Spring 2026 Winner of the Immigrant Student Scholarship

William Derrick Mar

William’s motivation comes from the hard work of his parents, who both immigrated to the United States. Their determination and emphasis on education have inspired him to build a career helping others. He hopes to instill the values he learned from his parents into his future family. Congratulations, William, we cannot wait to see all you will achieve!

Read Their Essay Here:

My life began long before I was born—on opposite sides of Southeast Asia, war-darkened skies above. My mother was only a teenager when she fled Vietnam, sea salt caked her skin and fear filled her heart as she traveled across the ocean to a foreign country. My father departed Thailand in his late adolescence, escaping political turmoil and with nothing more than reserved determination to begin anew. Both immigrated to the United States with little more than hope—and through sheer will, turned adversity into opportunity.

They faced language, cultural, and association obstacles. Their accents drew stares, their dreams questioned, but they would not be deterred. My mother worked through nights so long that they often lasted till dawn with her still hunched over her books. My father worked all the available jobs, each dollar saved to seek a higher education. Through perseverance and self-sacrifice, they gained a foundation of stability and purpose—a home not only for them, but for generations to come.

Living in that house meant discipline and education were not just taught—they were modeled. My parents taught me that hard work is not something that you discuss; it's something you do. But it was when I visited my mother's village in rural Vietnam that I finally understood their sacrifices.

I remember walking down rutted roads of dust between green rice paddies that shone like glass in the sun. Children ran barefoot after each other, their laughter blended with the distant muffled hum of cicadas. Her finger pointing to the little wooden house in which she grew up—worn and creaky walls—my mother finally made me grasp how far she'd come. And at that moment, I gained insight and appreciation for everything that I possess, for it was a gift that was forged by her strength.

I have lived in between two worlds: one of tradition and modesty, and another of innovation and freedom. I am both—a confluence of sorts, an American with Asian roots, forged by cultures that taught me respect, resilience, and the audacity to dream.

I attend the University of Texas at Austin, where I study electrical and computer engineering in order to create a medical AI doctor that will bring medicine to the far reaches of the globe. I wish for technology and humanity to be brought together so nobody will go unattended based on where they were born.

Beyond my career, I would like to build a beautiful family and guide them through the vastness and the wonder of the world—the same that my parents guided me through. Theirs began with necessity. Mine begins with intent.