A"place" I have visited

My Scholarship entry - A 'place' I have visited

Vietnam | Monday, January 14, 2013 | 5 photos

I'm Baohan Phuc Nguyen- a biology student. I was born in the Nguyen family- the last royal family that ruled Vietnam. When I was born, the family's regime was long ended and the communist had taken the entire country. Wrongly charged with treason by the communist, many of the family members were not allowed to go to school. During that time period, my family opened a small business at home - developing film. I still remember the little red light in the darkroom and the acidic smell of the chemical. My love for photography began to grow when I was that little. However, It was a "shameful" business for the family. In Vietnamese culture, especially for royal families, being "educated" is very important. So when I came to America 8 years ago, I put my passion for photography aside and studied biology, hoping to be a doctor one day to make our family proud. But I never wanted to be a doctor. I want to be a photographer. I want to tell story, and there is nothing that do that better than photographs. Winning the scholarship means a career for me. It is a leverage for me to get out of a traditional and cultural prejudice that has been pressing me to be a doctor. Best Regards -Han-