I am beyond honored to have had the opportunity to journey to Vietnam. The trip exposed me to the raw beauty and sheer size of our world. Whether I was trying new fruits or attempting to learn the Vietnamese language, I was able to experience new adventures everyday. I am so grateful to have received the Thomas Angelo Honors Scholarship, which helped me afford this trip. The scholarship allowed me to participate in the program without worrying about whether or not the cost of the trip would be covered. I want to thank the members of the Office of the Dean in the College of Business Administration for awarding me with this honor. This trip truly changed me life.

I got the chance to learn about the precise planning and financing that goes into development projects like Phu My Hung and VSIP. Economic projects like these have always interested me and I was glad I got to see this kinds of companies firsthand. They opened my eyes to the impact that projects like these may have on the culture and economic structure of the community. From observing these types of companies, I know that I want to continue to study how the general condition of the economy impacts the quality of life of people and how to combat the negative effects.

Speaking of the people of Vietnam, the students of the University of Economics and Finance (UEF) were absolutely incredible. They helped us with our pronunciation of the Vietnamese language and took us to  amazing restaurants. I got the chance to try some of the food I have ever had. They made the daunting task of exploring Ho Chi Minh City into a fun adventure. Along with the UEF students, the Pitt students from this Plus3 group were also fantastic. I knew that I would get to know many of them very well, but I did not expect to get so close with them. We learned that many of us were very similar and enjoyed the same rush of adventure as we journeyed to places like the Mekong Delta and the Cu Chi Tunnels. I found myself lost in conversation and bursting into uncontrollable laughter with many of the members of our group . Even though some of us were split by our respective engineering and business degrees, we had the opportunity to see where our fields crossed over. I can safely say that made some amazing new friends on this trip as well.

After this trip, I want to continue traveling. When I came back home, I told my mother that I was ready to see the world. In terms of my academic plans, I still want to continue to pursue a finance degree in business administration because this trip show there are so many limitless opportunities that this degree can take me. After our trip to VinaCapital, I was a bit lost during the descriptive presentation of the all the company’s intricate financial data, but I knew that all that kind of financial information was exactly what I wanted to learn. I’m excited to see where I might end up, in terms of my career and field of interest. Hopefully, it’ll somehow involving seeing the world!

Thank you again for such an amazing, life changing experience!

Hen Gap Lai!