Catching up with a CSF alum over coffee: Lan Bun’s story
CSF alum Lan Bun with her husband and little one.
The aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled the air as we met up with CSF alum Lan Bun at her new café, Drip Drip Coffeehouse. A bright, inviting space in Seattle’s Cherry Hill neighborhood, it stands as a testament to her journey from first-generation college graduate to thriving entrepreneur. Lan reflected on the path that brought her here — a path marked by resilience, responsibility and a commitment to her Vietnamese community.
Navigating life
Lan arrived in the U.S. with her family in 1997, settling in Everett, Wash. Lan’s parents brought their family to the U.S. after completing a two-year assignment working in Vietnam’s coffee fields. Her father had served in the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam War, which made them eligible to be sponsored by the U.S. military.
When Lan was in 10th grade, her father received news that he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Lan’s older brother was stationed with the military in Afghanistan during this time, which made Lan the sole translator and interpreter for her family as they navigated forms, treatments and doctor’s appointments. Where many young people might be shielded by their parents from such serious topics, Lan knew everything that was going on with her father. Lan’s father passed when she was 15 years old.
Exploring new horizons as a first-gen student
As an 11th grader, Lan was introduced to College Success Foundation and her CSF advisor, Riley Haggard. Becoming a CSF Scholar made her path to college more manageable and achievable. Lan was the first person to attend college and graduate in her family. The support she received made it possible for her to access and succeed in college: “While in high school, we participated in CSF leadership activities and received mentoring,” Lan recalls. “We were guided on how to be independent and manage ourselves.”
As a CSF Scholar and through scholarships, Lan was supported enough financially to move from Everett to Seattle and become an on-campus college student. After years of having many responsibilities for her family, she found that college opened her up to new experiences and eventually allowed her to broaden her career possibilities.
“As a teenager, I watched the hospice nurses taking care of my dad, and I was really inspired by them,” Lan remembers. “I planned to go to college to become a nurse, but I discovered while in college that I wanted to go into healthcare leadership.”
Throughout college, Lan worked part-time as a certified nursing assistant in nursing homes and for College Success Foundation, where she supported the retention and graduation rates of CSF Scholars at University of Washington-Tacoma. After six years in college and graduate school, Lan graduated from the University of Washington with her bachelor’s degree in healthcare leadership and master’s degree in health informatics. After graduation, she worked for Swedish in their Organ Transplant and Liver Center. Eight years later, she found herself open to a new challenge.
Members of CSF’s development team recently met up with CSF alum Lan Bun (middle) at Drip Drip Coffeehouse, 355 15th Ave., Seattle, WA. Lan invites CSF supporters to visit when they are in the neighborhood!
Savoring change and becoming a leader
About six years ago, Lan knew that she wanted a change in her career, and an opportunity to buy a beloved restaurant in the Central District popped up. She and a friend jumped at the chance to buy Feed Co. Burgers. It suddenly gave Lan the genuine leadership opportunity she longed for, something that better suited her personality and provided more flexibility.
More recently, on a trip back to Vietnam to visit her and her husband’s families, Lan experienced the coffee culture there and took note that it was quite different than Seattle’s — often hailed as the coffee capital of the U.S.
While coffee shop experiences in the U.S. tend to be solo, daytime wi-fi experiences, coffee shops in Vietnam are brimming and bustling with families and friends who gather for hours and often later into the night.
“I wanted to bring the coffee experience I had there back to Seattle,” Lan explains. “I envisioned a place for everyone, including families with kids and friends of all ages, to build a community.”
Over the summer, Lan opened up Drip Drip Coffeehouse, which features Vietnamese coffee and flavorings. It offers a customizable coffee flight (much like a beer or wine flight) for those interested in tasting drinks like their salted egg yolk, roasted sesame, matcha pandan and coconut ube. With ambitious expansion plans, the potential for her café is boundless.
Lan’s positivity and joy about her career path as an entrepreneur are evident when you meet her: “It is important for any business owner to persevere and don’t give up,” Lan offers. “Learning to take criticism and feedback will help you grow. Sometimes you experience people just having a bad day, and that doesn’t mean that should affect your day. You just can’t take too much to heart.”