Being the son of Vietnamese war refugees trying to make a living in Germany, I grew up in a little village outside of Munich (Ebersberg for the curious readers among you). My father worked as a garbage collector while my mom was cleaning nursing homes. Even though their jobs were hard, I can not remember one day where they were not smiling trying to ensure that I get the best life possible. I really owe them. They taught me to always be polite, be humble, and constantly work and of course study hard. But the most important lesson was, that I can reach anything I want to if I follow those principles. With this in the back of my head, I grew up going to a school which is in my opinion a Bavarian version of Hogwarts (Gymnasium Gars am Inn – google it, it’s worth it) and learned a different philosophy of living through my friends and the environment. However, one question always arose :
Am I German or Vietnamese?
The Answer: I am Me!
While yes I do not like rice and I usually prefer something like “Spätzle” over it,
I have come to embrace both sides with open arms because I am in a privileged position
to learn the best out of these two worlds.
I will always be polite, but I won’t be afraid to speak up if I do not agree with something. 
I will always be humble, but I will celebrate every small win. 
I will always work hard, but I will also say stop if I can’t go further.
I will also study hard because learning new things is what keeps me going every day.

I am Kevin Vu Pham