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Samantha Guan

     I was born and raised in the Chinatown/Bridgeport community and am the eldest of four children.  My parents were wonderful but often had to be away at work.  Though they often did not have enough time to actively support extracurricular activities, they always made sure that education was a priority for us.  I took this to heart when schoolwork became progressively more challenging, and when I got to high school, realized that I needed extra help.  A few of my friends had been receiving tutoring for chemistry and biology at Project: VISION, so I decided to check it out. 

     My first impression of Project: VISION was that the center was small, but it was very hands-on.  The tutors at PV were very involved, and they truly took an interest in each student as an individual.  I soon found myself getting tutored in AP Calculus and help preparing for the ACT.  I also participated in job workshops to hone my interview and job searching skills as well as college application workshops.  Outside of academics, I participated in several volunteer projects at other community organizations such as the Greater Chicago Food Depository and Deborah’s Place.  Later, I also started tutoring elementary school and bi-lingual students at the Center.  I felt very accomplished and successful at Project: VISION as it provided me with the help I needed as well as the opportunity to give back to the community through service.

     Later in my senior year of high school, I got involved with Project: VISION’s Student Committee to reach out to the community and to help Project: VISION keep its programs student-driven.  As the President of the Student Committee, I conducted committee meetings, oversaw the quarterly student newsletter, and coordinated student fundraising efforts among other projects.  I learned for the first time what it takes to be a good leader. 

     Currently, I am a junior studying economics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.  I am an active member of the Asian American Association and also have taken leadership roles in a newly found sorority on campus, Kappa Phi Lambda. I still remain active with Project: VISION; it was through PV that I had the opportunity to intern at the Chinatown Chamber of Commerce in the summer of 2007.  This past summer, I returned to Project: VISION as an intern, helping to establish an ESL student base and assisting with fundraising projects.  Through all of this, I feel that Project: VISION has been a very influential organization in my life, and I hope that being part of it will enable me to be influential in other youths’ lives as well.