Nguyen Khanh Bao Nguyen (left) organizes charity activities when returning home to visit his family in the summer of 2024 - Photo: NVCC
Two years ago, Nguyen Khanh Bao Nguyen left her family to study abroad in the US. And the way this Vietnamese female student filled the emptiness of being alone in a foreign land was nothing other than participating in many activities, taking advantage of every opportunity to introduce Vietnam.
At The Lawrenceville School in Lawrenceville (New Jersey, USA), the 17-year-old girl is currently the president of the Model United Nations (MUN) Club, head of the theater technical department and winter theater festival, president of the International Student Association, vice president of the school's Cultural Club, and also a theater director.
Here I learned to promote creative solutions, foster informed citizenship, and build a culture of sharing. The value of teamwork is evident as we come together to find new approaches to problems, which are always a collective effort, not just from a single individual.
Independent at 15
* Let's say you "escaped" your family at the age of 15. What difficulties did you overcome as a girl?
Nguyen Khanh Bao Nguyen
- The biggest challenge is probably homesickness and the feeling of being lost in a foreign land. Many other international students, like me, miss home a lot but their schedules are so packed that they don’t have time to think about going home to visit their families.
For me, I overcome that initial difficulty by proactively organizing cultural events within my capabilities. This is both to remind myself of my roots and to have the opportunity to share the beauty of Vietnamese culture with international friends.
But I often call my family. I think the important thing that even when you are not living far from your family, each of you needs to remember is that there is no support more precious than family.
That is where your loved ones are always present, always listening and ready to accompany you wherever you are.
* You are very active for a slim figure because you have many roles. What about your achievements?
- My energy comes from being able to participate in things I am passionate about, working with friends and teachers. I can also say that I am lucky to have been given the opportunity to hold leadership roles in many organizations at school, from academics to cultural clubs, theater... These positions helped me realize how powerful a driving force passion can be.
At the same time, I also learned how to manage my time because there were meetings that lasted until late at night or events that took place in the evening during the week or on the weekend. Through each extracurricular activity, I accumulated quite a few skills that greatly supplemented my learning journey.
My profound experience so far is that learning is a never-ending process that you can learn anywhere, anytime.
Writing is an opportunity to relax and calm down.
* You've had quite a few articles published in the school magazine, haven't you?
- I have loved writing since I was a child because it is an activity that helps me feel relaxed and calm. Thanks to the habit of writing regularly, I realized that at those times, the words on the page are not just simply recording what is happening but also conveying my thoughts and many emotions.
Journalism is very important as well as knowledge is an invaluable asset if the message is conveyed effectively. From my personal experience, I always think that if someone really wants to seek knowledge and valuable information, then journalism is always a fairly quick way to help them reach this in the easiest way.
* As a Vietnamese girl living in Western culture, how can I share Vietnamese culture with international friends and will it be accepted?
- Through my leadership role in the international student association and cultural clubs at school, I have many opportunities to share Vietnamese culture with my friends in many different ways. For example, I have cooked many Vietnamese dishes at school dinner parties so that my friends from many countries can enjoy the familiar flavors that I grew up with, such as spring rolls, char siu sandwiches, etc.
I also planned fashion events where the Vietnamese Ao Dai was proudly introduced. I also took the opportunity to share and teach you many interesting things about the Vietnamese language and culture, which to me is very beautiful and worth being proud of!
And the feedback I received? It was very positive. Many people eagerly asked when the next culinary event would be. Some even asked me questions in Vietnamese or shared things that made them curious about our S-shaped country.
Promise to return
* Going to school and coming back is patriotism, do you think so?
- I am still on a journey of self-discovery and am not really sure which field I will pursue in the future, but I know that I am inclined towards the social sciences . For me, studying abroad has never been a true act of leaving, but rather a promise to return with knowledge that can bring value to my community.
Bringing Vietnamese culture to the world and sharing it with other communities is for me personally a way of expressing my patriotism that I am still doing every day. And if in the future I can use what I have learned from these days to contribute to my homeland, that will be the destination I look forward to.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/lan-toa-ban-sac-viet-tu-nhung-viec-nho-20250625103501982.htm
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