Latest achievement for Phe Bach: Doctoral degree from Drexel University

Sharing the joy! - Photo: Son Tran

Latest achievement for Phe Bach: Doctoral degree from Drexel University

For a Vietnamese immigrant who couldn’t put a sentence of English together when he first arrived in the U.S. as a shy, unsophisticated teenager, Phe Bach has acquired quite the educational resume.

He earned his Doctoral degree in Educational Leadership and Management (Ed.D), with a concentration in Human Resources Development, and will proudly accept his diploma this Saturday night (June 21) from Drexel University Sacramento.

Dr. Bach is a strong advocate for education and literally practices what he preaches. He teaches chemistry in the highly regarded International Baccalaureate Program at Mira Loma High School in the San Juan Unified School District. It is considered one of the best high schools in the greater Sacramento area.

He has come a long way since his family moved from the Vietnam coastal village called Nhon Ly, Binh Dinh, to Lincoln, Nebraska in 1991. It was culture shock for Bach, who was thrust into the classroom as a sophomore when he was 15 years old.

“I was forced to learn English very quickly,” recalls Dr. Bach of the awkward beginnings in Lincoln.

The youngest of eight children, including an adoptive brother, Thao Bach, Dr. Bach graduated three years later in the top-10 percent of his high school class. He later got a BS in biology from University of Nebraska, a teaching credential as well as studied graduate program in Bio-organic chemistry from UC Davis, and his master’s degree at California State University, Sacramento.

Dr. Bach, 38, acts as both a teacher and mentor to Mira Loma students and others in various communities. He also finds time to teach Buddhism to local youth groups such as Kim Quang Buddhist Youth Association and does the same thing at Folsom State Prison.

“I like to pay it forward. It’s always good to give back. This is my way of thanking this country for what it has given me,” Dr. Bach said.

Dr. Bach is married to Trang Nguyen, and the couple has two boys (Khang, 8 and Kiet, 6). Yet Dr. Bach still finds time to volunteer and follow another passion: poetry.

He has written 5 books, including 4 poetry books. He also encourages everyone to be a leader in his or her own right.

"Mindful leader is the one who leads inside out with understanding, compassion, and wisdom,” Dr. Bach said.

For more information on Phe Bach, visit: http://phebach.blogspot.com/p/about-me-and-contact-lien-lac-va-vai.html

Jeffrey Weidel
Vice President Halldin Public Relations