Nhia Yang

I was born in Thailand. I am however Hmong and not Thai. I moved to the United States when I was around 2 years old. I've lived on both coasts, from California in the west to Massachusetts in the east, Wisconsin in the north and North Carolina in the south.

I grew up adhering to many different religious and moralistic beliefs. I was quiet in my childhood and rebellious in my teen years. As an adult, I've come to accept my unique upbringing, as well as my faults and strengths.

I graduated from East Burke High School, class of 2005. I attended the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, with intentions to major in Business Management Information Systems. However, that quickly fell through as I began to realize that wasn't my true interest.

After three years of trying to 'find myself' in college, I dropped out completely and decided to enlist in the United States Navy. This is perhaps the best decision I have made in my life and I will never forget it. It has given me the opportunity to see, hear and experience many different countries in the world. Japan is my favorite place to be, and I wish to continue living here and perhaps even settle down someday if I am given the opportunity.

While in the military, I've restarted my college education by enrolling in American Military University. My goal now is to complete my degree with a new major towards Education and Foreign Languages and someday pursue a Masters/Doctorate's degree.

The me today can be described as this: kind, humble, and patient.

"Others, before self".