Thứ Bảy, 5 tháng 6, 2010

THẾ HỆ TRẺ : MỘT TÀI NĂNG ĐÃ SỚM RA ĐI

TIN BUỒN
Từ nay trên trang chủ của  http://eyesofhope.skule.ca/ thuộc Đai hoc Toronto sẽ ghi những giòng tưởng niệm                              
                           Anh Davis Doãn
25 tuổi, từ trần ngày 20 tháng 5 năm 2010 vì bệnh ung thư.(1)

davis pictureSinh viên Tiến sĩ khoa công chánh /Đại học Toronto, anh Davis Doãn minh Tiến  đã có công sáng lập và điều hành tổ chức Eyesofhope của truờng Đại hoc này.
Eyesofhope là một tổ chức bất vụ lợi có những chương trình giúp đỡ thiết thực người vô gia cư , trẻ em nghèo , phát động chiến dich cải tiến nơi ăn ở của con người …thực hiện tuy bằng những nguồn tài chánh khiêm nhường (do gây quĩ ) nhưng đã đạt được nhiều thành quả rất có ý nghiã nhờ tài năng , nhiệt tình của các sinh viên thiện nguyện luôn  đưọc khuyến khích phát huy tối đa.
Sửng sốt và đau buồn  trước sự vĩnh viễn  ra đi đột ngột của anh Davis Doãn, các đoàn viên EyesofHope quyết tâm tiếp tục phát huy di sản tinh thần của anh.
Eyesofhope tiếp tục hoạt động! (2)
Ngoài ra  được biết anh Davis Doãn đã ra đời tại Toronto –Gia nã Đại , vào  một  gia đình  cựu quân nhân QLVNCH .

(2) sinh hoạt của  Eyesofhope http://eyesofhope.skule.ca/
davis university of Toronto
(1) In Memory of Davis Doan
After a valiant struggle with cancer, Davis Doan passed away on Thursday night, May 20, 2010.
Founder of Eyes of Hope and current PhD student of U of T’s Civil Engineering Department, he was also a great son and friend. He was a gentle soul with a desire for helping others and tried to inspire change in the world even in just little ways, motivating others to help to the best of their abilities.
Keep his memory alive. Our hearts go out to family and friends. We will miss him deeply.
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His loss is shocking and deeply saddening, but those of us who have worked with him are determined to keep up his legacy. EOH will continue!
REMEMBERING DAVIS DOAN
Paul Gauvreau, dr.sc.techn., p.eng.
Associate Professor of Civil Engineering
University of Toronto

May 26, 2010
I was Davis Doan’s academic supervisor at the University of Toronto. I would like to
share with Davis’s family some of the ways in which we at the U of T knew Davis.
One of the things that struck us about Davis was that he was an excellent student.
He consistently achieved the highest marks in all of his courses, a string of successes
that was crowned by his award two years ago of a Canada Graduate Scholarship from
the Federal Government. This is the highest award given to graduate students in
Canada, and places Davis in the ranks of the best of the best students in the country.
As his supervisor, I had many occasions to interact with him one on one. I was constantly
impressed by his love of engineering, his curiosity, his tenacity, and his keen intellect.
I soon came to learn of another side of Davis, a side that is just as important as his
academic prowess. Davis loved to help people. I saw this almost as soon as I first met
him, when he was a second-year undergraduate student. In tutorials, there was invariably
a small group of students that would congregate around Davis. They had all come to get help from him on some aspect of the course, not just because he was the smartest student in the class, but because he was truly happy to help them, and he had the patience and understanding needed to assist students in ways that worked for them.
So I was not surprised when he came to me a few years ago to tell me about the early stages of a plan he had developed to help those less fortunate than he, in ways that would go far beyond the bounds of the university. Without fanfare, Davis proceeded to found the group called the Eyes of Hope, and began a fundraising effort that was remarkable in its reliance on small donations from his peers, the U of T students. The pennies quickly grew into dollars because Davis was able to mobilize, through his own unique and endearing qualities, a group of loyal students who were able to multiply Davis’s own persistence and passion, ensuring that the fundraising effort was constant and ever-present. He also organized students to give not only money, but also their time and sweat to those less fortunate. By organizing participation on several Habitat for Humanity construction projects, he enabled his fellow students to help put a roof over the heads of those in our society who could not afford one.
As his academic supervisor, I can say that I was apprehensive at first about Davis’s intense involvement in these activities. But I can truly state that if anything, Davis’s academic performance only got better while he was helping others. His is an example to all of us who have ever said, “Yeah, it’s a good cause, but I’m just too busy for that”. Davis showed us that helping others can be totally compatible with achievement in other areas of life.
Through it all, Davis remained humble, positive, and without guile. If you did not already know, you would have no idea that he was the top student as well as the leader of a successful charitable organization. He was as genuine, straightforward, and kind a person as you could know, and you always felt good just to have exchanged a few words with him.
We at the U of T miss Davis very dearly, but we are grateful and proud to have known him. On behalf of the University of Toronto, I wish to extend to Davis’s family our most sincere condolences. Davis Doan will always be in our hearts.

