~ Tommy's Pet Paradise ~

At A Glance:

Name: Tommy Truong

DOB: Nov. 11, 1988 (Veteran's Day)

Current Education: 4th Year @ University of California, San Diego (UCSD) Majoring in Biochemistry/Cell Biology (Pre-Medical)

Current Employment: Branch Manager of C.W.P. My goal for sales this summer:

$50,000 

CWP Website

Volunteering(ed) @:

1.) VA (Veterans) Hospitol @ La Jolla, California: I volunteer in the Emergency Room and in the Intensive Care Unit. I get to talk to war veterans and hear their wonderful stories. Lots of nice people. Some days are just super busy and packed. I really love the experience.

2.) UCSD Hospitol @ La Jolla, California: I work in the Urology & Neurosurgery department. See procedures and do paper-work.

3.) Colonial Corner Doctors Office: I shadow Dr. Sidrick few times a week (changes from quarter to quarter). She helps me understand terms, how things work, why does something happen, etc.. The whole feedback and experience of what being a doctor is all about. I LOVE it!!! : )

Community Services:         ---> Click Here <---

Alma mater:              

Hoover High School (Class of 2005)

Memories: Graduated w/ Multiple Honors - 4.15 GPA. Received over 20 scholarships and awards (Price Fellows, Wal-Mart, Target, National Merit, CitiBank, Civil Engineers of San Diego, Mercedes Benz, Ronald McDonald, etc...) and enough tuition covered for all four years at UCSD. Made friends with some of the nicest people in the world. Schooling with some of them right here at UCSD. 

Bell Junior High (2000 - 2003)

Memories: Promoted w/ Honors - 3.88 GPA. Promoted in the 9th grade to go to Hoover High to finish up high school. Competed in the 100 meter dash and got 2nd place with the time of 12.8 seconds. 1st place was 12.5. Had my first crush on a girl but didn't tell her until we are only weeks away from promotion. She had to move to another city.

 Penn Elementary (1997 - 2000)

Memories: Participated in the G.A.T.E.S program. Got involved into the Math & Science Clubs and participated in the school science fair project. Topics were Planes and Spaceships of the Future. Went to 6th grade camp (Mount Palomar) - The best memories I have ever had with "independence".

    Euclid Elementary (1994 - 1997)

Memories: Received "The Most Improved" award for the English Language as well as other awards for having good attendance, good scholarship, leadership, etc. Made many friends of different backgrounds.

Family: Father / Mother, Older Brother / Sister-in-Law, Older Sister / Brother-in-Law/ Nephew, Me (Not married ^_-).

Hobbies: Fishing, Reading, Bowling, Football, Basketball, GYM, Music, Experiments, and Raising Exotic and Rare Pets.

Detailed: 

My family and I came to the United States in 1994 from Vietnam. I was only 6 at the time, knowing very little about the American Culture. Nevertheless, I kept an open mind to start a new life here in the land of opportunities.

We arrived in San Diego, California, and have lived here ever since. I am glad our family did not move around much, because that would have been a problem with all the pets I soon adopted and have grown to love.

My very first pet, as far as I can remember, were two hamsters given to me at the age of 7 by our new neighbor. Things started small, and then got big. Within a year, my dad bought me chickens to raise in our little backyard. And there it was! A strong connection I saw between me and the pets since I was 7. The weird thing is when I asked my father and my brother about their childhood, both loved to raise pets when they were younger too. I thought this was an inherited genetic trait that I got from my dad, but I soon realized that the proposal from Lamarck in this theory of evolution has proven wrong. I do not remember what type of chickens we raised until when I was 14.

When our family moved a little down South of Central San Diego, my father's friend gave me a Golden Sebright hen along with various Cochin bantams to raise. I was attending Bell Junior High at that time and a few of my friends had chickens as well. They had mainly bantams and that was when I started getting into bantams and not those standard sized chickens anymore. My Golden Sebright hen lived for a long time; at least 9-10 years given that she had been raised for a few years prior.

The house I am living at right now is where everything started for me...expanding the borders a little further. I have a small dog that I really adore. He's a Tea-cup Chihuahua named Romeo. He's a little over 3 years now (Born 11-28-2004). I actually wanted to get him for my mom so she'll have company when I'm off to college. Nevertheless, I ended up going to a college much closer to home than I intended to. I got accepted to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo for Architecture but went to UCSD for Pre-med instead, what a drastic change huh? Anyhow, at this house, I have raised:

Indian Runners, Pekin, Muscovy (Ducks), Araconas, Silver Duckwing Bantams, Mixed variety of game chickens, Finches, and Lady Amherst Pheasants.

New Additions (Winter 2007): Red Jungle Fowls - Directly from the San Diego Zoo (Pure Blood-Line). Vietnamese Red Jungle Fowls - Chicks from Imported Eggs from the Jungles of Vietnam. Richardson's Red Jungle Fowls. Modern Game Bantams - From the President of the Game Bird Club in San Diego who originally got them from a judge @ a bird show for $150. Golden Duckwing Phoenix Bantam Pair.

Future Plans: I am getting Cy Hyde's BEST breeding birds in Golden, BBR, and White soon. He's a very nice fellow to talk to and I have learned a lot from him. *Update* I got them!

Hopefully my parents can help me care for them when I am off to Grad school or Med-school. They love my pets as much as I do, so I’m sure they will take good care of them.

Goals:

Career: I would like to become a doctor before I am 30. I am 20 right now, and I have just 7 more years to go if I keep my current pace. What kind of doctor? Most likely family practice but still unsure until I'm actually there. Hopefully I still have some spare time to do the things I love then.

Hobbies: I would like to be able to skydive once before I start my career. I would like to travel to Hawaii again to import some of their exotic birds and do rock climbing, jet skiing, and go fishing with my parents! 

The Lontail Project: Be able to bring back the "nm" (non-molting) gene more strongly in the Onagadori that are here in the states. I would like to cross it with the German Phoenix afterwards to get both body shape and tail length. If possible, I would like to start a small farm mainly focusing in this genetic "research" to bring back the true Onagadori bloodline. However, that is only variable right now because school is first for me. In order to accomplish my "Longtail Project", I will need more help from David Rogers, Cy Hyde, Marc King, Jerry Kinder, Chris Ferber, Barry Koffler, Donald, Toni-Marie, and Jeremy. Thank you all for providing me with all the informations that I need and motivating me to carry on your legacies'.

Cheers!

- Tommy V.T. (Written on Jan. 5, 2008)