Student Spotlight: Edward "Eddie" T.
Meet Edward “Eddie” Tiet, a man whose story of resilience and perseverance is both unique and inspiring. Born in Vietnam, Edward’s family immigrated as political refugees to the United States in 1979 during the tumultuous era of the Vietnam War. When they arrived in America, they had nothing but the clothes on their backs and the hope of a better life.
Like many immigrants, Tiet’s family started from ground zero. Tiet explained that he and his family had to assimilate themselves to Western culture and adapt to a new way of life. However, the journey was far from easy. Financial struggles and racial discrimination were just a few of the challenges they had to endure. “To say it was an easy process is an understatement. Through it all, we kept a positive attitude and persevered,” Tiet added.
For Tiet, the experience of starting from scratch in a new country has shaped him into the person he is today. He has a deep appreciation for the opportunities that America has to offer and his story serves as an inspiration to all those who face adversity in their lives.
The career trajectory of Tiet has been truly intriguing, marked by a series of twists and turns. Following the successful completion of a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and passing the state examination, he entered the finance industry, where he honed his skills for eight years, eventually working as a financial advisor with Morgan Stanley.
Despite enjoying success in the finance field, Tiet found himself seeking a new path, one that would provide him with a more meaningful sense of purpose. In search of a new direction, he turned to a friend for guidance. His friend suggested that Tiet explore the medical field, specifically emergency medical services (EMS), as a potential fit for his personality and worldview. With curiosity, he enrolled in a basic emergency medical technician (EMT) course and Tiet became certain his passion lay in helping others during their most vulnerable moments. He decided to pursue a career in EMS and became an EMT, dedicating himself to the field for six years before becoming a paramedic in 2010.
With a wealth of experience as a paramedic spanning over a decade, Tiet felt driven to further his education and pursue nursing, even though he acknowledged concern about the challenge of taking on additional responsibilities beyond his job, wife and children. Tiet stated, “Medics rarely see what happens in the hospital settings for patient care. I had the prehospital care experience, but now I wanted to understand and learn the in-house hospital care experience.”
Tiet, who is currently working as a paramedic with Bon Secours Critical Care Transport Team, believed the natural progression for his career would be to attend the Bon Secours Memorial College of Nursing (BSMCON) BSN program. Tiet explained, “I am already familiar with the Bon Secours system and I fully understand the vision for their high expectations from their nurses.” Having enrolled in the program this spring semester, Tiet describes himself as being “blown away” by the diversity in the nursing program stating, “We have people from all walks of life with different experiences coming together for the common goal of becoming nurses and helping people. I hope by the end of my time at BSMCON some of my peers will be my closest friends.”
Tiet’s goal after graduating with his BSN is to begin his new nursing career working in the Bon Secours Cardiac Intensive Care Unit. His long-term goal is to eventually work as a nurse with the Bon Secours Critical Care Transport Team or to be a flight medic. Regardless of which role Tiet follows, BSMCON is proud to call him one of our students.
