Inspiring top graduates of RMIT Vietnam class of 2022

Inspiring top graduates of RMIT Vietnam class of 2022

RMIT Vietnam Chairman’s Award winners Nguyen Thanh Thao and Hoang Linh Giang truly represent values the University wants to see in its top graduates – high academic achievement, social responsibility and service to the University community.

The award is presented to the very deserving graduates from each campus, and this year it went to Bachelor of Languages graduate Nguyen Thanh Thao and Bachelor of Tourism and Hospitality Management graduate Hoang Linh Giang from Saigon South and Hanoi campus, respectively.

A resilient fighter

With double majors in Japanese and Translating and Interpretating and graduating top of her class, Nguyen Thanh Thao has shown the qualities of a true fighter through great courage, remarkable resilience and untiring perseverance.

Bachelor of Languages graduate Nguyen Thanh Thao is the 2022 Chairman’s Award winner from the RMIT Saigon South campus.Bachelor of Languages graduate Nguyen Thanh Thao is the 2022 Chairman’s Award winner from the RMIT Saigon South campus.

Growing up in a divorced family since an early age, Thao refused to conform to the stereotype attached to children of divorced parents and set her heart on defining her existence through volunteerism and study.

Thao has been an active volunteer for Sugar Vietnam, an NPO providing welfare for underprivileged children in local shelters, for more than six years.

Her work is highly appreciated by the President of Sugar Vietnam Mr Doan Thai Thien Loc.

“Thao is one of the most devoted, compassionate and resourceful people that I’ve had the chance to work with during my volunteer work,” Mr Loc said. 

“Being a leader of the Big Summer Trip project, she had the responsibility to organise a six-day trip of outdoor activities for three different shelters with the participation of fifteen Vietnamese and fifteen Singaporean volunteers.

“Thao always focuses on bringing children valuable experiences and building connection between the volunteers and children despite language barriers.”

Being a recipient of the Academic Achievement for Current Students Scholarship in 2019, Thao showed a rare resilience, especially when taking double majors.

“Her learning journey for the Japanese language was uneasy as Thao did not have much exposure to the language community,” RMIT School of Communication & Design senior lecturer Eriko Yamato recalled.

“At the start of the courses, she was not always the best student in the Japanese language classes in terms of her Japanese proficiency.

“However, her emotional intelligence turned the challenging learning condition into an effective one.

“Her critical analytical engagement and argumentation in the course assessments were consistently outstanding.”

Thao had her article published in Vinaboo Magazine, a magazine for Japanese expatriates, to narrate her journey of studying Japanese at RMIT Vietnam, led the organising committee for the International Translation Day workshop, and was a valuable Languages Program Tutor at RMIT Student Academic Success.

Like many students, Thao got hit by the anxiety of having to live and study in a prolonged state of uncertainty when COVID-19 first broke out in 2020. She was torn when deciding to take a Leave of Absence for self-recovery and therefore relinquishing her graduation plan.

“COVID has created unprecedented adversities that no one could have anticipated,” Thao said.

“However, it has also drawn us together because of our shared experiences, emotions and struggles.”

“We have finally crossed the finish line! I feel so proud to be among everyone here [at graduation ceremonies].”

To the more than 1,100 graduating class of 2022 at Saigon South campus, Thao sent this sincere wish: “We all flourish wherever we are planted, and just like what the RMIT community has done for us, we too will uplift those around us to help them keep blossoming into their own version of beautiful lotus flowers”.

A driver of change

Born into an exemplary family, Hoang Linh Giang said that she was raised and taught to treat people with love and kindness.

“Having my parents' endless encouragement, I often tell myself that ‘no dream is too big to come true’ and to keep it in mind as the greatest motivation to follow my dreams.”

The 2022 Chairman’s Award winner from the RMIT Hanoi campus Hoang Linh Giang (pictured right) with RMIT Vietnam Chairman Professor Peter Coloe.The 2022 Chairman’s Award winner from the RMIT Hanoi campus Hoang Linh Giang (pictured right) with RMIT Vietnam Chairman Professor Peter Coloe.

From a freshman girl who was eager to explore the Tourism and Hospitality industry, Giang made the most out of her past three-year journey at RMIT, tirelessly shared her passion and understanding while steadily strengthened the network with RMIT community and beyond.

Graduating Bachelor of Tourism and Hospitality Management with Distinction, Giang was the founder and former President of RMIT Tourism and Hospitality Management (THM) club at Hanoi campus since 2019. The student-led club won the Phoenix Award by RMIT Student Life in 2019 and currently has over 80 active members.

“It’s part of my never-ending efforts in terms of outreach to the sector, which aims to help RMIT Vietnam to find a prestigious place on the world map by affirming the academic quality of the THM discipline and empowering all youth to believe more in themselves and to become drivers of changes for the responsible and sustainable development of the tourism industry,” Giang said.

Holding the role of the Chairman of RMIT Vietnam Student Chapter at Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), Giang successfully conducted a PATA Youth Webinar called ‘The role of Smart Tourism & Smart Cities in Recovery and Development’ in 2021 with 1.8K viewers on Facebook and 3.65K on Zoom to bring the positive signal of tourism recovery and encourage students not to lose faith in the future of the THM industry.

In 2020, joining the UN World Tourism Organisation Students’ League contest, Giang and her team were ranked in the top 4 in the final round for innovative ideas to help Spain’s tourism sector recover post COVID-19.

A year later, Giang was presented with the prestigious Student Leadership Recognition Awards for showing outstanding leadership and contribution to the community.

Giang asked her fellow graduates to care for many other greater things in life and “make yourself valuable and worthwhile when supporting and contributing to society since our time is precious”.

“Since life is an open book for everyone, many opportunities are out there so don't worry too much and start scratching your own journey,” Giang said.

“The last couple of years have been unprecedented with the COVID-19 pandemic. From my side, I have no regrets at all. During those times that my study plan [to go on an exchange] got cancelled, in return, it gave me the motivation to enter global competitions like UNWTO Students’ League and work at Pacific Asia Travel Association.”

“So, my dear friends, we all can start from small actions every day.”

“My wish for you is to believe more in yourself. There will be days when you feel lost or alone, but you know, after the rain the sun will shine brightly. Let's look in the mirror to remind ourselves who we are and who we are meant to be. We will never know how far we can go and how powerful we can become when it comes to bringing positive changes to communities,” Giang concluded.

---

On 8 April 2022, Giang and more than 270 fellow graduands walked proudly across the stage at the National Convention Center in Hanoi to collect the testamurs for their newly acquired academic degrees. This added to a total of more than 1,450 graduates of RMIT Vietnam class of 2022. 

More than 1,450 students graduated from RMIT Vietnam in early April 2022.More than 1,450 students graduated from RMIT Vietnam in early April 2022.

Story: Ha Hoang

12 April 2022

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