Thank you for visiting our staff profiles! Every day until the last day of Tet Festival 2012, we will be posting up select profiles from our Tet Festival directors and staff.
We have over 200 staffers this year, but I hope that from the few profiles that you are able to tune into for the rest of the week, you will be able to learn a little bit about the student volunteers who have made Tet Festival 2012 possible.
Cám ơn and Chúc Mừng Năm Mới!
Nina (9na)
Westwood College
I am currently the PR Coordinator for UVSA, CoRR Representative from UVSA to UNAVSA, and I am the Entertainment Director for the upcoming UNAVSA-9 Conference.
Committee:
Vendors
The first year you worked for Tet Festival:
2011
Why did you decide to run for your position?
Someone said, “Hey 9na, I think you should run for Vendors because you’d be good at it.” I like hearing that I’m good at things, so…I ran.
What do you do besides working on the Tet Festival?
I am currently the PR Coordinator for UVSA, CoRR Representative from UVSA to UNAVSA, and I am the Entertainment Director for the upcoming UNAVSA-9 Conference.
What’s your favorite memory from the Tet Festival?
I have many favorite memories but the best one was when I sat on the OPs cart for the first time with Paul, Phong, & one other. Paul decided to take the back road to check out the area for suspicious activity. On the way, we saw Phong so we picked him up. When driving up to a driveway, Paul decided to make a sharp right turn. Next thing you knew, we heard, “THUMP!” Phong combat rolled onto the ground. End story.
What do you look forward to during Tet season?
FREEEEEEEEE food.
What sound does a dragon make?
RAWR!
Paul
Westwood College
I chase bad guys and eat cheeseburgers.
Committee:
Operations!
The first year you worked for Tet Festival:
2008
Why did you decide to run for your position?
Ops or nothing!
What do you do besides working on the Tet Festival?
I chase bad guys and eat cheeseburgers
What’s your favorite memory from the Tet Festival?
Reuniting lost children with their parents
What do you look forward to during Tet season?
Unity and Firecrackers!
What sound does a dragon make?
Wiggle wiggle wiggle wiggle wiggle hay!
Tiffany
CSU Long Beach
Since passing on the title of Pageant Director, the Vice-Chair position allowed me to assist Victor as the Chair of the Festival, as well as share my time with many other committees to provide support for them.
Committee:
Admin, Vice Chair
The first year you worked for Tet Festival:
2007
Why did you decide to run for your position?
Since passing on the title of Pageant Director, the Vice-Chair position allowed me to assist Victor as the Chair of the Festival, as well as share my time with many other committees to provide support for them.
What do you do besides working on the Tet Festival?
I work as an administrator and business development at a medical office, enjoy spending time with family, and like to learn new skills in cooking, linguistics, and sports.
What’s your favorite memory from the Tet Festival?
Being on stage with everyone for the 2011 Closing Ceremony and then collectively screaming and running off the stage…
What do you look forward to during Tet season?
Being with all of my friends, new and old, and having time to connect more with UVSA members.
What sound does a dragon make?
“Get off my stage…”
Khanh
UC Irvine
My favorite moment was being able to reunite a lost child with her father. She was a very shy, but very cute girl. She opened up to me and even drew a picture of me. I was glad I could make her ordeal less painful and help her.
Committee:
Volunteers Director
The first year you worked for Tet Festival:
I was on Operations during Tet Festival 2009.
Why did you decide to run for your position?
I wanted to do something other than Operations this year and I felt like it was a good opportunity as it is along the same lines as the Anh Chi Em Mentorship Program I’m the Director of as well.
What do you do besides working on the Tet Festival?
I have a full time job and also the Director of the Anh Chi Em Mentorship Program for high school students.
What’s your favorite memory from the Tet Festival?
My favorite moment was being able to reunite a lost child with her father. She was a very shy, but very cute girl. She opened up to me and even drew a picture of me. I was glad I could make her ordeal less painful and help her.
What do you look forward to during Tet season?
I look forward to be a part of what I see as a big improvement from our previous festivals. I’m curious to see what the community will think of everything.
Ken
CSU Los Angeles
I try to be involved with my college’s high school (CSULA), help out back at my Alumni high school with the marching band and tennis team, work out, and do some researching in the law enforcement field.
Committee:
Operations, Traffic Team Lead
The first year you worked for Tet Festival:
2011
Why did you decide to run for your position?
