Jeffrey Le is president of Mariner High School’s DECA program and vice president of his senior class. He wasn’t always on the most positive path, but turned things around after sophomore year.
Question: How did you grow from being a student not doing his best in school to becoming one of Mariner’s leaders?
Answer: As a freshman, I wasn’t that involved. Sophomore year was my worst. I felt I didn’t have direction. My grades dropped from a 3.8 to a 2.9. I just didn’t care. But junior year, my grades were up. I started hanging out with leadership kids, and I ran for senior class VP. And last year I got involved in DECA, and I’m now president. This year, so far, I have all A’s and one B.
Q: Was it tough to get your grades back up?
A: It becomes a habit, to come home and just throw your backpack and sit. When you start to study, that becomes a habit, too, a really good habit.
Q: Were there friends who helped shape your progress at Mariner?
A: I wouldn’t be the person who was able to pick up the slack and move forward if it weren’t for the foundation my friends and teachers built for me. I am blessed to have people like (friend) Mary Olayon, who pushed me to do things outside of my comfort zone. And I met Tim Angelos and Rhea Gonzaga. They were really involved in school. We’re close friends now.
Q: Tell me about DECA, the program that has students engaged in business and marketing. Is it a class?
A: It’s not a class. It’s a fun club. Mr. (Nick) Angelos, Tim’s father, is the adviser. DECA runs the BTE (Blue Thunder Espresso) student store at lunchtime. Last year at an SBE (school-based enterprise) event, the student store ranked sixth in the world. It earned over $100,000. We run it like a real store. You need a food-handler permit. It’s like a job.
Q: Tell me about your family.
A: My brother, Tony Dao, is about 10 years older. He graduated from WSU. He used to live next door, but he moved to New York. He loved food, and he’s pursuing that by working for a restaurant. He’s doing what he loves. Both my parents came here from Vietnam when they were young. My mom was from the north, my dad from the south. My father had to escape aboard a packed boat. They met here. My dad was a soccer player, he played soccer at Everett High and played pro soccer in the Philippines. Their history is an inspiration, the concept of the American dream.
Q: Are you planning to go to college next year?
A: Definitely. I’ve always liked the University of Miami, the Hurricanes. But I hope to go in state, to UW Bothell or the University of Washington in Seattle.
Q: What classes are you taking senior year? And do you have a favorite class?
A: I have biotech, law, AP statistics, AP English 4, visual communications, and I have a zero-period (6 a.m.) leadership class. In leadership, we set up for events, organize spirit days. I used to love math a lot. Now my favorite is AP English, and reading classic literature. I really liked “The Crucible.”
Q: What do you hope to be doing a decade from now?
A: I’m interested in marketing. I used to want to be a lawyer. But I want to own a business, to open a pizza shop and be an entrepreneur. I went to New York in April to visit my brother. I loved it so much.
Q: Do you have a favorite movie or TV show?
A: I just watched a documentary, “Park Avenue: Money, Power and the American Dream,” about the 1 percent and lobbyists. I saw it on Netflix while I was visiting my brother in New York. It’s amazing.
Q: Did you do anything cool this summer?
A: I went to Mount Triumph Leadership Camp at the Cispus Learning Center. I met people there from all over Washington, about 20 per school. It was the best event, life-changing.
Julie Muhlstein: 425-339-3460; jmuhlstein@heraldnet.com.
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