Hang (Kelly) Ho

UConn School of Nursing

My name is Hang Ho (Kelly) from UConn School of Nursing, Class of 2022. I was born and raised in Daklak Province, Vietnam.
Though I studied economics for three years as a student in Vietnam, I developed a passion for patient care soon after immigrating to the United States. I changed my major to nursing, and attended Three Rivers Community College, where I took the prerequisite classes for a nursing major and obtained the certification necessary to be nursing assistant; I transferred to UConn’s Nursing program in 2019. I have been a member of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society since 2017, and of the UConn Alzheimer’s Association since 2020. As a shift supervisor at McDonald’s, I developed interpersonal and communication skills with customers and with my coworkers. I currently work in a nursing home in Groton as a nurse’s assistant and CNA mentor, where I’ve applied the lessons I learned as a restaurant supervisor and learned more about supervision and patient care.
I grew up in a community where members remained tightknit despite difficult circumstances; I came to understand the importance of seeking healthcare at the right time, of not delaying needed care. This close community also instilled in me the belief that we better ourselves best through helping others. My empathy and passion for helping vulnerable individuals have compelled me to seek involvement in the Urban Service Track/AHEC Scholars (UST/AS) Program, where I can gain valuable experience and skills working on interprofessional teams with highly motivated fellow practitioners, and come to better understand the healthcare challenges faced by underserved populations.