The moment Vinh Ton got accepted at UC Davis, he started a spreadsheet. He already knew he would major in Statistics, but he also wanted to minor in Theater & Dance. As a transfer student, packing everything into two years would require careful planning, and it wasn’t too soon to start.
Thinking of Ton’s interests in math and theater as a duality is too simplistic: He has many more facets. At UC Davis, he went on to add a humanities minor in Asian American Studies, helped actively build community among transfer students, became an event photographer, learned ballroom dance and more. “Some quarters I had to push myself to the limit, but I just wanted to do it all,” he says.
Ton’s parents immigrated to the U.S. from Vietnam in the 1990s to seek greater opportunity and join relatives already in California. While they hadn’t gone to college, it was always implied that Ton would. Though he was admitted to several UCs right out of high school, he opted to go to his local community college instead. His brother had a new baby and his mom was managing the family nail salon, and he wanted to help his family. Going to De Anza College, Ton could do some of the front office work. The Covid-19 pandemic had pushed school online, so classes weren’t in person anyway. And it made sense financially: Studying and living at home for the first two years of college lowered his costs significantly.
Still, paying to transfer to UC was a concern. When he did make the jump, Ton ended up getting a Pell Grant and scholarships that covered his tuition and fees. To meet his other living costs, he saved up before school started, and then continued working part-time on campus. Small, low-interest student loans gave him enough padding to limit his work hours and focus on school.
One of those jobs, a paid role as a Student Outreach Ambassador for the Transfer Opportunity Program (TOP), became a big part of Ton’s UC experience. From webinars to overnights, TOP programs help prospective transfer students see themselves at UC Davis, giving them the tools and information to succeed. “Community college students are highly motivated and genuinely interested in learning,” says Ton. “It gives me such an invigorating, electrifying feeling to help them, because it truly makes a difference.”
With all his interests and activities, Ton has been able to tap into a number of different communities on campus, forging relationships that helped him get through the hard work of college. “Finding your people makes it so much more manageable. Even if you have a really challenging workload, it helps to know that someone is doing it with you.”
What’s next? Ton jokes that he’s saving a return to academia for when he has his “quarter-life crisis.” This summer he’ll be a production assistant at Berkeley Repertory Theater and will continue to help with UC Davis transfer student programs. Longer term, he’s keen to do data aggregation work with Asian American communities.
