App
Content
I, Nguyen Dang, have read through the position descriptions and responsibilities for both my
desired position(s) as well as District Council, and hereby state that I will be running for the
position of:
Events Coordinator
Outreach Coordinator
Digital Media Coordinator
School: Westmont High School
Grade (in Fall 2014): 11
Cell Phone #: (408) 417-9812
Home Phone #: (408) 409-2415
Email Address: [email protected]
Home Address: 1167 W. Hacienda Ave. Campbell, CA 95008
Polo Size: X-Small or Small
1. What is your current involvement in Interact?
I am currently Treasurer Liaison of Westmont High School’s Interact Club for 2013-2014 and
next year I will be Vice President of Westmont’s Interact for 2014-2015.
2. What previous experience do you have regarding leadership positions, both in and out of
Interact?
I had the honor of holding the position of Treasurer Liaison for Westmont’s Interact Club and
next year I will have the honor of being Vice President of our wonderful club. I also had the
honor of being President of Westmont’s Red Cross Club. I was also a member if Westmont’s
LIFE Crew, where I had the opportunity to lead and mentor our school’s new freshmen
through high school. However, for me, leadership is also not defined by solely what positions
I held, but it is defined by the involvement I’ve done. In Westmont’s drama department, a
group of the drama students are chosen to go down to Southern California to be a part of the
California Thespian Festival. Unfortunately, the trip is extremely pricey, costing around $800.
To fund the trip, I decided to coordinate a few fundraisers, including bake sales, busking
(singing on the streets for tips), and yard sales, with a few friends and we raised about $1000
in total. I earned leadership experience from coordinating and enacting different fundraising
events and managed to fund for my trip. I also believe that mentoring and guiding my younger
brother throughout his life is an invaluable leadership experience where I have the chance to
impact my little brother’s life and learn to be a better mentor, leader, and older sister.
3. Who is/are your role model(s)? Why?
Ellen DeGeneres is one of my biggest, if not the biggest, role models. She is incredibly
successful. She does everything, from running her own TV show, to helping families in need
make their dreams come true, or helping children make their dreams come true, she is truly a
hero to many and myself. She is a hilarious woman, outspoken, kind, selfless, and full of
talent and charisma. With all her fame and fortune, she chooses to give back to others and
help others make their dreams come true; she is one of the most selfless people I’ve ever seen.
However, she inspires me mostly because she is living proof that dreams do come true. She
chose to chase after her dreams and make them come true with hard work and dedication.
Then, she gives others the same chance, such as Karmin, Grayson Chance, Sophia Grace and
Rosie, to go after their dreams and make all their dreams a reality. It is incredible what she has
achieved so far and continues to achieve. She inspires me to chase after my dreams, no matter
how difficult the journey, and to also remember to look back, be selfless, and give back to
others so they can also have the same privilege to chase after their dreams. Ellen “DeGenerous” is truly an inspiring, selfless woman.
4. Do you have any special skills that could benefit District Council? (Such as public speaking,
web design, photography, videography, ice breakers, etc.)
With my theater experience, I have grown comfortable with acting, dancing, singing, and even
just speaking in front people. I don’t have a problem with being in the spotlight, under
pressure, in front of a big crowd. I also have a creative mind when it comes to the performing
arts. I can come up with creative quick skits within minutes and perform them on the spot,
which is quite a useful skill such as when competing against other teams for best skit at PWR;
with my theater experience, I can also do improvisational acting, or acting on the spot. In
addition, I am somewhat musically oriented (I can sing and play piano), which allows me to
come up with creative raps or songs, or creatively mash-up songs to serenade to others. I
know a lot of ice-breaker and team bonding games that are great to play, for example, Bang,
which is a game where everyone stands in a group around one person, and that person with
shout bang or say someone’s name and randomly point their “gun” at a surrounding or the
name of the person he/she called in the group; immediately, the person chosen has to duck
down and the two people on that person’s left and right side has to turn toward the ducked
person and shout bang with their “guns” pointing at each other; the person who gets hit first,
loses; when two in the circle are remaining, they will face off in a duel. Games, such as Bang,
are fun and can help people bond and learn each other’s names.
