“If my family could go to America, one day I will return to help my people.”

 

At just five years old, little Tina innocently uttered those words after being denied entry to her classroom because her mother could not afford the school tuition.

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Poverty has deep roots; knowledge gives life; and wisdom is the foundation of purposeful living.

 

In the 1990s, an unexpected turn of fate enabled my family to resettle in America—the land of freedom, opportunity, and equality. Yet our emerging identity as Asian Americans was shaped amid significant racial and social barriers.  Among Syracuse’s refugee community, overcoming adversity and striving for success became a relentless and demanding pursuit.  As I sought to conform to societal expectations and pursue prestige at all costs, I underwent a profound personal transformation – one that ultimately altered the trajectory of my life.

 

I encountered the truth: knowledge crowns those who seek her.

 

In 2010, the promise I made as a five-year-old child returned with renewed conviction.

 

Fueled by a passion for discovery and guided by a commitment to service, I answered the call to return to my motherland. Without reservations, I embraced the challenges of this venture – working alongside local communities, establishing relationships with the marginalized, sharing in the lived experiences of the poor and oppressed, and seeking to cultivate hope among the forgotten children of Asia.

 

A kind smile, an empathetic embrace, and a genuine recognition of human dignity and grace can transcend barriers and create lasting bonds through love and acceptance.

 

America bestowed upon me pride and comfort; poverty humbled me through suffering; and faith brought about my absolute dependency on the sovereignty of the known yet unseen.

 

Expect a harvest in every season. Labor so that when the fields turn golden, the worker is found weeping with gladness and ready to reap.  For it is written: “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.”