By Stephanie Samuel

Sentinel Staff Writer

Walking down the hallway, Hieu Nguyen looks like a regular teenager dressed in his school uniform, slinging his backpack over his shoulder and sporting a fresh haircut. However unlike other students, Nguyen has received a very special gift from school administrators, teachers, students and community members.

It all started a few weeks ago when Charles Carroll Middle School Principal Eric Wood wanted to do something special to recognize his most brilliant student. Nguyen, an eighth grader, carries a 4.0 grade point average and is involved in just about everything: Wood's male mentoring group, Brothers, modeling, tutoring and sports basketball and football. He also has his own rock, hip-hop, R&B band, AQB, which stands for band mate Adam and Q (his nickname)'s band. Hieu is also a student ambassador who regularly works with Wood in Carroll's Administration and Staff Leadership meetings.

"Hieu is just a great young man," Wood said. He described him as being intelligent and sociable, getting along with just about everyone.

"He's a man's man," Wood said.

So he said he wanted to do something big, something that would change Hieu's life. Wood decided to help Hieu get a prosthetic eye.

Hieu, despite being an academic and social success, has struggled with his appearance because of a childhood accident that left him with an eye deformity.

"I started [Charles Carroll MS a] nobody being picked on," he said. At 180 pounds, Hieu said he was chubby his first year at Carroll in addition to have one smaller, visionless eye.

"I used to be fat. I ran," Hieu said, to lose weight, and he did – he's now weighs 70 pounds lighter. He also became more social, interacting with as many people as he could despite his visible impairment. While his popularity soared, he was stilled picked on because of the eye.

"I could change anything, but I couldn't change the eye," he said.

When approached with Wood's idea, Charles Carroll parent liaison and former professional image consultant Anita Naves immediately recognized that a prosthetic eye would be a huge help.

"Self esteem is important," Naves said. "If he has this eye, it will build his self esteem."

And so the fundraising effort A Better View for Hieu began work to raise $5,000 of the $8,000 needed to give Hieu a new eye. On the wall just outside the main office, Naves erected an eye tree. Decorating the top of the tree are pledge tickets featuring an eye and the names of staff, teachers and students who have donated to the effort. Students especially have donated to the effort, giving as little as a dollar and as much as $100.

"They're sacrificing their a la carte money," Naves said.

The fundraiser moved slowly at first, steadily building up to $2,000. However, as the community began chipping in, the fundraiser grew. Radio One, stationed near to the New Carrollton school, gave news of the fundraiser $15,000 worth of free advertising on two of its member radio stations. From there, businesses such as U.S. Nails Salon, local churches Mt. Calvary Baptist and Voice of the Last Days Ministries and several individuals gave and gave.

Community members even came to the May 2 talent show/party for Colors for Hieu to help raise the remainder of the money. Tickets sold for $5 in advance; $7 at the door. At the party, students wore bright colors and wrote notes to Hieu, saying things like, "We love you, Hieu" or "Let's get hype for Hieu." Mrs. Senior D.C. held a miniature beauty pageant and AQB performed at the end to crowd of screaming students.

In all, Naves said the school raised nearly $8,000. Wood says the school is currently applying for a 501 (c) (3) foundation to funnel the extra funds into.

"It will be for any child that is needy. Any child who needs medical attention," he said.

As for Hieu, he received his prosthetic eye long before the fundraiser's end. Initially, Hieu said the wearing the new eye was awkward.

"When they put it on, it didn't feel right ... I thought, 'this isn't me.'" He said it also an adjustment for his parents who initially could not look him in the face.

"After a while they grew accustomed to it," he said.

Wood says he hopes the prosthetic eye will drive Hieu on toward a successful future.

"He has no other option but to succeed because we have made a big investment in his life," Wood said.

Hieu says, "Without the prosthetic eye, I was going to be a success. With the eye, I am going to be a greater success."

Contact Stephanie Samuel at

ssamuel@thesentinel.com