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Larry Thi

Biography

Profile: Larry Thi is very perceptive.  Although he wants to eventually teach high school, he’d probably make a terrific journalist.  He seems to see important things in everyday life that most others are too busy to observe. Take for instance his observations on the trolley in Philly as he commuted to classes in high school. His thoughts were in response to a standardized questionnaire from the Foundation that asked the young community college graduate to discuss pivotal moments in his life and to explain why he wanted to be a teacher.  “As a high school pupil living in West Philadelphia, my route to my center city located school via the 13 trolley took me through three worlds. As the trolley traveled along the route, I passed through changing neighborhoods and saw different people getting aboard. To school, I saw the progression of torn-down houses and starving families to well-dressed professionals and high-rise condominiums. To home from school, I saw the regression. These visuals reinforced my ambitions to persevere.”  Larry was born in Massachusetts but said his native language is Vietnamese.  He is the first member of his family to attend college, and he’ll be attending the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the fall of 2011.

Inspiration:  The graduate of the Community College of Philadelphia said the key to his success there was Dr. Jacqueline A. Akins.  Larry described her this way:  “Intelligent, inspirational, and understanding...a gold token of the Community College of Philadelphia and the utmost important figure of the History Department.”  Dr. Akins, Larry said, “has given me guidance and faith...expanded my interests, and taught me about life.”

Aspiration:  Larry hopes to be a teacher someday.  At his Philadelphia college, he embraced the spirit of the institution and loved his teachers and the act of studying, not to mention the joy of learning.  Larry would like to impart that love of learning to students he’ll someday teach.  “I treated the college's library as my nest and my professors as my care-givers,” Larry said.

Making a Difference: “Having a major role in congealing a solid Asian-American organization in my former high school is an achievement that I'm utmost proud of,” Larry said.  As president of the Asian/Multicultural Club at Franklin Learning High School in Philadelphia, he nearly single-handedly planned community service activities and leadership building workshops. The club visited other Asian organizations such as the Pan-Asian American Community House at the University of Pennsylvania and performed community services at various senior housings.

Accolades:  Larry was awarded the Mid-Eastern Association of Educational Opportunity Program Personnel (MEAEOPP) Scholarship and received the Outstanding Service Award from the Community College of Philadelphia's Peer Connection Program.

Interesting Fact:  Larry once wanted to become an underground rapper “like Immortal Technique or the Jedi Mind Tricks.”

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