ALAN Pham couldn’t have known that disassembling a timepiece at a young age were the first footsteps on a path that led him to a life in Leeton.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Mr. Pham’s first taste of Australia came when his family moved to Sydney from Vietnam when he was four.
One of three children, he remembered having a fascination with technology and machines starting at a very early age, but his curiosity came at a price.
“I would take a watch and take it apart,” he said.
“But I couldn’t get it back together.”
A curiosity with the internal working of things went on to play a large role in his adult life.
Looking back, he feels fortunate that his parents were strong, hardworking, positive role models for he and his siblings that set examples they could aspire to.
They encouraged their children to explore the fields of science and medicine and heavily emphasized the importance of an education.
He spent his childhood years growing up in Sydney, ultimately with career aspirations in medicine and science, but he was unsure what direction he would pursue.
Mr. Pham went to study at Charles Sturt University in Wagga Wagga, where he found his calling in radiography.
Moving into Leeton almost nine years ago now, he remembered the shift between the hustle and bustle of city life, to the relaxed and quiet pace of living in the country.
“I liked it, it was a good change, but I liked the city life” Mr. Pham said.
“I thought it was very quiet, but the people were lovely.
“I was expecting Leeton to be a bit more closed-minded, but I found it to be very warm and welcoming and tt was easy to get to know people.”
He and his family found similarities between Leeton and Sydney.
A fondness for the busy and active city life, Mr. Pham wasn’t exactly prepared for what he would find.
For a country town, Leeton was far more active than he had imagined it would be.
Above all, the strong sense of pride in the community shone through.
He is pleased to see people in Leeton have a strong drive to support events and functions that benefit the community.
A drive he is happy to contribute to.