August 2008. That’s when I first heard the news that I would have a new cousin, Thi, coming all the way from Vietnam. I was too young to understand how and why she was coming, but I was excited about my new friend nonetheless, and that’s all I could talk about. Although it was super awkward at first, we overcame that shyness and over the years, she became one of my closest confidants. She made a huge impact on my life – she was not only someone to talk and relate to, but someone to look up to and take advice from as well. Having her in my life helped me succeed both as a person and a student. Having Thi around was an awesome experience. I finally had someone my own age to talk to. For instance, when we were younger, we talked about growing
