User:Richardphung
Richard phung | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 20, 1983 |
| Occupation(s) | Systems Administrator, Student, Ninja |
| Height | 5 ft 5 in (165 cm) |
| Spouse | (none) |
| Children | (none) |
Richard Phung (born June 20, 1983) is, among many things, a student, a creator, a psychonaut, a technologist, and a teacher.
Life
Richard Phung was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, on June 20, 1983 as the first son of Gay (mother) & An Chay (father) Phung. Little is known about the processes leading up to or the transitional period after his birth.
When Richard was 2-years old, his parents found opportunities in the town of Marshall, AR where they started a humble business known as the Marshall Motel & Restaurant, a small motor-lodge and road-side cafe. Richard's younger brother, Raymond, was introduced to the Phung family on December 12, 1986.
For the most part, life for the Phung family was fairly simple. Hard-work and a sense of accomplishment for having exceeded personal challenges were values that Richard's parents instilled upon their children at an early age. Educational excellence was expected of the two boys. Both of Richard's parents came from relatively conservative Chinese or Chinese/Vietnamese culture, but immigrated to the United States through very different avenues. The difficulties of social and cultural assimilation and adaptation proved to be a great challenge to his parents, and their ability to overcome these obstacles in pursuit of the American Dream influences Richard in profound ways.
Both Richard and his brother are considered first generation, and as cultural and social conflicts played a particularly prevalent role in Richard's development, he would claim very little association with his ethnic descent. In fact, Richard would argue that he prefers the "genuine southern values" of the ethnic majority in Arkansas, despite frequent miscommunications and particular racial stereotypes that were prevalent at the time of his upbringing. Richard's parents spoke a combination of Cantonese and English at home, however Richard is not bilingual. He would claim that "languages are his weakest point."
As a child, Richard attended religious services as a Missionary Baptist, and was saved at age 13. By age 15, however, the amalgamation of other world views and life experiences had altered his view point, and by age 17, all remnants of Christian faith had been replaced by more moderate views towards life and morality. At age 25, Richard does not place any faith into any religion that claims an exclusive truth or a single divine consciousness, and in many cases he will condemn actions driven by ignorance or fundamentalism inspired by these beliefs.
Spirituality, Consciousness, and Understanding
Of the many factors that have influenced Richard's conceptualization of reality are writings and experiences with a variety of these schools of thought: Buddhism, Existentialism, Positivism, Hinduism, Empiricism, among many others.
Richard actively engages in activities and learning that work to challenge and unravel the layers of consciousness. He believes that direct experience is the only affirmation of reality, but acknowledges that energy is displaced and manifests into an infinite number of forms outside or under direct observation of which the primitive human senses cannot detect. Quantum Mechanics, Singularity, Complexity, and Brahman are frameworks that Richard continues to use to further understand the nature of existence. Nothingness is an abstract concept that perpetuates his pursuit of understanding.
Education
Early Education
Between the age of 5 and 11 (1988-94), Richard attended Marshall Elementary School, where he also participated in the Gifted & Talented program, and in the Fall 1995, he went on to attend Marshall High School. During the summer of 1996, Richard attended Mission Mars, an enrichment program hosted by Harding University for middle school students interested in exploring topics in space exploration. He returned in the summer of 1997 to attend Math Modeling, a similar program that provided students the opportunity to explore practical mathematical applications.
In the summer of 1998, 1999, & 2000, Richard attended Upward Bound: Math & Science(UBMS) at Lyon College. UBMS was a 6-week residential program hosted by a private, liberal arts college, that gave Richard the opportunity to take classes in mathematics, physics, and chemistry, among many other topics.
At Marshall High School, Richard followed the traditional college prep curriculum and participated in the Regional and National Science Fair.
In the fall 1999, Richard enrolled at the Arkansas School for Mathematics & Sciences (ASMS), a two-year residential high-school located in downtown Hot Springs, AR. Here, he was able to take a variety of college preparatory and advanced placement math and science courses that may have not been offered in his hometown. During his junior and senior year, Richard again participated in Regional and National Science Fair Competitions as well as Junior Academy, representing ASMS.
| Clubs & Honors | Papers/Projects/Notes |
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(1990-1994) 4-H (1998) 1st Place Science Fair (MHS, Marshall, AR)
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Drag Coefficients of Varying Wing Shapes (Science Fair, 1999) 3.7 GPA, Math Focus |