Assignment 16A- What’s Your Secret Sauce?

Ways I am unique:

1.     Straightforward- I do not mind confrontation and am very blunt. I do not like beating around the bush which can at times come off as harsh, but I ever mean it from a malicious stand point. I am honest, I do not lie just to please people.

2.     Compassionate- To the core, I am very caring and compassionate, especially to the people I love (family, friends). I take the time out to check up on people, bring them food, talk to them for hours if they need me, and I do whatever I can to brighten their day.

3.     Good at communicating- When in a professional or even casual conversation, I try to communicate my feelings very articulately. If I get into an argument, I genuinely try to empathize with the person and understand their perspective. In addition to that, if I feel the conversation getting heated, I do not immediately respond because sometimes when we are angry, we may say things we do not mean. I take a moment to phrase things in a way that doesn’t offend the other person or pour fuel into the fire, while also getting my point across.

4.     Independent- My parents were never home because of work and at one point, they moved to a different state because of work. I was left to raise myself from 8 to when I graduated high school. Large events like graduation, they missed and I had to take on many of the responsibilities that my friends parents helped them with. I learned how to take care of myself, cook/clean, apply to college and figure out FAFSA. I carry these lessons through my life and also learned to never take time with family for granted.

5.     Strong work ethic- I am hardworking and am willing to do anything to get assignments or tasks done. From a young age, my parents instilled this in me. Since my parents were never really around, I was responsible for keeping myself accountable of my grades, scholarships, etc.

Interviews:

1.     Theresa- my childhood friend (since kindergarten)

She is currently in Europe with her church so I could not interview her but she was able to send a video

 Key Takeaways- she focuses on my abilities and my emotional side more because she she knows me more based off of that than versus a professional setting. She knows me inside and out and has been with me through it all, I hold her opinion very high.

 

 2. Arathi- my very close friend of 6 years

She is in Orlando (I am in Gainesville), she couldn’t be interviewed but she sent me an audio recording.
https://soundcloud.com/bichgiang-nguyen/arathi-interview 

 Key Takeaways- She covered my abilities, knowledge, emotions and skills. The longest part being pertaining to emotions. Of all of them, Arathi was the most well rounded when she spoke about me. 

3.     Phu- My sister’s husband

He lives in Philly, I could not interview him but he was able to text me.

“First Bichgiang is smart, if that's not obvious. Bichgiang is one of the caring most compassionate person I’ve known. She is definitely a very mature person for her age. She’s a great cook, dedicated to make the healthiest of foods taste like food that’s made with real ingredients. She’s not a person to give up easily, even after how many times she ran over the cones while learning how to drive. Her outgoing attitude makes up for her small size. She’s very sociable and can get along with just about anyone.”

 Key takeaways- he has not known me for my entire life like many others I included, but for him to think these things about me, it means a lot. He is someone I respect and he has focused on my emotions and work ethic even though he has not seen me in a professional setting. 

4.     Sonya- my sister

She does not live with me and goes to school, I could not interview her but she was able to text me.

 "Growing up as a daughter of immigrant parents, Bichgiang quickly learned hard-work ethic at an early age. Upon emigrating to U.S, she had to learn a new language and also to adapt to a completely different culture. She persevered to overcome any challenges that propelled her to push her intellectual limits while motivated her to adapt and improve. As her sister, I had the opportunity to witness her compassion towards all those around her, as well as her personal growth into a mature, sharp individual. Not only is Bichgiang goal-oriented to accomplish all of her successes in academic, she is also driven to achieve her goals in philanthropic work that she is deeply passionate about. She strongly believes in giving-back to less-privilege, underserved communities and especially those in need. Thus in my opinion, all of Bichgiang’s previously mentioned qualities and achievements have shown her maturity and emotional intellect while very much so proven herself to be a well-rounded individual to the best of her capabilities.” 

Key takeaways- My sister was the most professional of everyone, when she spoke about me. She focused on my emotions, and goes the most in depth  about qualities I have not heard from others (e.g emotional intellect). 

5.     My mom-

She does not speak English so there is no point in me uploading an interview in a different language, but I am able to translate what she said.

“My daughter is independent, I feel bad for not being there for her when she grew up, but I am so proud of the things she accomplished without guidance. She was able to move in to college, move out of apartments, get into a good school and pave her own path. She is very mean, but not in a bad way, she stands her ground in arguments and does not back down. I think she gets it from me, she is blunt and can tell people how she feels without remorse. End of the day, she loves her family deeply and loves to help people. I saw that she donates shoes to people in need and I am proud of the woman she has become.”

Key takeaways- My mom is not the type to talk about feelings or show if she is proud of my sister and I, I am not sure if it is a culture thing or who she is. For her to say the things I never thought she would, it made me emotional. She mentioned notable qualities about me that are common among the other people I talked to. 

Reflect on Differences:

I see myself fairly positively, and so do the people closest to me. There are very few differences in what I said versus what others said, which I think is good. However my sister and closest friend, Theresa did bring up that I focus on self growth which is not something I considered when I list qualities about myself. I think they are all correct bout me, each bringing in a different perspective. For example, my sister listed specific instances and has been there the most of everyone on the list, my mom has seen me grow in a more general sense while my friends see the side of me that talks about school, small day to day instances the most. I would not make any changes to the list of how I am unique because those 5 qualities are what I believe to be the highlights of me as a person. Generally, these same qualities are covered on the people I interviewed which leads me to believe those are the most prominent. I am moved and touched that the people I hold to the highest standard think these things about me.