5. What are some skills you would like to learn or improve upon?
I would like to improve on my communication and improvisation skills. Communicating is
not a problem for me; I am good at communicating with others, however, I want to be able to
communicate with others in a way that allows both sides to not simply have a conversation
with dialogue, but for both sides to bond and be able to subtly gain the information we want
and need from each other. I want to make communicating more of a skill rather than a
required standard that I need to use. With improvisation, my expertise revolves around acting,
not casually or professionally communicating with other, such as in an interview. I can
improvise in a scene or an entire one act play but coming up with words to communicate to
another person without the need to portray a character lies beyond my area of expertise. I want
to be able to easily quickly think on my feet when I need to communicate with another person
in an interview or even a casual environment. With that improved skill, I can communicate
my responses to others in an interview or in any environment with ease.
6. Please list and describe your schedule. In what order do you prioritize your commitments, and
how would District Council fit into your schedule? (Include types of classes, extracurricular
activities, clubs, responsibilities, hobbies etc.)
School, classes, and anything academic comes first above all. Next year, I will be taking, AP
Biology, AP Language, AP US History, AP Calculus BC, Musical Theatre, Psychology, and
Peer Tutoring for Algebra 2. My extracurricular activities, including clubs, sports and drama,
and hobbies come next. District Council fits within this section of my schedule. I usually
prioritize them according to which is more hectic on my schedule at the time being. For
example, if I am doing a show, then drama comes before other clubs and hobbies until I finish
my show Next year, I will be doing either the Fall Play or Spring Musical at my school, Cross
Country or Swimming (depending on if I do the Fall Play or Spring Musical), Interact Club,
Red Cross Club, LIFE Crew, Drama Club and CSF/Honor Roll Club. I will also be taking
dance classes once a week, most likely on Saturdays, and continue to play piano, including
taking lessons every Wednesday, however, I will not continue on to competitively play (yes,
this is a “thing,” which shocks most people”). Last but not least, anything regarding my social
life is sadly my last priority but I will most certainly attend any fun events such as the
Incentive Cruise or a school or Interact dance.
7. What was a life-changing experience outside of Interact, and why was it life-changing?
The biggest life-changing experience of my life was when I got involved in my very first
stage production, 9 to 5: The Musical, at Westmont High School and in my life, ever. Before 9
to 5, I had never done anything like that before. I had never sang, danced, or acted in front of a
crowd, I had never publicly talked in front of a crowd, I had never performed anything in front
of a crowd, and I most certainly had never been involved in theatre in my life. When I first got
involved in the drama department, it was merely because I got put into Musical Theatre as one
of my electives freshmen year and I was honestly intimidated by all the other talented in the
class. However, I found myself enjoying the class as it quickly became my favorite class at
school. As the year went by, I watched Wesmont’s fall play and went to some drama club
meetings. It wasn’t until the end of the semester, when I sang a solo song for my final in
Musical Theatre, that the drama teacher (and my musical theatre teacher) told me he wanted to
see me audition for our school’s spring musical, so I did. I auditioned thinking that I would
most likely not get a callback, get casted as a very small ensemble role, or not even get cast
for that matter. However, when the callback list came out, my name was on the list. Although
I was intimidated by the other much more qualified and talented students, my confidence
boosted because of this one moment and I saw myself break out of my shell, becoming more
social, and believing in myself and my talent. I did not get the role I was called back for but I
was still cast in the show as an ensemble member and being a part of the production was truly
one of the greatest experiences of my life. I continued on to become more involved in
Westmont’s drama department after the show, even pledging and becoming an official
Thespian. I found my place, my passion, and my second home in the drama department and I
am truly grateful for the one little decision I made to audition for 9 to 5.
