I Forgot Why I Was Here

If I Died at 18…

Phivian Phun, a Determined Supporter of Education and a Sound Technician’s Apprentice, Dies at 18

           Phivian Phun, a devoted supporter for Asian American communities, advocated education during Pennsylvania’s government election and operated stage technology for Open Mic performances on the side. She graduated from Central High School and diligently earned her AP credits. Along with a heavy amount of school work, she gave her time to non-profit organizations. She then attended Arcadia University and spent her happiest moments around positive people. Phivian Phun died of cancer, she was 18.

           Ms. Phun was known for giving generous work to Boat People SOS. During her junior year of high school, she discovered an organization that accept hard working teens around Philadelphia to support Asian communities. Since schools have faced budget crises, Boat People SOS needed members to scout the Southern Philadelphia area for pedestrians and provide them with awareness about promoting education during the election. From the year 2013 to 2015, Ms. Phun was a youth member and worked 4 hours a week to organize and conduct each canvass. It was tough to persuade Asian communities to register to vote or give up their spare time to vote. This was important because their votes have the power to represent teens who are struggling under a budget crisis and need better education system in Philadelphia. With effort and patience, Ms. Phun and her team successfully registered nearly 20 people to vote.

           During the same years, Ms. Phun struggled to find her future career. Even though she excelled in math and science, she had an interest in music. Music was not something she was good at. She could not sing, play an instrument, or read music. Sound Technician and Stage Management were the only options left. Along with BPSOS, she also provided service for Asian Arts Initiative. She was an apprentice and a volunteer during Open Mic events held at AAI. She watched and learned every step that was taken to set up the sound, light and stage props. Even though her service provided her insight into Stage Management, it was helping performers who wanted to speak out for minorities that she loved. Every Asian American artists’ performance communicated to society that his or her identity is more than meets the eye. After two years of fun work, she finally decided that Computer Science was her main focus.

           In the summer of 2014, Drexel University offered Summer Music Technology to high school students. Ms. Phun took this opportunity to learn about the relationship between music and science. Music was digitally recorded and technology improved the quality of sound and performance. As a student, she completed a project that required a song to be played on a Modular Synthesizer. She and her partner decided to perform a theme song from a game, Mario Brothers. Her partner was an experienced singer and was able to master the melody of the song. However, Ms. Phun was inexperienced yet understood all of the modules and their functions. In Ms. Phun’s evaluation, she said, “Ave was really helpful and supportive. Even though I lacked knowledge about music, I still pulled it off.” Within two days, Ms. Phun created a beat by connecting a sequence with a manual button that played a matching beat to the song. On the last day, they successfully played 30 seconds of the song.  

           When Ms. Phun received an acceptance letter from Arcadia University, she was sure that this was the best school for her. Arcadia University offered a Computer Science and Engineering program with Columbia University. Students are enrolled in the program if they take right classes and earned a high GPA. Before she died, she successfully completed the first semester of her program.

Ms. Phun was a benevolent young woman with a strong passion for music and science. She struggled through her journey attempting to accomplish her dreams. She even struggled to support her divorced mother and two sisters. Her family and friends miss her dearly. Her service and achievements will be remembered by her mentors and leaders.