Klein Forest Senior Earns Full-Ride Ivy League Scholarship
KLEIN, Texas – It all started with a bike ride.
When Klein Forest senior Ryan Nguyen cycled from his house to downtown Houston’s Buffalo Bayou and back for the first time—34 miles—he began to truly understand that his mind could be his enemy or his greatest asset.
“After I started exercising, I lost 25 pounds and figured out that I can push my mind,” Ryan said. “I wanted to improve myself as an individual, and that has been my biggest journey: realizing what I wanted to do with myself and aspiring for the top of the mountain.”
The top of Ryan’s mountain so far is his latest acceptance into Yale University, his dream school, with a full-ride scholarship majoring in Philosophy on a pre-med track.
“I wanted to aim high for a school like Yale University because my parents are immigrants from Vietnam who always wanted to make me happy—it’s the whole reason they moved to the United States,” Ryan said. “I want to repay them. I want to change our status from low income to something grand because they deserve it after all they’ve done for me.”
While his academic commitment was evident in his success in rigorous courses, few knew how he climbed over barriers at home.
“The only worker in my family has always been my dad. I have a bedridden grandmother and my mom stays home,” Ryan said. “I used to be dissuaded from doing extracurricular activities because we didn’t have ready access to transportation. I began cycling to get out of the house and it helped with my mental health.”
After joining EMERGE as a junior, Ryan’s journey began to blossom. He went from a student who was always reserved and reluctant to step out his comfort zone to a leader whose confidence and determination took him to new heights.
“The opportunity to become involved in leadership positions at Klein Forest allowed me to grow my skills in communication, professionalism, and speaking with adults in general,” Ryan said. “These skills are part of what helped me get into summer programs where I was able to travel to South Africa for a month on my own and study philosophy at Rice University.”
Stepping out of his shell and making connections taught Ryan that the resources he needed were around him, and all he had to do was tap into them.
“The best thing you can do is just to talk to someone,” Ryan said. “Through my advisor, I was able to be part of the EMERGE mentorship program where my mentor, a Stanford undergraduate and Harvard Law School graduate, helped me with my applications.”
The motto at Klein Forest High School is “Be the Legacy.” Ryan hopes his legacy will grow into one that allows other Golden Eagles to take leaps and get into the top universities in the world.
“I have a sense of obligation to give back to others,” Ryan said. “I need to tell them about the combined information and knowledge that I’ve gathered from so many different people. I want to do something that will benefit a lot of people.”
Congratulations on your acceptance to Yale, Ryan! Your Klein Family is so proud of you and we admire your grit and determination
Best Public Schools in Texas
Klein ISD has an established 84-year history of excellence and innovation in education with unique pathways for EVERY student in our care to ensure learners are college, career, military, and life ready. With recognition for STEM, athletics, fine arts, and academics from highly-esteemed organizations, it is clear that Our Shared Vision of every student entering with a promise and exiting with a purpose is a reality for EVERY student who walks through our doors.
About Klein ISD
Klein ISD is a school district in Klein, Texas, located in northwestern Harris County. The district spans approximately 88 square miles and serves more than 53,000 students in 33 elementary schools, 10 intermediate campuses, one high school program of choice, and 5 high schools.
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