8. What is your leadership philosophy?
Anyone can be a leader. All leadership takes dedication, responsibility, and confidence and all
the rest will follow. Being a leader is about impacting the lives of other and being a role
model and example for them to want to follow. With dedication, a leader shows passion and
love for the cause he/she is working toward; dedication allows a leader to be resilient and
push through all the obstacles in his/her way. With responsibility, a leader demonstrates
organization and humbleness; responsibility reminds a leader that he/she needs to focus on
what his/her goal and fall astray, setting the example for others to follow. With confidence, a
leader exhibits charisma; confidence allows a leader to attract followers and have those
followers want to collaborate and work toward their leader’s goal. With just these three simple
traits, anyone has the capability to be a leader and achieve great things.
9. Why do you want to be on District Council?
My friend and one of Westmont’s Interacters, Karl Kohlsaat, had the honor of being on
District Council for the 2013-2014 term and he told me how District Council is like another
family to him, how everyone bonded so well and became so close, and all the amazing
memories everyone made with each other stressing about FLC, bonding during meetings, and
having fun at various events. That’s the biggest reason why I want to be on District Council; I
want to be a part of another family, to bond, and to make great memories with new friends. I
also want to be on District Council to get more involved with Interact and have a direct impact
on District 5170 as a whole, not just my area or school’s Interact. Being more involved with
Interact will also give me the opportunity to make a change and be more involved in our
world community. The rewards of being able to impact the community and Interact through
District Council are invaluable to me.
10. What district and area events have you attended (event and year, try to include all)?
I attended the 2013 FLC, 2014 PWR, Area 11&13 Charity Dinner, one of the more recent
2014 District Council meetings and the 2014 Incentive Cruise.
11. Does your family understand your commitment to Interact and to be on District Council? If
not, how do you plan on discussing this with your family? If yes, describe what you informed
them about your time commitment to be on DC.
My family does understand my commitment to Interact. Honestly, all I really told my family
is that District Council is a huge commitment, time and effort wise, but I am 100% committed
to do it, I will not back down from any challenge the comes in my way because of District
Council, and I believe in my ability to take on District Council. My family understands my
strong commitment to District Council and is willing to allow me to commit my time and
effort to District Council because they want the best for me, they believe in me, and they
believe I can do it.
12. DC meets in a central location in D5170, at the very least once per month from 9 AM-12 PM
on the weekends. How will you get to the meetings? What do you think it takes to organize FLC,
and other District Events? How have you communicated this to your family? Does your family
understand and permit for you to attend all co-ed overnight events?
Until I earn my permit and then license, I have very reliable parents and relatives that will take
me to the DC meetings when I ask politely or I would carpool with someone. I believe it takes
productivity, time management, dedication, responsibility, organization, and creativity to
organize FLC and District Events. Organizing District Events and FLC is a huge
responsibility; however, it can be achieved with great success if everyone keeps a sense of
dedication and responsibility and collaborates but also if everyone does their part. For
example, for me, time management and productivity are key. Planning ahead and breaking
everything down into steps so it can fit my schedule and allow me to achieve everything with
care will allow my part in coordinating these events to be successful. In addition, organization
is extremely important. I need to write everything I have to do down and organize them
according to my schedule so I have the time to get everything done with caution and care.
Lastly, these events will not be fun or exciting without some help of creativity. Creativity
plays a huge part in creating fun and exciting district events for everyone to enjoy. I have told
my family the commitment it takes to plan these events and how it will be almost as timeconsuming as school, however, they understand and believe in my ability to take on a
challenge. They do permit me to go to overnight co-ed events because they trust me and want
the best for me.
13. Please list 2 references (name, title, phone number, email) that have had experience working
with you. References cannot be Interact club presidents or previous DC members.
1) Kate MacAllister, Westmont High School’s Interact Club Rotarian Advisor, (408) 4517830, [email protected]
2) Jeff Bengford, Westmont High School’s Drama Teacher and Department Chair, (408) 4832088, [email protected]
14. List any dates you are unavailable from June 14th-21st. Are you available for the retreat
planned for July 12th-13th?
