Hewlett Pham

Being the child of immigrant parents, Hewlett took on responsibilities for his family at a young age. “My parents worked tirelessly to financially support my little brother and me,” said the Eleanor Roosevelt College Public Health major. “While they were away, I took care of my little brother who was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. I bathed him, helped him with his homework, and cooked for him.” When his father returned in the evenings, Hewlett helped him as well, “I helped him with his job: I translated for him, drafted emails, and assisted him with fixing appliances for tenants around the Bay Area.” To this day, he still helps both…through FaceTime. He does this out of gratitude. “My parents taught me to value education after relating stories of how their families could not financially support them to pursue their studies in Vietnam. Growing up I saw how we lived frugally together as a family and now realize it was to save money to cover part of my college expenses.”

Hewlett made the most of the educational opportunities at UC San Diego, taking advantage of the academic resources available: office hours, Supplemental Instruction sessions, Learning Strategists, and the Teaching and Learning Commons. He also made new friends after introducing them to his home-cooked Vietnamese food!

His studies in public health have shown Hewlett a disparity in asthma-related health issues in his home zip code. Since then, he has made it his mission to become a doctor who is ready to help his patients in underserved communities as well as contribute to translational research in asthma. “I lived in a neighborhood that was disproportionately affected by pollution from the nearby highway and Port of Oakland. Consequently, I saw how my friends and family developed serious complications from asthma. I want to take part in asthma research and contribute significant findings to help better the lives of people who are negatively affected by the disease.”