I spent the majority of my time at the festival last year working on the traffic division, working the crosswalk. This year, I decided to step up and become the Traffic team leader to get a feel of the complete run down of the festival, traffic wise.
What do you do besides working on the Tet Festival?
I try to be involved with my college’s high school (CSULA), help out back at my Alumni high school with the marching band and tennis team, work out, and do some researching in the law enforcement field.
What’s your favorite memory from the Tet Festival?
My favorite memory would probably be the one night when the operations team was cleaning up at night time. For traffic, we had to pick up all the orange cones, and place them in the golf cart. We had a competition between golf carts to see who could collect the most in one cart, and the quickest. By end of the night, we had so many cones sticking out every direction that we looked like an orange porcupine.
What do you look forward to during Tet season?
Of course working at Tet Festival! Hahaha, on a side note, it would be watching lion dancing and getting red envelopes 
What sound does a dragon make?
Rawr
Minh
El Modena High School
I felt it was my time to seize the opportunity and make a difference. I wanted to see how I would do, speaking in front of a lot of people. I also had the chance to work with some sponsors and I like to connect to the community. It seems to me like a journey and I need to experience this journey to become a mature man.
Committee:
Marketing
The first year you worked for Tet Festival:
2012
Why did you decide to run for your position?
I felt it was my time to seize the opportunity and make a difference. I wanted to see how I would do, speaking in front of a lot of people. I also had the chance to work with some sponsors and I like to connect to the community. It seems to me like a journey and I need to experience this journey to become a mature man. Most importantly, I wanted to improve my leadership ability and inspire the next generation of young Vietnamese leaders.
What do you do besides working on the Tet Festival?
I am a full-time high school student. I have classes both in High School and Community College. I am actually inspired by the Medical Field and Mathematics; any jokes about those fields in Math and Science, I would love to hear. I tutor at my high school in Math and I am currently doing some research at college for Human Anatomy and Physiology, Microbiology and Advanced Mathematics.
What’s your favorite memory from the Tet Festival?
This is my first year at Tet Festival–I hope I will get some inspiration and many memories for Tet this year.
What sound does a dragon make?
Gruuuuu………Gruuuuuuuuuuu
Priscilla
Golden West College
What’s your favorite memory from the Tet Festival?
Painting the backdrops with my committee along with nice music in the background.
Committee:
Decorations
The first year you worked for Tet Festival:
2012
Why did you decide to run for your position?
I want to become part of this beautiful Tet festival and I love art.
What do you do besides working on the Tet Festival?
Lion dancing with awesome team members.
What’s your favorite memory from the Tet Festival?
Painting the backdrops with my committee along with nice music in the background.
What do you look forward to during Tet season?
Smiles and laughs from everyone.
What sound does a dragon make?
GRRR!! I’m thinking about magical dragon in dragon balls right now 
Alan
UC Riverside
I am a full time undergrad student at UCR who is involved with UCR VSA, Future Pharmacist club, and Medical Scholars Program.
Committee:
Volunteers
The first year you worked for Tet Festival:
2009, Spring of Hope
What do you do besides working on the Tet Festival?
I am a full time undergrad student at UCR who is involved with UCR VSA, Future Pharmacist club, and Medical Scholars Program.
What’s your favorite memory from the Tet Festival?
As a kid, I enjoyed the game booths presented by the colleges in the alliance from throwing darts at a target to knocking a pyramid of six cans down.
What do you look forward to during Tet season?
I always look forward to spending time with family and friends with home cooking.
What sound does a dragon make?
the voice of Mushu
Ngoc-Minh
CSUF
My favorite memory is handing out the candies and li xi to the little ones. It is just great to see them smiling and meeting the spectrum of parents and also running into familiar faces.
Committee:
Opening Ceremony
The first year you worked for Tet Festival:
2010
Why did you decide to run for your position?
A wonderful way to network with elected officials as well as community leaders and organizations. As Assistant Director, I get to see behind the scene and the amount of effort and work is needed to run the Opening Ceremony.
What do you do besides working on the Tet Festival?
I am also a Board member with Cal State Fullerton Vietnamese Student Association. I enjoy participating and contributing my time and talents with nonprofit charity and organizations to benefit those in need of help and assistance.
What’s your favorite memory from the Tet Festival?
My favorite memory is handing out the candies and li xi to the little ones. It is just great to see them smiling and meeting the spectrum of parents and also running into familiar faces.
What do you look forward to during Tet season?