Ngày 2/11/2011. Trường Đại Học Toronto đã vinh danh sự nghiệp của anh và truy tặng anh huân chuơng Malcolm F.McGrath . .

                                 *****

UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO

FACULTY OF APPLIED SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Engineering Alumni Association

AWARDS CEREMONY

Wednesday, Nov 2, 2011

Hart House, Great Hall

6335004955_df6ce50a81_z

Davis Tien Doan

CivE 0T7 (post-humous

Throughout his live. Davis worked alongside staff and students to make the world a better place. The PhD student who passed away in May20.2010 after a valiant struggle with cancer was lauded for his inspirational actions that touched hundreds of live over the year.

Davis was a firm believer in helping others in need and in 2006,founded the student charity group Eyes of Hope. His work aided children living in developing countries and funded the construction of a school in Africa.In a few short years , he mobilized more than two dozen volunteers, raised over $20,000 for three World Vision sponsorships, and helped to create an internship program for Civil Engineering students with Habitat for Humanity.

His success not only benefited strangers arount the world,but also students within the university by empowering them to meet life’s challenges head on.

David tirelessly volunteered his life for a variety of projects with the Faculty and University.He was committed to helping students through the Civil Engineering Graduate Students’ Association, even authoring the still-used “ Civil+Mineral Engineering Survival Guide ” handbook .Over the years, he has assisted with everything from moving furniture to working among staff at graduate fairs.

In four short years, Davis visionary leadership has changed the lives of countless individuals both inside and outside of the University.The mark he left on the world will be remembered for years to come.

His honours include:

-Organizer, First-Year CivE Orientation Lunches ,2005- 2009

-Founder and President,Eyes of Hope 2006-2010

-Editor in Chief, Civil Engineering yearbook 2006-2007

-NSERC Canada Graduate Scholarship, 2007 and 2009

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                  Davis Tiến Doãn

A Celebration of Life

If one were to say a few words to describe Davis, the choice would probably be ‘ambitious, caring and passionate’. We could also relate to Davis based on his chinese zodiac sign ‘Year of the Ox’ whose expected to be patient, soft spoken and able to inspire confidence in others.

One of the highlights of Davis’ personal achievements would be his involvement in the Habitat for Humanity Toronto and his leadership as the founder of the charity organization Eyes of Hope.

In early 2009 Davis contacted Habitat Toronto to inquire the possibility in sponsoring one Habitat home. He inspired his colleagues to particpate in the build days, worked tirelessly for fundraising while managing a heavy school schedule. Despite his very limited resources, his achievements were amazing and was recognized as one of the top fundraisers. His source of motivation was very simple and genuine. It came from his leadership to help others with their personal development, from someone with a golden heart to help the less fortunates: “As students and global citizens, there are things that we can't do, but there are things that we CAN do, and we should help if we can help. We can’t afford a house. But together, we can help build a Habitat for Humanity home for a working-poor-family (families with jobs that do not provide enough to support their children). Together we can help students transform into the leaders of tomorrow by giving them opportunities to volunteer and physically build the home themselves. And together we can help the environment by building an energy efficient home. We need money to buy building materials and land for the house.

