Competitions
Competing has always been more than about winning for me—it’s about growth, collaboration, and shared passion. From linguistics and economics to community service and public policy, each competition has challenged me to think sharper, work harder, and see problems from new perspectives. I’ve come to love the spirit of competition not as rivalry, but as collective momentum—everyone pushing each other to do better, think deeper, and create more meaningful impact.
Through these experiences, I’ve learned how to balance leadership with teamwork, how to stay grounded under pressure, and how to find purpose beyond rankings. Most importantly, I’ve built lifelong friendships with people who continue to inspire me both personally and intellectually.
International Linguistic Olympiad
"IOL taught me that competition doesn't have to mean rivalry. The people I competed against became the people I learned most from, and some of my closest international friendships emerged from shared struggles with impossible-seeming problems."
Competing again in 2025 in Taiwan after placing in the top 1% nationally felt different. I was more confident, better prepared, and understood what to expect. But I also carried more pressure—I wanted to prove that my first competition wasn't a fluke, that I'd actually improved rather than just gotten lucky.
Top 5%
2024 National Round
Traditional Summer Linguistics School (International Linguistic Olympiad)
Recipient of 1-out-10 Full Scholarship
The Traditional Summer Linguistics School is a prestigious intensive program affiliated with the International Linguistic Olympiad, held annually in Estonia.
Top 1%
2025 National Round
TSLS is no joke. Eight hours daily of problem-solving workshops, syntax theory lectures, morphology seminars, historical linguistics discussions. My brain hurt—in the best possible way. We'd work on problems in teams, present solutions to the group, defend our analytical approaches, and debate alternative interpretations.
International Public Policy Forum (IPPF) - Brewer Foundation & New York University
Our team qualified as one of the top 32 teams globally, making us one of only five Vietnamese teams ever to reach this stage since the competition began in 2020. That historical context added pressure—we weren't just representing ourselves; we were representing Vietnam's capacity for rigorous policy analysis on an international platform.
IPPF was particularly fascinating because I'd done policy research before through my work with the Academy of Politics, but I'd never had to build an actual policy case from scratch
Breaking down complex policy issues, considering multiple stakeholder perspectives, and building comprehensive proposals was challenging but deeply fulfilling. It confirmed that policy work—combining research, analysis, and practical problem-solving—is something I want to pursue seriously
International Baccalaureate Global Youth Action Fund Award
$1,400 for Project LearnThrive Expansion | Selected from 200+ projects
Receiving the IB Global Youth Action Fund Award for LearnThrive was more than financial support—it was validation that our work mattered beyond our immediate community. Out of over 200 projects globally, LearnThrive was selected as one of only two recipients. That recognition opened doors we couldn't have accessed otherwise.
SAGE’2025 (Students for the Advancement of Global Entrepreneurship) - National Round
National Round: Ranked 3/180 teams | First-in-line for SAGE World Cup
Ranking 3rd nationally out of 180 teams and qualifying first-in-line for the World Cup felt incredible. But what I valued most was the process: learning to think like a social entrepreneur, balancing mission with margins, understanding how to scale impact without compromising values. That mindset—that business can be a tool for positive change rather than just profit extraction—resonates deeply with how I want to approach career decisions.
