To My Teachers

In Vietnamese, there’s a word: Ơn Nghĩa.

Poetically, it refers to the kind of favor or grace so profound that it shifts the course of your life forever, and the gratitude for it stays with you, always, for the rest of your life. In that sense, I consider myself extraordinarily lucky! Life has given me far more than I could ever earn or deserve, mostly in the form of people who, at exactly the right moments, became my mentors. They didn’t just guide me; they altered the trajectory of my life in permanent and immeasurable ways.

So I would like to dedicate this space to all of my teachers and mentors. Though only a few are named, every one of them has left an indelible mark, not just on my career as a psychologist, but on who I am as a person. Growth has never been a solo journey. Learning is and has always been a collective act. Wisdom, grit, and care flow through generations, passed from heart to heart, mind to mind. The knowledge and trust my mentors gave to me is now woven into the fabric of my work. It belongs to my students as much as it does to me.

Gratitude is hard to express in words. Harder still in the third person, so yes, I’m aware this page takes a sharp turn into first-person voice. This section might come off a little performative, but it’s necessary, as naming and honoring the "Ơn Nghĩa" I’ve received allow me to show up fully and honestly as the psychologist and person I am today.

Because gratitude is lived, not just said, I am committed to carry forward their legacy, sharing it with the next generation of psychologists, educators, and public servants. With any luck, I hope their influence will keep rippling outward, far beyond me.

Shin Ye Kim, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, University of Wisconsin - Madison

Dr. Kim has been instrumental in shaping my identity as a psychologist. As my doctoral advisor, her trust in me made all the difference. She saw my potential long before I did and continually supported my growth throughout the years.

iI am deeply grateful for her relentless commitment to never accepting easy answers or half-hearted efforts. She continually pushed me to think harder, delve deeper, and engage more critically with my work. Her guidance not only shaped my growth during those formative years but continues to echo through everything I do.

Sheila Garos, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Texas Tech University

Through Dr. Garos, I found my voice as a therapist. She taught me how to bring my humaness into every aspect of my work, especially in the art of therapy. She showed me how to balance fierceness with kindness, to care deeply while honoring the strength and resilience of my clients.

Far from avoiding the imperfect or the 'fuckedupkedness' of being human, she embraced it. She taught me that these raw, messy moments of being human/being alive are not to be feared, but cherished, for they hold the greatest potential for transformation in therapy. It was through her that I discovered my passion for psychotherapy and learned the profound power of bringing my whole, authentic self - not just into the healing work I do with clients, but into how I show up in life as a person.

Alejandro Morales, Ph.D.

Professor, Cal Poly Pomona

Meeting him altered the course of my life, as it has for so many others, especially students of color.

He was the first to open the door to Counseling Psychology, encouraging me to dream beyond what I even knew was possible. Over the years, his quiet guidance and steady mentorship have been a constant presence, shaping my path with gentle wisdom. Words will always fall short of expressing how deeply my journey, and all I have accomplished, can be traced back to that first fateful meeting with him at Cal Poly Pomona.

Venerable Thich Chan Quang

Phat Quang Monastery, Vietnam

Widely regarded as a revered Buddhist monk and Zen master, to me, he is simply "Sư Phụ": my spiritual father and teacher for the past two decades. He is a person with a boundless capacity for love and care. His teachings do not rest in hollow words, but in the quiet power of action, whether through small acts that bring joy or fierce advocacy for justice. Through him, I’ve learned that love must extend far beyond oneself, and true success is measured by how much we contribute to the success of others rather than our own.

For to love is to care. In Buddhist terms, the journey toward liberation begins with compassionate service and finds its final destination in boundless loving-kindness for all sentient beings. The path to meditative stillness is not found in turning away from suffering but in observing and embracing it with an open and honest heart. In caring for the world, we find serenity and enlightenment in our souls. In engaging with the sufferings of others, we dissolve the illusion of Self and separation.

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