Breaking the cycle of poverty

This is not a hand out but a hand up. The house is not a gift. The family must still pay the mortgage, but the mortgage is set at an affordable rate. Once the mortgage is paid off, the family owns the home and the cycle of poverty has been broken.

Training the leaders of Tomorrow

But the impact does not stop with helping the member family break the cycle of poverty. The home does not have to be built with paid workers, but it can be built using student volunteers (this is made feasible by Habitat for Humanity Toronto).

Many students want to make a positive contribution to their society and make a difference but they do not have the knowledge and money to do so. By bringing UofT students together to build a home, they will be empowered to pursue the causes they believe in, form new friendships and develop leadership skills. It will help train today’s youth to become the leaders of tomorrow. They will have something to be proud of and they will gain memories that will last a lifetime.

Help the Environment

Today, we are on the edge of a global environmental catastrophe. Let the youth today provide leadership by building an energy efficient home that exceeds standards. The impact will not only be to reduce the environmental footprint of the member family, but to prove to the world that energy efficient homes do save money, not cost more. No specific suggestions such as solar panels are given because each house must be built to suit the specific local conditions.

I started volunteering with Habitat for Humanity Toronto a year ago. It was truly an amazing experience to actually learn how to build a home - to cut the wood using power tools, to put up the exterior and interior walls, to put up the dry wall etc. It felt really empowering that I could actually make a difference. This has helped me develop my leadership skills and given me the confidence to go back to UofT and organize other community outreach activities such as volunteering for the homeless shelter and food banks, and going on sandwich runs. I also met a lot of new people and made a lot of new friends.

Last year, I had the chance to go into a Habitat for Humanity home and talk to a member family. The smile on the mother's face was enough for me to know that I've made a difference.

I'm doing this because I want other students to have similar experiences. I want other students to experience building a house with their own hands, to develop their leadership and communication skills, to make new friends, to have a project that they can call their own form and be proud of for a lifetime.

Finally, there is only one planet Earth and we only have one chance to save it. I want my grand-children to be able to enjoy the same fresh air, clean water and green space that I was fortunate enough to have.

I know I can’t solve all of the world’s problems but sponsoring and building an energy efficient student built home for a low income family is one thing that I know as students we can do, so let’s work together and do something we will be proud of for a lifetime.

Help us break the cycle of poverty, help students become the leaders of tomorrow and help the environment.” The last statement should make us re-think about how wise we have been utilizing our time and money. It is a daily issue with our society that people are wasting their money and turn themselves into debt or having a meaningless life with no goal for tomorrow. If a group of students can contribute that much to our environment, we as working adults should be capable to devote in serving our society a lot more than that, don’t you think?

Davis appeared to be very quiet but this should not be mistaken as a sign of weakness. He would not be too happy to be seen as a careful person, man of few words. He simply reserved the energy for something worthwhile to fight for. In the summer of 2009, the city construction workers had a strike which resulted many city services on hold. This impacted many charities in a negative way from a budget perspective. Davis voiced his concern to the public by writing to the media: “Over the past year, U of T engineering students worked hard to fundraise $5,000 and volunteer for Habitat for Humanity. This may not sound like a lot but students are not a wealthy group and have a heavy course load. All the time and money was for nothing because of Habitat for Humanity’s revenue losses due to the city workers’ strike. I challenge city councillors and the union to show goodwill by personally making donations to charity to make up for the losses, or to exempt charities from the strike by processing their zoning applications and permits (The Globe and Mail under the section Letter to the Editor – July 17, 2009). His message was strong and clear on how the money was not spent properly by the city. From his action, he proved himself to be someone with integrity and willing to fight for his belief with no reservation.

