Sisi Virasak: It Was That 'Aha Moment'

Sisi Virasak's first term of higher education made her think twice about whether she 已经准备好了.

她'd taken physics, chemistry and computer classes all through school. 但是俄勒冈州 State University taught at a different level.

"I didn't realize that I didn't 知道 as much as I thought I did," said Virasak, who received a degree in computer science with a minor in chemistry. "I questioned if I belonged, because I felt you have to be smart, and I didn't think I was smart, you 知道? The whole self-doubt."

Mentors helped make the difference for Virasak, from the women who taught her middle and high school computer classes to the tutors at the university's 学习 center. Now, as a computer science instructor at Linn-Benton 社区 College, she works hard to be that mentor for everyone in her class.

"Because of the struggles I went through, I can set the pathway for the younger generation," 她说. "They see someone like me - an immigrant from Laos - and say, '她 did it. I can do it too.' It just takes hard work and having a good mentor and people to support and inspire you." 

Born in Laos, the youngest of five children, Virasak and her family lived in a refugee camp before a sponsor from First Congregational Church in Corvallis brought them to the United States. It was 1979, and she was five years old. 

Virasak doesn't recall much about those early days. 她 remembers her mother insisting attending school was a privilege — she hadn't been able to go, nor had Virasak's father — and that it was important to work hard.

So Virasak did. School didn't come easily for her, 她说, but she graduated from Philomath High School and studied hard at OSU. After graduation, she took a job at 英特尔. 

Virasak worked at 英特尔 for nine years and expected to stay. 她 was surprised to find that something felt like it was missing. 她 wasn't as happy as she thought she 将.

Then in 2012, a brother who worked at 博天堂官方 mentioned the Benton Center in Corvallis was looking for community education instructors. Virasak was going on sabbatical and looking for something to do. 她 applied to teach an introductory computer class. The missing piece slipped into place.

"Being able to help students, share 知道ledge - it was that 'aha' moment. 我觉得 I belonged in teaching.

Virasak moved in 2015 to part-time computer instructor at the main campus in Albany. 她 became full time in 2019.

Today, Virasak teaches computer science, computer information systems and networking, and recently became certified to teach the new cybersecurity operations program. 她 helps students learn to be both skilled technology users - how to guard their personal information and to operate social media accounts - and to understand how the technology actually works.

她 loves teaching at the community college level, 她说, "because we have the nontraditional students, and I was the nontraditional student." 

她 appreciates students who learn easily, but is even more excited about working with the ones who find it challenging.

"It's teaching the students who don't have internet, or don't have a house, or who have taken a break from school for 25 years and are coming back, or have never touched a computer," 她说. "Those are the students I learn from the most, because it allows me to find creative ways to help them."

"I learn a lot from students like that, and I really appreciate it, because it allows me, as an instructor, to grow," 她说. "That's what academia is all about: continually 学习."