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Edwina Loh

Biography

Entering the United States in 2005, Edwina Loh studied English as a second language. She now tutors college students in her school's writing center and received the highest score in her freshman composition class. "Since I began studying in the US, I realize that I have taken on an adventure. I cannot return unaltered." Edwina traveled a rough and long road to success in the United States academic community. "My mother made sure our lives didn't screech to a halt. My mother, a single parent with no college education, struggling to support her family, taught me frugality and strength. However my mother didn't teach me independence. She lived it."

Edwina resolved to be like her mother-in control, responsible, and dependable. "I turned to fish. By the age of ten, I had six fish tanks of my own, overflowing with goldfish and guppies. I was doing the cleaning, the feeding, and the worrying every time there was a power outage. I bought fish-keeping books with my savings, and I read them carefully, circling big words I didn't know. I still have that yellowing copy of 'The Proper Care of Guppies' with 'anathema' circled and the definition written above it. I keep fish today. They represent my first step towards independence."

After high school, Edwina took a break to find her focus. She worked 50 hours a week in a bakery making fruit tarts, croissants, and chocolate éclairs. She reveled in the responsibility the chef bestowed on her. "This gave me the confidence to make decisions that would not only affect myself but the chef's livelihood. I was honored."

Edwina entered community college and worked as a writing tutor. "There can be no greater reward than watching a previously struggling tutee proudly write their first college paper."

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