I am free all of June and July.
desired position(s) as well as District Council, and hereby state that I will be running for the
position of:
Events Coordinator
Outreach Coordinator
Digital Media Coordinator
School: Westmont High School
Grade (in Fall 2014): 11
Cell Phone #: (408) 417-9812
Home Phone #: (408) 409-2415
Email Address: [email protected]
Home Address: 1167 W. Hacienda Ave. Campbell, CA 95008
Polo Size: X-Small or Small
1. What is your current involvement in Interact?
I am currently Treasurer Liaison of Westmont High School’s Interact Club for 2013-2014 and
next year I will be Vice President of Westmont’s Interact for 2014-2015.
2. What previous experience do you have regarding leadership positions, both in and out of
Interact?
I had the honor of holding the position of Treasurer Liaison for Westmont’s Interact Club and
next year I will have the honor of being Vice President of our wonderful club. I also had the
honor of being President of Westmont’s Red Cross Club. I was also a member if Westmont’s
LIFE Crew, where I had the opportunity to lead and mentor our school’s new freshmen
through high school. However, for me, leadership is also not defined by solely what positions
I held, but it is defined by the involvement I’ve done. In Westmont’s drama department, a
group of the drama students are chosen to go down to Southern California to be a part of the
California Thespian Festival. Unfortunately, the trip is extremely pricey, costing around $800.
To fund the trip, I decided to coordinate a few fundraisers, including bake sales, busking
(singing on the streets for tips), and yard sales, with a few friends and we raised about $1000
in total. I earned leadership experience from coordinating and enacting different fundraising
events and managed to fund for my trip. I also believe that mentoring and guiding my younger
brother throughout his life is an invaluable leadership experience where I have the chance to
impact my little brother’s life and learn to be a better mentor, leader, and older sister.
3. Who is/are your role model(s)? Why?
Ellen DeGeneres is one of my biggest, if not the biggest, role models. She is incredibly
successful. She does everything, from running her own TV show, to helping families in need
make their dreams come true, or helping children make their dreams come true, she is truly a
hero to many and myself. She is a hilarious woman, outspoken, kind, selfless, and full of
talent and charisma. With all her fame and fortune, she chooses to give back to others and
help others make their dreams come true; she is one of the most selfless people I’ve ever seen.
However, she inspires me mostly because she is living proof that dreams do come true. She
chose to chase after her dreams and make them come true with hard work and dedication.
Then, she gives others the same chance, such as Karmin, Grayson Chance, Sophia Grace and
Rosie, to go after their dreams and make all their dreams a reality. It is incredible what she has
achieved so far and continues to achieve. She inspires me to chase after my dreams, no matter
how difficult the journey, and to also remember to look back, be selfless, and give back to
others so they can also have the same privilege to chase after their dreams. Ellen “DeGenerous” is truly an inspiring, selfless woman.
4. Do you have any special skills that could benefit District Council? (Such as public speaking,
web design, photography, videography, ice breakers, etc.)
With my theater experience, I have grown comfortable with acting, dancing, singing, and even
just speaking in front people. I don’t have a problem with being in the spotlight, under
pressure, in front of a big crowd. I also have a creative mind when it comes to the performing
arts. I can come up with creative quick skits within minutes and perform them on the spot,
which is quite a useful skill such as when competing against other teams for best skit at PWR;
with my theater experience, I can also do improvisational acting, or acting on the spot. In
addition, I am somewhat musically oriented (I can sing and play piano), which allows me to
come up with creative raps or songs, or creatively mash-up songs to serenade to others. I
know a lot of ice-breaker and team bonding games that are great to play, for example, Bang,
which is a game where everyone stands in a group around one person, and that person with
shout bang or say someone’s name and randomly point their “gun” at a surrounding or the
name of the person he/she called in the group; immediately, the person chosen has to duck
down and the two people on that person’s left and right side has to turn toward the ducked
person and shout bang with their “guns” pointing at each other; the person who gets hit first,
loses; when two in the circle are remaining, they will face off in a duel. Games, such as Bang,
are fun and can help people bond and learn each other’s names.
