”
Yeng says she was pretty clear about what she wanted to do with her future and that the Future Center’s support was crucial to keep her on task.
“Mr. Lam made sure I didn’t procrastinate on applying for college because sometimes I would forget to do that with other school work and outside activities going on. With his help, I was able to officially start my first college application and essay. Also, he helped prepare a mock interview for me for a scholarship. This helped me to prepare for future interviews whether it be for scholarships, jobs, or any interview I may encounter throughout my education.”
She also appreciates how Mr. Lam treated her and other students. “Giving simple yet meaningful compliments is another way Mr. Lam supports me and many other students. He goes out of his way to make sure we are doing everything we need to be doing.
“Most of all, he noticed that I was not a confident person. He told me I should be confident because I’ve done a lot to bring myself to where I am today.”