A surprise at the Tet Festival Opening Ceremony…hint* it has Feathers! shhhh!
What sound does a dragon make?
hummm-RawRrrr!
Dianna
CSUF
I tutor, coach, and am co-president of CSUF VSA.
Committee:
Operations, Parade
The first year you worked for Tet Festival:
with UVSA, this year would be my first.
Why did you decide to run for your position?
i want to play a bigger role in the festival, not just be a volunteer but be something more.
What do you do besides working on the Tet Festival?
I tutor, coach, and am co-president of csufvsa.
What’s your favorite memory from the Tet Festival?
working with honey badgers!!
What do you look forward to during Tet season?
good luck and becoming injury free!
What sound does a dragon make?
kablaap.
Sam
Cal Poly Pomona
UVSA staff and ACE mentor but always a CPP VSA member at heart.
Committee:
Operations, Technical
The first year you worked for Tet Festival:
2010
Why did you decide to run for your position?
At first a friend told me to check out Ops out but as I got more involved it seemed like it would be a good experience for me.
What do you do besides working on the Tet Festival?
I’m a starving Cal Poly Pomona student. I like to eat good food in my spare time. UVSA staff and ACE mentor but always a CPP VSA member at heart.
What’s your favorite memory from the Tet Festival?
Working at my school’s booth.
What do you look forward to during Tet season?
Working with a bunch of my friends I don’t normally see.
What sound does a dragon make?
rawr?
Myron
CSUF
Why did you decide to run for your position?
Adrenaline Rush
Committee:
Operations, Traffic
The first year you worked for Tet Festival:
2009
Why did you decide to run for your position?
Adrenaline Rush
What do you do besides working on the Tet Festival?
Networking
What’s your favorite memory from the Tet Festival?
Food
What do you look forward to during Tet season?
Li Xi $$ =D
What sound does a dragon make?
Mew*
Michael
UCLA
There’s nothing like going 6-7 hours into Tet while you are tired on your feet, until you take a bite into that hard-earned Lee’s Sandwiches surrounded by the fellow peers and student leaders who know the toil that you yourself endure.
Committee:
Operations, Emergency Response Team
The first year you worked for Tet Festival:
My first year working at Tet Festival was when I was a 2nd year at UCLA as the Vice-Chairman of the UVSA Intercollegiate Council.
Why did you decide to run for your position?
I decided to take on the position of Operations Lead for the Emergency Response Team because I felt a sense of accountability to my community as an individual who was trained in safety, emergency prevention, and emergency treatment. I believe that all of us that come to serve at Tet as young leaders have our own unique abilities and attributes that define our work. My passion has always been in rendering emergency aid to those in need – or simply just taking the pain away from an individual who is in distress. My skills as an emergency medical technician at UCLA and my knowledge as an EMS Educator urged me to take on this role to further the safety and care for our festival goers.
What do you do besides working on the Tet Festival?
Aside from dedicating my time to the Tet Festival as an Ops Lead for our emergency response team and its EMS education, I am currently working full-time as a Paramedic Intern at UCLA’s Daniel Freeman Paramedic Program, through the David Geffen School of Medicine. I will be working as a field paramedic for the Los Angeles Fire Department before I successfully complete my internship. In addition, I will also be preparing myself for applications for professional health schools. When free time does come across my way, family and my significant other are always priority.
What’s your favorite memory from the Tet Festival?
My favorite memory at Tet would have to be when a 7 year old child dislocated his elbow on the playground during one of my years as an EMT for the festival. Operations first responded quickly and promptly, and they secured the scene for us while myself and Jimmy Nguyen rendered aid to the child and kept the mother calm. All in all, the child was immobilized, treated, and transferred to a hospital – and we did an awesome job providing aid and the best care available to the festival attendees. I give my constant praise to the Operations staff for their quick response and ability to control crowded situations such as these.
What do you look forward to during Tet season?
I look forward to the camaraderie that fun times that will be enjoyed by all of the staff members. There’s nothing like going 6-7 hours into Tet while you are tired on your feet, until you take a bite into that hard-earned Lee’s Sandwiches surrounded by the fellow peers and student leaders who know the toil that you yourself endure. Most importantly, I love seeing the happiness of the elderly fesival goers and the youth when they both can be enticed and amazed by the beauty of the Vietnamese culture we make alive at Tet.
What sound does a dragon make?
It makes the sound of a blazing fireball coming right at your face!
