Angel Vuong
B.S., Diagnostic Ultrasound, 2019
Sonographer, The Polyclinic
“Civility starts within our inner self. Being mindful of our surroundings is critical for practicing unselfish kindness and compassion to ourselves, our family, our circle of friends, our community, our country and our planet. I believe living with a compassionate heart will lead to peace and create civility in our world. In our current environment, I strongly feel we now need civility more than ever. Practicing civility will create benevolence and acceptance of everyone for their morals and values. Civility will also enhance our compassion and fulfill our duty to promote humanity.”
Angel Vuong, August 2017
Angel immigrated from Vietnam at the age of 7. As the first person in her family to attend college, Angel looks forward to applying her skills as a Diagnostic Ultrasound sonographer to help others in the community to improve their health and lifestyle. As a mother of two young toddlers, Angel has worked tirelessly, amid many tumultuous challenges, to pursue her dreams of graduating from college. She has already been a positive role model for her three- and five-year-old children, as they now aspire to study hard to achieve their dreams. Angel hopes her life story will motivate others to not settle for the easy path in life but instead, "shoot for the moon". After Angel completes her B.S. in Diagnostic Ultrasound Fall 2019, she plans to work as a Sonographer focused on echocardiogram. Her goal is to help educate and promote a healthy lifestyle in her community. In the future, she aspires to travel to Vietnam and Southeast Asia to promote the importance of a healthy lifestyle and how diagnostic ultrasound can be used to detect and prevent early signs of illnesses. Ultimately, she would like to start a diagnostic ultrasound clinic in Vietnam to provide quality medical services for the Vietnamese communities to improve their health.
Below is Angel’s biography from when she entered the program in 2017:
Age: 36
Education: Bellevue College, Associate of Arts and Sciences DTA with Distinction, August 2017
SU Major: Diagnostic Ultrasound, 2019
Service:
I have been involved with two groups of friends in Vietnam engaged in charity service at least once per year. The overall goal of both charity groups is to reach out to impoverished rural regions lacking infrastructure, clean water, food, housing, and other necessities.
In March 2016, the charity funded construction of a bridge in a rural village for rural dwellers to safely reduce their travel time to the village commercial center - our biggest project thus far.
Awards/honors:
Alfie Scholar, Seattle University
Xavier Scholarship, Seattle University
Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society
Goals:
My five-year plan is to gain experience and expertise from the best sonographers in the Pacific Northwest. I would like to sharpen and enhance my skills to generate the best images for doctors to provide better diagnostic results to patients.
My long-term goal is not only to bring my expertise to my community here but to also transfer that knowledge and experience back to my home country of Vietnam where there is a shortage of experienced ultrasound sonographers.
Civility:
Civility starts within our inner self. Being mindful of our surroundings is critical for practicing unselfish kindness and compassion to ourselves, our family, our circle of friends, our community, our country and our planet. I believe living with a compassionate heart will lead to peace and create civility in our world.
In our current environment, I strongly feel we now need civility more than ever. Practicing civility will create benevolence and acceptance of everyone for their morals and values. Civility will also enhance our compassion and fulfill our duty to promote humanity.
Autobiography:
I am 36 years old, and I have two young toddlers. I was born in the beautiful city of Can Tho, Vietnam, a bustling and tranquil area on the Mekong River. I left the country with my mother and siblings at the age of seven. We fled Vietnam on a boat in search of freedom and a better life. As an immigrant family, my mother always reminded my siblings and me of the importance of maintaining our Vietnamese heritage. My family spoke Vietnamese at home, maintained Vietnamese customs, and ate Vietnamese food. From this, I have developed a love for the Vietnamese culture, so I’ve mastered a few Vietnamese dishes of my own. Growing up in Washington State, I spent most of my youth promoting my identity and culture through community and school events.
A few years ago, because of my health complications, I encountered diagnostic ultrasound during my countless visits to the doctor. Diagnostic ultrasound is the field that took me to a whole new level of understanding healthcare. I was fascinated at how the medical device technology is capable of providing physicians with the ability to accurately diagnose health issues. With that realization, I immediately knew it was my destiny to select this field as my future career.
The thought of returning to school terrified me; however, the deep love I have for my children inspired me. It gave me courage and propelled me forward to show them that in life, all obstacles can be overcome through hard work and perseverance. Also, the strong support I have from my husband, family and friends boosted my confidence in accomplishing my dream. In Spring 2016, I started taking classes at Bellevue College and will complete that program in August 2017.
My vision as a Sonographer is to advocate the benefits of diagnostic ultrasound. I plan to promote the value and importance of diagnostic ultrasound in my community through my network of friends, family, peers, and my church. I am a true believer in helping others, giving back to my community, and treating everyone fairly with respect, empathy and compassion. I am very fortunate to be part of the Alfie cohort. The program has provided me with the ability to raise my wings in pursuit of my dream.
