Beyond Borders: Lessons in Education and Growth

After finishing my internship in Texas, many people asked if I wanted to stay. The company where I worked even offered support with the procedures to continue after my contract. For some, that could have been the first step toward an American Dream. But for me, the decision was different. I valued the U.S. experience deeply, yet my vision went beyond personal opportunities. What mattered was not simply where I lived, but what I could do and how it could make a difference. So I chose to return to Vietnam. I began by teaching at the university level, where I discovered how much I loved standing in front of students, guiding discussions, and sharing not just academic knowledge but also the lessons I had learned from life abroad. My teaching philosophy became clear: education is not only about transferring information - it is about helping students grow into better versions of themselves. Soon after, I was invited to serve as Head of the International Cooperation & Personal Development...

When the internship program in the U.S. was announced, I almost ignored it. Only eight MBA students were selected each year, after three rounds of recruitment. With so much competition, I doubted my chances. The deadline drew closer, and I told myself: Maybe it’s not for me. But sometimes life feels like fate. In 2021, I had nearly completed my MBA in Taiwan and was fairly satisfied with my experience there. I even thought it was the right time to return to Vietnam, reunite with my family, and continue my professional career. After all, I had upgraded my education, and the time I spent away from work was not too long. I believed my previous experience would still be relevant and useful, without the risk of being outdated in a fast-changing job market. Then Covid-19 struck, and Vietnam went into lockdown. My plan to return home suddenly collapsed. In that uncertain moment, I decided to take a leap. On the very last day of the application deadline, I submitted my form for the U.S. intern...

My first trip abroad to Taiwan was short, but it changed the way I saw the world. For the first time, I realized that life outside Vietnam was not just something I could watch on television or read in books - it was real, reachable, and waiting to be experienced. The path was not easy. At that time, I had a demanding job with long hours and high pressure. My days began at 7 a.m. and often ended at 9 p.m. Only late at night - sometimes after 11 p.m. - could I sit down to review English lessons and prepare my scholarship applications. I was exhausted, but I told myself: If I want a different future, I must earn it. The first application was discouraging. I received only a 50% tuition scholarship. For a moment, I doubted myself again. But I refused to stop there. I studied how to improve my essays, strengthened my profile, and applied again the following semester. This time, I won a full scholarship for my MBA at Chang Gung University .  The early days were not easy. My English was no...

In my final year of high school, I was a math-track student surrounded by ambitious classmates. All of us aimed for Vietnam’s top universities. In my extended family, my cousins had already secured spots in the most prestigious schools in the country. But I became the first one who didn’t make it into that circle. Instead, I entered a university through my second-choice application. At that moment, I felt disappointed and questioned myself. Growing up in a provincial town, life was not lacking, but studying abroad felt like something reserved only for wealthy families and students with excellent foreign language skills. English was not strongly emphasized at my school, so for me, the dream of studying abroad was just a fleeting spark - never a realistic plan. After graduation, I found a good job and thought my life would follow a stable path: career growth, marriage, and continued development in Vietnam. And that would have been wonderful, of course. Yet deep down, I sometimes wonder...