Martin
CSUF
My favorite memory of the Tet Festival was the pull up competition at the army booth last year 2010. I couldn’t reach 25 but I had around 18 solid pull ups.
Committee:
Operations, Traffic
The first year you worked for Tet Festival:
2009
Why did you decide to run for your position?
I decided to run for this position because I have been a traffic intern for a couple of years as well as studying civil engineering with an emphasis in traffic.
What do you do besides working on the Tet Festival?
I checked out the all the booths, went on some rides, hang out with friends, and had some food!
What’s your favorite memory from the Tet Festival?
My favorite memory of the Tet Festival was the pull up competition at the army booth last year 2010. I couldn’t reach 25 but I had around 18 solid pull ups.
What do you look forward to during Tet season?
I look forward to a successful Tet Festival that is better than all the previous years.
What sound does a dragon make?
What a silly question, dragons can talk 
Dennis
UC Irvine
I’m actually an aspiring Medical Student. Among the activities I’m involved with beyond UVSA, I tutor, take classes, do research at UCI, and volunteer at the hospital.
Committee:
Operations Director
The first year you worked for Tet Festival:
2007
Why did you decide to run for your position?
It was time to rise to the challenge, pave the path, be the change and make it happen. I felt it was my time to seize the opportunity and make a difference. I wanted to see what the legendary Operations Directors before me had to endure on their journey to glory. Most importantly, I wanted to test my leadership ability and inspire the next class of young Vietnamese leaders.
What do you do besides working on the Tet Festival?
I’m actually an aspiring Medical Student. Among the activities I’m involved with beyond UVSA, I tutor, take classes, do research at UCI, and volunteer at the hospital.
What’s your favorite memory from the Tet Festival?
My favorite memories from Tet Festival are all the adventures the Operations Staff has resetting our equipment after the festival closes.
What do you look forward to during Tet season?
I look forward to the festive, happy, quality family time — and the wonderful food that comes with it.
What sound does a dragon make?
My dragon goes WOOO WOOOOOOOO when it goes to the Tet Festival
Tyler
UCLA
I have been involved in Opening Ceremony committee for 4 years from being a committee member to being an MC. This year I wanted to step up and take a more proactive role.
Committee:
Opening Ceremony Director
The first year you worked for Tet Festival:
2009
Why did you decide to run for your position?
I have been involved in Opening Ceremony committee for 4 years from being a committee member to being an MC. This year I wanted to step up and take a more proactive role.
What do you do besides working on the Tet Festival?
I’m a 2nd year grad/optometry student at Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona, CA.
What’s your favorite memory from the Tet Festival?
Staying out in the freezing cold with other staff members
What do you look forward to during Tet season?
Being with family and eating lots of delicious food!
What sound does a dragon make?
Phew phew
Liz
UC Irvine
At the same time though, the job requires me to keep a strict demeanor and show people that us volunteers are here to work in order to put on a good festival.
Committee:
Operations, Front Gate
The first year you worked for Tet Festival:
2006
Why did you decide to run for your position?
I wanted to know more about Tet Festival and how it worked. The best thing to do was start with Ops (the backbone of the festival!). Front gate is a mixture of customer service and security, which was very enticing to me because I like to connect to the community; I get to put a smile on and make visitors happy when they come in. At the same time though, the job requires me to keep a strict demeanor and show people that us volunteers are here to work in order to put on a good festival.
What do you do besides working on the Tet Festival?
I am a full-time student and I also work part-time. The Tet Festival is like a break from school and academics for me! I am also the mentor director for UVSA’s Anh Chi Em Mentorship program.
What’s your favorite memory from the Tet Festival?
The parade. In my freshman year of college I was part of the parade and I loved seeing the smiling kids–especially how excited they were when we walked by and gave candy.
What do you look forward to during Tet season?
The food, because it’s food that we don’t see for the rest of the year! I also look forward to the traditions that keep our Vietnamese culture alive.
What sound does a dragon make?
*makes a seal noise*
Jennifer
CSU Fullerton
What sound does a dragon make?
Meow
Committee:
Decorations Co-Director
Operations, Technical
The first year you worked for Tet Festival:
2009
Why did you decide to run for your position?
I have a passion for art and love to decorate and be creative!
What do you do besides working on the Tet Festival?
I am a business major at CSUF. I’m also the secretary of UVSA.
What’s your favorite memory from the Tet Festival?
Being together with friends
What do you look forward to during Tet season?
Seeing different faces from around the world
What sound does a dragon make?
Meow
