As Head of Public Relations and Foreign Affairs for the Innovative Leadership Club (ILC), I have engaged with social activists and marginalized individuals at workshops in, and around, Ho Chi Minh City. Through these interactions, I have come to appreciate the beauty and necessity of diversity in the modern-day. Cultural stereotypes about women and LGBT people are embedded in traditional Vietnamese culture. This represents a challenge for certain populations. These people desire to live freely as themselves and make meaningful contributions to society, yet they’re held back by fear. Growing up in a socially conservative family myself, I have witnessed barriers that need dissolving, as they prevent growth on both sides of the issue.

While fulfilling the demands of my IB education, I have pursued activities outside of school to benefit my community and satisfy my personal interests. First, I have researched a comprehensive range of populations in Vietnam as well as sustainable business practices in order to better understand and contribute to the development of Vietnam’s social dynamics. Through these pursuits, I not only engaged in a one-year professional training program in LIN Center, a distinguished organization dedicated to improving communities and human rights but also allocated time to researching the social issues of 54 Vietnamese ethnic groups for the Innovative Leadership Club. Second, I have broadened my knowledge of Vietnamese history and literature in order to better understand Vietnam’s direction and various well-founded methods for economic development. Third, I traveled around Vietnam so that I could gain direct experience interacting with its citizens.

Working for ILC and 2030 Youth Force, I have initiated and promoted worthwhile projects aimed at breaking down the walls dividing traditional and contemporary mindsets, and I will not stop until each individual can shine without restriction or interference.