His philosophy about life and happiness was wise beyond his years:Everyone is stressed out because of their own greed and ambitious. We always want more and more and that makes us more miserable. Scientists did this survey and they found out people in Nigeria are the happiest. If I have enough to eat, a decent roof over my head, good health and loving people around me, I'm happy. This is all I want. I don't want anything else in life. ". Davis strived to have a life filled with depth and riches; and riches with very little to do with money. It was about to celebrate each day as a special day: ‘I didn't do anything for New Year's Eve or New Year's Day. I treat these days just like any other day of my life. A normal day. I think everyday should be a happy day’.

Davis was a firm believer that education is the key to success in life. He obtained his degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Toronto in 2007 and was working towards his PhD designation. His research was to study the behaviour and design of thin bridge deck slabs made of high-performance and ultra high-performance fibre reinforced concrete. His academic achievements were numerous and were well recognized by several honourable awards: NSERC Postgraduate Scholarship, NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Award, and the CISC Ontario Scholarship Award.

Friendship was the best of life to Davis. He cherished and honoured his friends who were there to help him discovered himself and to grow as a better person. The school years were the sweetest moments in his life ‘It has been 4 long and short years.  Long during tests and exam season and short when I look back, it's been both painful and memorable.  The struggles were tough, but that's what makes life interesting.  In the end, things that seemed bad didn't really turn out that bad, and it's a little sad that it's time to move on, but that's just part of growing up.  I joined many clubs, participated in many activities and met many people.  Thank you to all my friends for always being there to help me, to listen to my jokes that don't make any sense and for giving me encouragements along the way.  There are never goodbyes - memories live together, so see you later’- From CIV0T7 Yearbook

If you were to know Davis and be touched by his gentle soul, you would have to agree that he was one of a kind – a truly special person in our life. There is a saying that it is not hard to die when you know how you have lived and there is no doubt that Davis has lived as an exceptional young man.

A Collection of Davis’ Wisdom

His leadership….

§ The world belongs to those who dare to dream.

§ As a leader, my responsibility is to tap into everyone’s potential so I am not wasting their talent. Creating supporting clubs will empower people to do things that they have never thought of.

§ I have joined other organizations and I have done my best to contribute towards their success. But nothing is like running your own organization. I have the strong desire to build it from scratch with my own hands, suffered through the pain and from sleepless nights. I would never be content with the status quo. I strive for excellence. Remember, I started it so Eyes of Hope is something dear to my heart. Should I call it the burden of responsibility or the power of responsibility?

§ The best way to help others is to understand what’s important to them. Have empathy to others by putting yourself in their shoes. It's so easy to judge someone. It's easy to look down on a gay couple. It's easy to judge a single mother living in poverty. It is very naïve to critize a homeless drug addict by telling him to quit drugs, get a job and a home.

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His positive outlook on life …..

§ Nothing in life will last for ever. Just accept this fact of life and learn how to live happily in present moment.

§ A good attitude, cheerful outlook and a smile is the key to life. It is easy to say but hard to do, but I am trying….

§ I could interpret something in a negative way and feel humiliated or I can take it as a challenge to become a stronger individual. Attitude is a matter of choice. If life hands you lemons, make lemonade.

His value in friendship & sweet memories from school years ….

§ It makes me happy to see my friends =). I trust their judgement and our conversations always uplift my emotional strength and confidence.

§ 1 + 1 >> 2 - This is engineering logic. When two people get work together, they are worth more than two people working by themselves

His appreciation towards the mother of nature….

My favourite month is March because it is my month of hope. It is the month when the ice starts melting and I can take my first bike ride after a long winter. I love to get up around six o’ clock in the morning to celebrate the early spring and enjoy the perfect weather, the freshness of morning air while listening to the bird singings. I feel so relax, fresh and awake.

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The artistic side of Davis - A picture of the UofT front gates showing the night and day of the winter and summer seasons combined into one photo (created by Davis)

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Davis loved the beauty of nature –where he found a peaceful mind

(Survey camp –taken by Davis)