I started working at RMIT just after turning 25. It was an age old enough to earn a living and take care of myself, but not quite mature enough to fully understand who I was or what my work meant. At the time, I was married but not yet a mother.
Linh in her first business trip and first event at RMIT.
There was a moment of ‘mild crisis’ when I honestly told my manager: ‘I feel like this job is just about organising events - it doesn’t feel meaningful enough.’ Looking back, I realise I was a bit impulsive. But I’m grateful to that manager - who didn’t criticise me, but instead encouraged me and helped me see that my work was contributing to the growth of our students.
Day by day, month by month, year by year… I’ve witnessed students grow. From shy freshmen trembling as they hosted their first event and struggled to speak clearly, to confident leaders managing teams of hundreds and running events like professional agencies. When they graduate and proudly share their new jobs and titles with me, I realise that my work isn’t just about organising events. My team and I are growing alongside them in emotions, skills, and mindset. It’s a journey of growth we’re lucky to share.
Linh and her team are growing alongside RMIT students in emotions, skills, and mindset.
Once, during a training session, a student was asked, ‘Why do you organise events?’ They replied, ‘To leave a personal mark, of course. It has to be fun. It has to be cool.’
Well, that’s true. Everyone wants to leave something behind in this universe. Especially Gen Z - your generation, growing up amid rapid shifts in technology, career landscapes, and invisible pressures: the pressure to succeed early, to keep up with peers, to constantly update knowledge and skills.
I used to ask students: ‘Have you thought about the legacy your club will leave for the next generation?’ It sounded like a good question, but I realised it also created an invisible pressure: to be different, to do something big. Now, I think what matters more is: are you being true to yourself? Are you part of a community? Are you doing what you love while creating value and positive impact, big or small? Are you enjoying your own journey of personal growth?
Sometimes I observe students from two perspectives: as someone who supports their development, and as a mother learning how to raise a child. No educational environment would ever claim full credit for a student’s growth, it’s always a result of family support: trust, permission, and liberation to live authentically. And that’s true at every level of education.
"My daily interactions with students remind me: let the ‘seeds’ grow in their own way."
At times, I feel RMIT has given me more than just a job. My daily interactions with students remind me: let the “seeds” grow in their own way. We are like gardeners, creating the best conditions possible. But the tree will have its own journey. Letting go of expectations, arrangements, and interventions so the tree can grow freely and objectively, that’s easier said than done. It’s a mindset and practice I continue to explore and learn from.
And as I write this, reflecting on the word “legacy,” RMIT has taught me: Some legacies don’t need to be “left behind.”
Some legacies are simply about being present, being authentic, and being part of something.
On the occasion of RMIT’s 25th anniversary, I may not have written a full 2,500-word piece, but at least I’ve sparked the pen a little.
There are too many beloved people and sisterly bonds to name in this post - but truly, from the bottom of my heart, I’m deeply grateful to RMIT.
Happy anniversary to RMIT - our cultivator of growth!
