Scholarship winner discovers the power of sharing ideas

As one of eight RMIT Vietnam Vice-Chancellor’s Scholars this year, Thinh impressed the scholarship panel with his academic and extra-curricular achievements.

He won several prizes in citywide and nationwide competitions, notably the third prize in the National English Competition in which as a 11th grader he competed against mostly 12^th graders.

Outside of class, Thinh was an active participant in debate tournaments and the president of his high school’s debate club The Colosseum. He was also the president of Hinges, a non-profit to raise awareness of mental health and psychology, and the head of content for cultural project GẤC ĐỎ.

“I am a thinker, a speaker, a writer, and more importantly, a believer in the power of sharing ideas,” Thinh wrote in his scholarship application.

“Over the years, I have worked relentlessly to improve my skills in spreading my own stories and meaningful ideas as well as fought for the right of others to express themselves.”

But that wasn’t always the case. Listening to Thinh talk eloquently today, most people could not imagine that he used to be a taciturn young boy who only kept to himself after losing his mother at ten years old.

“There was a time when I didn’t care to talk at all. Despite being bullied by others, I was totally silent. Muted by all the pain and agony ever since my mum passed away, my younger self didn’t know how to cope,” Thinh said.

Everything changed when he shared his life story in an essay for a final test in sixth grade. His authenticity touched his literature teacher, and she selected him to compete in a local writing contest, in which he won the third prize and a ticket to the citywide round.

“Since that day, I opened up more and started to take part in many activities where I can share my thoughts on matters around me. It made me realise how healing and impactful idea sharing can be on both individual and societal levels.”

Thinh is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Professional Communication at RMIT, with which he hopes to “spread my ideas, encourage others to share their own, and together make an impact on society”.

Back in 10th grade, Thinh attended an Experience Day at RMIT’s Saigon South campus. From the first moment he stepped foot inside the campus, he told himself that he would spend his university years there.

“As someone who wants to raise the voice of the community and bring value to them through different projects and activities, I believe I can make the most of my abilities and contribute more to society in RMIT’s dynamic, creative and energetic environment,” Thinh said.

‘RMIT University or nothing’ was the goal he set for himself throughout three years of high school to go all out for an RMIT scholarship.

“One piece of advice for those who are looking to win a scholarship like me is to build a story that bears your own imprint. It could be told with pictures, words, or videos. Tell the story in your own way and you will be able to stand out from the crowd.”

He also recalled: “The interview round was the biggest surprise to me because there were nearly 10 interviewers in the panel. I’d suggest trying to be as confident and enthusiastic as possible. Even if your answers aren’t top-notch, the confidence and enthusiasm will surely be a huge plus point.”

Unlike the stereotypical straight-A student, Thinh always tries to keep a work-life balance by making time for hobbies like eating out, watching films, daily skin care, tarot reading, and learning graphic design and foreign languages.

The former English major student from the VNU-HCM High School for the Gifted has been taking classes in Korean, Japanese and Chinese. Learning foreign languages was initially just for fun but Thinh soon found that they are incredibly useful tools to understand other cultures and communicate better with people.

“Further down the line, I hope to have the opportunity to work in many different countries to gain experience and broaden my mindset, so that I can succeed in the communications field,” he said.

Story: Ngoc Hoang