5. What are some skills you would like to learn or improve upon?
I would like to improve on my communication and improvisation skills. Communicating is
not a problem for me; I am good at communicating with others, however, I want to be able to
communicate with others in a way that allows both sides to not simply have a conversation
with dialogue, but for both sides to bond and be able to subtly gain the information we want
and need from each other. I want to make communicating more of a skill rather than a
required standard that I need to use. With improvisation, my expertise revolves around acting,
not casually or professionally communicating with other, such as in an interview. I can
improvise in a scene or an entire one act play but coming up with words to communicate to
another person without the need to portray a character lies beyond my area of expertise. I want
to be able to easily quickly think on my feet when I need to communicate with another person
in an interview or even a casual environment. With that improved skill, I can communicate
my responses to others in an interview or in any environment with ease.
6. Please list and describe your schedule. In what order do you prioritize your commitments, and
how would District Council fit into your schedule? (Include types of classes, extracurricular
activities, clubs, responsibilities, hobbies etc.)
School, classes, and anything academic comes first above all. Next year, I will be taking, AP
Biology, AP Language, AP US History, AP Calculus BC, Musical Theatre, Psychology, and
Peer Tutoring for Algebra 2. My extracurricular activities, including clubs, sports and drama,
and hobbies come next. District Council fits within this section of my schedule. I usually
prioritize them according to which is more hectic on my schedule at the time being. For
example, if I am doing a show, then drama comes before other clubs and hobbies until I finish
my show Next year, I will be doing either the Fall Play or Spring Musical at my school, Cross
Country or Swimming (depending on if I do the Fall Play or Spring Musical), Interact Club,
Red Cross Club, LIFE Crew, Drama Club and CSF/Honor Roll Club. I will also be taking
dance classes once a week, most likely on Saturdays, and continue to play piano, including
taking lessons every Wednesday, however, I will not continue on to competitively play (yes,
this is a “thing,” which shocks most people”). Last but not least, anything regarding my social
life is sadly my last priority but I will most certainly attend any fun events such as the
Incentive Cruise or a school or Interact dance.
7. What was a life-changing experience outside of Interact, and why was it life-changing?
The biggest life-changing experience of my life was when I got involved in my very first
stage production, 9 to 5: The Musical, at Westmont High School and in my life, ever. Before 9
to 5, I had never done anything like that before. I had never sang, danced, or acted in front of a
crowd, I had never publicly talked in front of a crowd, I had never performed anything in front
of a crowd, and I most certainly had never been involved in theatre in my life. When I first got
involved in the drama department, it was merely because I got put into Musical Theatre as one
of my electives freshmen year and I was honestly intimidated by all the other talented in the
class. However, I found myself enjoying the class as it quickly became my favorite class at
school. As the year went by, I watched Wesmont’s fall play and went to some drama club
meetings. It wasn’t until the end of the semester, when I sang a solo song for my final in
Musical Theatre, that the drama teacher (and my musical theatre teacher) told me he wanted to
see me audition for our school’s spring musical, so I did. I auditioned thinking that I would
most likely not get a callback, get casted as a very small ensemble role, or not even get cast
for that matter. However, when the callback list came out, my name was on the list. Although
I was intimidated by the other much more qualified and talented students, my confidence
boosted because of this one moment and I saw myself break out of my shell, becoming more
social, and believing in myself and my talent. I did not get the role I was called back for but I
was still cast in the show as an ensemble member and being a part of the production was truly
one of the greatest experiences of my life. I continued on to become more involved in
Westmont’s drama department after the show, even pledging and becoming an official
Thespian. I found my place, my passion, and my second home in the drama department and I
am truly grateful for the one little decision I made to audition for 9 to 5.
