For Dan Pham, San José City College (SJCC) was more than a school; it was the first place that made him feel he belonged. Dan arrived in the United States as a refugee with no money and no English, having survived a harrowing two-week journey at sea that claimed the lives of nearly half of those who attempted it.
“SJCC welcomed me with open arms when I had nothing,” Dan said. “For that, I will always be deeply grateful.”
His journey was defined by moments of extraordinary kindness. While a student at SJCC, Dan was involved in a serious bicycle accident. A stranger stopped to save him, stayed by his side, and rushed him to the hospital. That stranger was a San José State University student named Dan. To honor the man who saved his life, the young refugee changed his own name to Dan – a name he carries today as a symbol of the compassion he found in his new home.
That spirit of resilience and discipline carried Dan through a distinguished career. After earning his BS and MS in Mechanical Engineering, he went on to work in disk drive design at Quantum Corporation and later served as a Program Manager at Hewlett-Packard. Along the way, he met his wife, Mary, a fellow engineer, and raised twin daughters who are now following in their parents’ footsteps at UC Davis.
Driven by the belief that a small push can create momentum in life, the Pham family has established three endowments, including the Bui Pham Family Endowment at SJCC. Their gift is intended to support first-generation and under-resourced students as they pursue their education and build their futures.
“My journey has been defined by extreme hardship and extraordinary kindness,” Dan said. “We hope these endowments ensure that future generations have the opportunity to build their own dreams and pay their experiences of kindness forward.”