Meet Bill Lam. A multi-sport athlete at Penn High School. Lam plays JV Football and Rugby. Lam has not lived in Indiana his whole life, he actually grew up in Vietnam.
Lam was born into Ho Chi Minh City, which was formerly known as Saigon, which some locals still prefer to call it. Saigon had a lot of people and often had a lot of overcrowded areas. He only lived here for his early childhood; he then shortly after his second birthday moved to Bin Hoa, where he resided for the rest of the time he lived in Vietnam.
Lam and his family lived on a relatively large piece of land which housed his extended family, his family bakery business which he helped with from time to time. Bin Hoa was a more metropolitan area of Ho Chi Minh City, he went there because it was closer to all of his family, he remained there till he moved to the United States.
One of the very first hardships Lam went through there was the death of his grandfather, he terminally fell ill and his condition fell hastily over the course of a month. It was hard for Lam and his family to see his grandfather in such a state, it put a lot of sadness over his family. As a kid he was Lam’s role model that he looked up to and was an inspiration for him.
All throughout school in Vietnam, Lam was always heavily involved with school. He finished primary school at the top of his class. This is also the time he learned English, but at a very basic level. This gave him a good head start when he moved to the United States.
Lam’s journey from Vietnam to the United States shows his resilience and ability to adapt to change. He hopes to continue to make a lasting impact on Penn High School this upcoming sports season.