Senior Reflections: The Holy Cross Impact

The personalized attention Minh Dinh received at the College strengthened his faith in Catholicism, and helped him reach his full potential


Minh Dinh

 

Minh Dinh
Biology major with a predental concentration
Hometown: Lowell, Mass.

 

 

  1. “One of the main things that attracted me to Holy Cross is its Catholic traditions and values,” says Minh, who was raised Catholic. Attending Holy Cross and taking courses such as Introduction to Catholicism and Introduction to the New Testament allowed him to gain a better understanding of religion. Last semester, he took a classics course with senior lecturer Rev. Edward Vodoklys, S.J., who spoke with Minh not only about class discussions, but also about applying Catholic values to his life, such as acting responsibly and helping those who are less fortunate.
  2. Through Fr. Vodoklys’ encouragement and Chaplain Paul Melley’s support, Minh decided to receive Confirmation at the end of March and fully embrace Catholicism. “They helped me understand how God is found in our everyday lives and taught me not to lose sight of His presence in times of both happiness and sadness,” he says.
  3. Minh says that he would not be where he is today without biology professor Kornath Madhavan. After taking three courses with him — Introduction to Biology, Endocrinology and Histology — Minh felt confident that he would like to pursue his interest in dentistry, following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather. Professor Madhavan challenged him and pushed him to work hard. “He has encouraged me to pursue my interests in the dental field, and taking his courses made me realize that a world of opportunities is available if one works hard and stays focused on goals,” he says. “I could not have gone this far without him.”
  4. Even though Minh is not a music major, he is known around campus as a musician. “Last year Jason Tartaglione’08 and I decided to form a band. I served as the band director and pianist. Taking Music Theory and Fundamentals inspired me to put my music abilities to practical use and form a band,” he says. Their performances have been successful — the venues are always filled with an enthusiastic audience, which Minh says was attained through the band’s hard work and determination. The group has performed at Crossroads, McFaddens, Irish Times, Senior Convocation and Battle of the Bands.'
  5. His friends served as a constant support base at Holy Cross. “Working and performing with my friends has shown me what a tight-knit community Holy Cross is,” he says. Minh will take many memories with him, including studying late with his peers and ordering pizza at 3 a.m., and seeing his friends cheer him on at his musical performances. “My friends were always with me, through good times and bad,” he says.
  6. The challenging workload at Holy Cross will serve him well as he prepares to become a dentist. “By working hard and making informed decisions with the aid of my advisers and professors, I can reach this goal,” he says. “The predental program has prepared me to face the rigors and challenges of dental school by giving me a balanced, disciplined work ethic.”


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This Senior Spotlight was written by Pamela McQuade ’08 of Dix Hills, N.Y. A double major in political science and Italian, Pamela studied abroad last year in Florence. This summer she will return to Europe and to travel in Ireland, Greece and Italy. In her spring semester of senior year, Pamela served as the chair of the Student Advisory Committee of the Modern Languages and Literatures department and as an intern in the Office of Public Affairs.

Photography by John Buckingham.