What’s it like being the first in your family to attend college? Just ask Andi La, ’23.
La had only a basic understanding of the college application process. She didn’t know what her major would be or at which university she would end up. A first-generation American born to Vietnamese immigrants, she didn’t have anyone at home with first-hand experience to fall back on, either. However, once she visited La Salle, she knew that's where she was meant to be.
Fast-forward nearly three years, and La is as involved in student activity and ingrained in the campus culture as anyone at La Salle. She’s enrolled in the La Salle Honors Program, working toward undergraduate degrees in computer science and mathematics. She tutors fellow students through La Salle’s Center for Academic Achievement. She is an engagement leader, connecting with University alumni through the Ambassadors Program. And just last summer, she served as a Senior Explorientation leader for the University’s new-student orientation program.
It was the Honors Triple, a staple of La Salle’s Honors Program, that instilled in La a sense of belonging. The Triple brings together first-year Honors students in a year-long cohort for three courses—in philosophy, history, and literature. The students inevitably form bonds as they study together and push one another to excel in ways they never thought possible.
That sense of community extends to La’s work on campus, whether supporting classmates as a writing tutor or new students about to begin their personal college experiences. “I’m a problem-solver and a people person,” La said. “So if I can be a positive influence on others, and help them on their path to college, I will absolutely do it.”
