April 18 , 2006
Santa Ana's Anh Ho, Tough Competitor
on the Court and in the Classroom

SANTA ANA, CA - After taking about four years off from playing badminton, Santa Ana College sophomore Anh Ho is currently in her second year of competing for the Dons and has been nothing short of spectacular.

Ho, a native of Saigon, Viet Nam, originally came to the U.S. during her senior year of high school as a foreign exchange student and decided to stay in the United States to pursue a higher education.

“It was about the education system here,” said Ho. “It's a lot better here than in Viet Nam.”

After attending McKeel Academy in Florida, Ho moved west to Southern California where she lived with family for a short time before moving out on her own. Ho currently lives in a house with several roommates.

Ho didn't play badminton during high school , but began playing badminton in seventh grade when her mom asked her to play a sport.

“My mom told me to play something so I picked badminton because it was the easiest,” said Ho who used to compete in city competitions in Viet Nam

Badminton came easily to Ho, who is currently 6-4 in singles match play and 6-4 in doubles play in Orange Empire Conference competition, but she has found the level of competition to be uneven.

“Some of the badminton teams we compete against have a lot of experience while others are new to the game,” said Ho. “I'm either having a really easy match, or I'm having a tough match.”

Ho finished last season 22-7 after being asked to play when she took the badminton course as a general education class.

“She's playing the number one spot for us,” said Dave Ogas, head coach of the women's badminton team. “She's been really good.”

Ogas said along with being a very competitive team player Ho has also stepped up as a strong team leader as well due to her experience from last season. Ogas is also impressed at how well she has adapted since moving to the United States .

“I think she's done an amazing job,” said Ogas. “It's got to be tough when you're learning a new language in a new country. I have a lot of respect for her.”

Along with badminton, Ho is currently working towards a degree in business management at Santa Ana College . She currently has a 3.4 grade point average and plans on transferring to Cal State Fullerton.

Ho said her classes at Santa Ana have helped her towards her goal of opening her own Boba Smoothie tea shop. She said the classes teach her the systems and information needed as well as how to deal with real-life situations and that all of her instructors are very helpful.

“The business classes are really helpful. They actually bring real world examples into the classroom,” said Ho. “You learn what to do when you open a business.”

In addition to her positive classroom experience, Ho said that Santa Ana College 's diverse student body has also helped her adjust to life in America Ho said that clubs like the Vietnamese Student Association (VSA) have helped her connect with students in a similar situation as hers. Along with the VSA, Ho said that the international student office has also helped immensely.

”The international student office offers a lot of support and special opportunities,” she said.

Ho's athletic performance is even more impressive considering that she does not have much time to devote to practicing badminton due to her hard work in the classroom. She said that she still struggles with the language barrier that she faces and sometimes has to read her books more than once but refuses help.