Starting anew at Golden West College.

Like Alexander Graham Bell once said, “When one door closes, another door opens, but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us." That’s what happened to me, and here is a story how I started everything again at Golden West College (GWC). 

How I started

I’m an international student from Vietnam, and I came to Seattle, Washington, at the age of 16 with a goal of becoming a dental hygienist. I spent almost 3 years completing all the prerequisites and even took a year off after I graduated with my AA Degree to work as a dental assistant during my OPT (Optional Practical Training). 

I love the job so much that I know for sure I want to work in the dental field and have my career in dental hygiene. I had a chance to experience all the new things like applying for a job here, having job interviews or filling out tax papers. Those were the things that I have never done before even when I was in my home country. 

Learning on the job

I got so overwhelmed at first since I got hired without any medical or dental background. They were willing to train me on the job, and I’m so grateful to work with the best team ever. Everything I was able to learn in that one year is so valuable to me from the knowledge to the fast-paced environment that I thought I would never be able to get used to. 

I walked into the office without knowing a single dental instrument, but I walked out knowing how to assist the doctor during procedures. Everyone was so happy for me since they witnessed how far I have gotten. They even looked forward to me coming back as a dental hygienist, and that was exactly how I wanted it to work out. However, as much as I planned my future path, everything shattered since I was not eligible to apply for the program that I wanted. I have never felt so disappointed and stressed out so much before. 

Trying something new

Fortunately, I have such supporting family and friends. They were the ones that encouraged me to move forward the whole time. My parents suggested that I should change to something new. They both went to college majoring in Business, and my mom was working as an accountant for more than 20 years, so she suggested that I should go for Accounting. 

I took their advice, moved to California, applied to Golden West College, and began a whole new chapter here. Thankfully, I was able to get a lot of help from the International Student Program team — they kept me updated on the things that I need to do and made sure that I’m caught up with events. Classes were still online, and I did not have that many chances to make friends, but I was able to connect with some other international students through school events.

How it all worked out

One year later, looking back I knew I had made the right choice. Not only do I enjoy studying at GWC, but I also landed a part time job here as a student assistant. I’m always trying to help new international students as much as I can, like the way that I received the help when I first started at GWC. I’m able to make a lot of friends now, and so many good opportunities have opened up for me. I learned that you just have to keep trying and moving forward in life, and good things will eventually come your way. Like people say, ‘when one door closes, another opens.’”