8. What is your leadership philosophy?
Anyone can be a leader. All leadership takes dedication, responsibility, and confidence and all
the rest will follow. Being a leader is about impacting the lives of other and being a role
model and example for them to want to follow. With dedication, a leader shows passion and
love for the cause he/she is working toward; dedication allows a leader to be resilient and
push through all the obstacles in his/her way. With responsibility, a leader demonstrates
organization and humbleness; responsibility reminds a leader that he/she needs to focus on
what his/her goal and fall astray, setting the example for others to follow. With confidence, a
leader exhibits charisma; confidence allows a leader to attract followers and have those
followers want to collaborate and work toward their leader’s goal. With just these three simple
traits, anyone has the capability to be a leader and achieve great things.
9. Why do you want to be on District Council?
My friend and one of Westmont’s Interacters, Karl Kohlsaat, had the honor of being on
District Council for the 2013-2014 term and he told me how District Council is like another
family to him, how everyone bonded so well and became so close, and all the amazing
memories everyone made with each other stressing about FLC, bonding during meetings, and
having fun at various events. That’s the biggest reason why I want to be on District Council; I
want to be a part of another family, to bond, and to make great memories with new friends. I
also want to be on District Council to get more involved with Interact and have a direct impact
on District 5170 as a whole, not just my area or school’s Interact. Being more involved with
Interact will also give me the opportunity to make a change and be more involved in our
world community. The rewards of being able to impact the community and Interact through
District Council are invaluable to me.
10. What district and area events have you attended (event and year, try to include all)?
I attended the 2013 FLC, 2014 PWR, Area 11&13 Charity Dinner, one of the more recent
2014 District Council meetings and the 2014 Incentive Cruise.
11. Does your family understand your commitment to Interact and to be on District Council? If
not, how do you plan on discussing this with your family? If yes, describe what you informed
them about your time commitment to be on DC.
My family does understand my commitment to Interact. Honestly, all I really told my family
is that District Council is a huge commitment, time and effort wise, but I am 100% committed
to do it, I will not back down from any challenge the comes in my way because of District
Council, and I believe in my ability to take on District Council. My family understands my
strong commitment to District Council and is willing to allow me to commit my time and
effort to District Council because they want the best for me, they believe in me, and they
believe I can do it.
12. DC meets in a central location in D5170, at the very least once per month from 9 AM-12 PM
on the weekends. How will you get to the meetings? What do you think it takes to organize FLC,
and other District Events? How have you communicated this to your family? Does your family
understand and permit for you to attend all co-ed overnight events?
Until I earn my permit and then license, I have very reliable parents and relatives that will take
me to the DC meetings when I ask politely or I would carpool with someone. I believe it takes
productivity, time management, dedication, responsibility, organization, and creativity to
organize FLC and District Events. Organizing District Events and FLC is a huge
responsibility; however, it can be achieved with great success if everyone keeps a sense of
dedication and responsibility and collaborates but also if everyone does their part. For
example, for me, time management and productivity are key. Planning ahead and breaking
everything down into steps so it can fit my schedule and allow me to achieve everything with
care will allow my part in coordinating these events to be successful. In addition, organization
is extremely important. I need to write everything I have to do down and organize them
according to my schedule so I have the time to get everything done with caution and care.
Lastly, these events will not be fun or exciting without some help of creativity. Creativity
plays a huge part in creating fun and exciting district events for everyone to enjoy. I have told
my family the commitment it takes to plan these events and how it will be almost as timeconsuming as school, however, they understand and believe in my ability to take on a
challenge. They do permit me to go to overnight co-ed events because they trust me and want
the best for me.
13. Please list 2 references (name, title, phone number, email) that have had experience working
with you. References cannot be Interact club presidents or previous DC members.
1) Kate MacAllister, Westmont High School’s Interact Club Rotarian Advisor, (408) 4517830, [email protected]
2) Jeff Bengford, Westmont High School’s Drama Teacher and Department Chair, (408) 4832088, [email protected]
14. List any dates you are unavailable from June 14th-21st. Are you available for the retreat
planned for July 12th-13th?
I am free all of June and July.
