Dear Malcolm,

I dont think that my letter to you will be as good as your letter to me, because I am a terrible writer. I truly
look forward to this class because I want to become a better writer. Its something that I have struggled with most of
my life.
My name is Sydney Quach. Im 18 years-old. I am a Middle Grades Education major, focused on math and English.
I feel that students in middle school are easily influenced by their environment and the people around them, and I
believe that if I can influence them positively, I can change the world through my students, and that is my life long
goal. Ive wanted to be a teacher since I was a little girl. I used to play teacher with my siblings. I have three. (They
were terrible students). My 20 year-old brother acts like a 10 year old, my 16 year-old sister acts like a Japanese
anime character, and my 12 year-old brother is just a brat. They are the most annoying people in my life, but theyre
family, and I love em.

Daniel, 20

Brittany, 16

Matthew, 12

I was born in raised here in Charlotte, and I have always loved it. However, living here and being a teacher
isnt ideal, so I may move to Houston. I have tons of family there. They fit the stereotype of talking with country
accents and wearing cowboy hats. I am 100% Vietnamese. My parents came from Vietnam, (Mom was 8, Dad was
18). If you were to talk to my mom, youd think she was a middle aged American woman (her English is very
precise) while my dad still speaks like he just got here. Culture plays a huge part in my life. I traveled to Vietnam
my eighth grade summer, and it changed my outlook on life. As Americanized as I am, I eat rice for dinner every
night, and I can speak my language. I maintain a balance between both cultures. Many may say that isnt normal for
a Vietnamese American. I realized how lucky I am to have everything that I do have. It pushed me to excel in my
classes and appreciate what is given to me. My family in Vietnam dont have the opportunities that I have.
That is why I chose to get involved in high school. My mom is a social worker, and her passion towards
service was passed on to me. I took part in Student Government and service clubs all 4 years. I was involved in
volleyball, orchestra, drama, and service activities. I excelled in leadership, as I was captain of my volleyball team,
top ten percent of my class in academics, student body president, and homecoming queen. Outside of school, I took
part in pageants, and volunteer opportunities. I like to stay busy. When Im not busy, I feel like Im wasting my life
away.

My motto is when one door closes, another one opens. I go by this because I live an optimistic life. I
believe that everything happens for a reason, and that one should embrace what life throws at them. There isnt a
moment that you wont see me smile. I love being happy, and I love making others happy. If Im not smiling, either
something really bad happened, or I am running on 2 hours of sleep. I apologize in advance for that. On the other
hand, college has been really good for me. For my first semester, I have been able to get at least 5 hours of sleep
each night and only 3 grey hairs. I was accepted into the Emerging Leaders program, as well as the Freshman Class
council. I would say that my first semester of college was great, and I look forward to what it has to offer me in the
future.
I cant to see all of the cool things to learn in your class, and I hope that I can help create a great
environment for you to teach and work your magic! Im not a brownnoser, I just understand how hard teachers
work, and I would want the same from my students. I hope that I can learn some teaching strategies from you as
well as effective writing tools. I appreciate you for furthering my education, and I cant wait to meet you.

See you soon,

Sydney Quach