John Pham
Class of 2002

 ESSAY QUESTIONS:
1)  Diego Cordero. The name probably does not mean much to many, but it means the world to me. I had just finished my second year at college and I was looking for something to do with my summer other than the typical summer courses or research. So here I was, in the small town of Blairstown, NJ. I did not know what to expect. All I was sure of was that I love camping and I love working with kids. But this was different, this was Happiness Is Camping: For Children with Cancer. Not only did these kids survive cancer, but also they dealt with the harsh reality of living in the inner city streets of the Bronx, NY.  

How were these kids going to react to having me as their counselor? Actually, in some ways, I could relate to these kids. When my family immigrated to the U.S., we had no money and knew no English. Our family settled into a government-subsidized apartment in the worst part of town. We dealt with the problems of drugs and gangs, which are very much a part of these campers’ lives. We also had to deal with the prejudice that comes with arriving in a town as foreigners. A majority of these campers are of African or Hispanic backgrounds and I am sure that these kids have faced many forms of discrimination. That is one of the reasons they escape to camp.

                The day had come when we finally got to meet the children we would be living with for the next 8 weeks. The bus arrived carrying about 70 campers. Some of these campers have been attending camp for more than a decade now and most would attend for another decade if they could. The cabin I was assigned to consisted of 12-13 year olds, usually the most difficult group. 

All of my campers arrived on the bus, except one. I was told Diego arrives by car since he needed a wheelchair. The camp director had explained to me that Diego had a brain tumor and since its removal, he lost most of his coordination and balance. Diego had this procedure done when he was about ten years old and I could not imagine going from being an active, energetic child to a life where I could not walk or had trouble communicating. Diego knew how life used to be before the operation, which I am sure made the whole experience even more difficult. The few years before I arrived, Diego had been down on life and the camp director had mentioned she was surprised that he was even making it back to camp.

Diego made it to camp a little later that day and at first, it was very difficult to make conversation. As I would push him in his wheelchair, he would simply reply with yes or no answers, trying not to elaborate. Diego was going to be quite a challenge.

It was now the part of the day where the kids have free time. Most of the kids choose to sit at the tables and converse or play cards, while others choose to be more active and play basketball. To my surprise, Diego wanted to play basketball. As I wheeled Diego onto the basketball court, I could tell he was not strong enough to shoot a basketball. I figured he would probably shoot a couple shots, realize he was not strong enough, and we would end up doing something else. We ended up being at the court for over an hour, the entire free period. Shot after shot, Diego missed, not once even touching the basket. At this point, I was not sure he would make a shot, but I encouraged Diego to keep trying. Now, I am not much of a religious person, but after grabbing one of the rebounds, I prayed for him to make a shot. He had worked so hard and he deserved to make at least one shot. Sure enough, he made the next shot, a perfect swish. And after that, he missed the remaining shots. However, I knew this was going to be the turning point for Diego. 

For the rest of the summer, Diego and I were inseparable. I had gained his acceptance and trust after that game of basketball and he felt more confident with me. Day after day, I continually witnessed improvements with Diego, whether it was in his conversations, his social skills, or his walking.  Diego had started walking on two crutches, one being a normal metal crutch and the other being my shoulder to lean on. I tried to force him to walk as much as possible because in previous summers, the counselors had just pushed him in his wheelchair. 

When I arrived to work at the camp for my second summer, Diego returned as well. I had kept in touch with him outside of camp and he continually updated me on his progress, but nothing could have prepared me for when I first saw him again. Diego had gained some much-needed weight and he was walking without crutches, but still was a little off balance at times. That summer, Diego worked even harder than the previous. Everyday he would do his exercises consisting of push-ups, sit-ups, and his balance exercises. He was simply an inspiration to everyone. His perseverance and determination was unmatched. I remember after the summer the rest of the staff complimenting me on my work with Diego and praising me on my patience for being able to work with a handicapped child and even the camp director thanking me for working with Diego. But for me, I was thanking Diego, since I have learned so much from him. Diego has taught me so much about life, to stay strong, to never give up, and has also proven to me that any goal is achievable. That is why I am forever indebted to Diego.

This experience at Happiness is Camping was made possible through the Cornell National Scholars Summer Internship Program.  Without that help, funding would have been very difficult since the job’s salary mainly just covers the costs of travel and expenses over the summer.  I am also happy to announce that I am returning back to the camp for my third summer and look forward to another memorable experience.

2)         My involvement in MFCNS this year includes being involved in the REACH program where I was able to help tutor grade school students at the Greater Ithaca Activities Center.  I have been attending the weekly meetings and several events such as the bowling nights and massage event.  Also was a member of the MFCNS intramural basketball team.

3)  Member of the Cornell Vietnamese Association

Active member of the CVA in helping to promote the Vietnamese culture not only on campus, but within entire Ithaca community; Activities include community service projects, volunteering at the Ithaca Youth Center, and our annual cultural show

Cabin Fever Volunteer for Children of the Ithaca Community

Into the Streets Volunteer for the Clean-up of the Ithaca Community

Member of the African, Latino, Asian, Native American Student Programming Board

Soccer, Volleyball, Tennis, Basketball

Participated in intramurals for all four of these sports; Intramural Champions in soccer; also played in the Ithaca Soccer League