Where Are They Now?

My parents saw UNIS Hanoi as an opportunity to provide a better education for my brother and I. Contrary to the rigorous and standardised education system back in South Korea, UNIS Hanoi with its international curriculum and unique affiliation with the United Nations was an opportunity they could not pass up on. In particular, they believed being bilingual would be invaluable socially and for my professional career.

I recall being in a very welcoming and diverse environment. For the first time in my life, my closest friends were not fellow Korean peers, but rather students from Israel, Sri Lanka, Czech Republic, Vietnam, and more. I recall taking advantage of the extensive facilities, the fields specifically, by playing soccer after school everyday with my friends and just having fun. It was a community I would have never been a part of elsewhere in Hanoi or even back in South Korea at the time.

I have loved all my teachers from Lower Elementary up until my Senior year to the extent that I still remember all of my teachers’ names. Each and every one of them was unique in their own way yet all nurturing and understanding. Specifically, seeing my teacher, Ms. Lam from Grade 1, cheering me on in the Grand Walk was extremely meaningful and a memory I will never forget. My Elementary teachers were always inclusive and supportive, which helped me overcome my timidness as an unconfident non-native English speaker and transition into Middle School, a more socially and academically demanding setting.

Engaging with pressing issues that transcend borders, such as global warming and poverty, since a young age has provided the foundation for myself to be a globally responsible and conscious citizen. The 17 SDGs have inspired my daily outlook on life. I volunteer weekly as a mentor to disadvantaged students here in Philadelphia. Being immersed in an environment that promotes and embodies the UN values and SDGs has made me think of the bigger picture and the potential consequences of my day-to-day actions on future generations.

Being in such a diverse, inclusive, and academically challenging environment has taught me to embrace mistakes and encouraged me to not only be academically curious but also to act on such problems that intrigue me. UNIS Hanoi helped me develop into a globally conscious, intellectually curious, and serviceminded person, making me realise that I am capable of enacting change in my community and beyond.

In Elementary school, I loved the afterschool activities (ASA) programme in which I always signed up for all programmes that interested me, ranging from gardening, arts and crafts, field hockey, to guitar and drums from the UNIS Music Academy (UMA). Throughout Secondary School, I was involved in several co-curricular activities in addition to continuing sports like soccer and basketball. Some examples include the Impact Fund Committee as a student representative for 3 years, Microfinance for Change (a group that economically empowers Vietnamese women in rural areas through microloans) as an executive, and UNISTEM (a club that was home to 50+ members) as the Vice-President.

After completing my bachelor’s degree, I hope to work in Wall Street in the private sector for a few years before moving onto private equity or the public sector. My end goal, however, is to be a venture capitalist in impact investing, funding meaningful startups and businesses that I believe will bring value to the world. I want to help society by enabling people attempting to make an impact to pursue their entrepreneurial and social ventures.

To anyone thinking of attending UNIS Hanoi, I would strongly recommend they do without hesitation. The global environment, extensive facilities, and welcoming as well as diverse community at UNIS Hanoi are opportunities that you most likely can not find elsewhere. As a student who attended the school for 13 years, I can confidently say that the lessons as well as skills I learned have been invaluable right now in college and will continue to shape my life in the future.