Vietnamese girl graduated with honors from university in the US

Thuy Duong, 26 years old, graduated as valedictorian of her Marketing major at university, achieved perfect scores in her first year of her master's program, thanks to a detailed study strategy.

Le Thuy Duong is currently studying for an MBA (Master of Business Administration) at Gonzaga University, Spokane, Washington. She also works part-time in the Marketing department and is the president of the Vietnamese Student Association at the school, organizing events to connect and promote Vietnamese culture to international friends.

She returned to school after two years working at a law firm in Las Vegas, Nevada. During her nearly 10 years in the US, Duong achieved excellent academic results.

"I was very surprised because I am an international student and English is not my mother tongue. I just thought I would try my best," Duong shared.

Le Thuy Duong, President of the Vietnamese Student Association at Gonzaga University, USA. Photo: Provided by the character

In 2015, Duong went to the US to study Marketing at Mercyhurst University in Erie, Pennsylvania. Confident with his fluent English and near-perfect GPA, Duong's biggest difficulty while studying abroad was language. The former student of Yen Hoa High School in Hanoi could keep up with the lectures in class but had difficulty integrating into everyday life.

Living in the dormitory, Duong often went to the common areas to chat with friends and join clubs. She also "plowed" American movies, imitating the characters' voices to practice intonation like a native. In addition, Duong signed up to be the assistant director of the school's event organization department. Thanks to that, Duong overcame the language barrier after a few weeks.

At the beginning of the school year, when the professors gave out the course outline, Duong planned for each subject, marking the deadlines. For large assignments, she divided the work into smaller tasks to complete gradually. Determining the major from the beginning, Duong knew what subjects she needed to study to complete the course. In the first two years, she focused on studying basic subjects such as Marketing Principles, Accounting or writing for university, the next two years were for advanced specialized subjects including Economic Law or Financial Management...

Duong said that the city of Erie is small, with few places to have fun, so after school, she mainly stays in her room to study. With a detailed study strategy, Duong graduated as valedictorian of her Marketing major, achieving the title Magna cum laude (excellent graduation), with a grade point average (GPA) of 3.75/4.

She then moved to Las Vegas to look for work. After several applications, she was invited to interview with Van Law Firm and was hired as a Marketing Officer in July 2019. Eight months later, she was appointed as a manager when the position became vacant.

"Duong is a great employee, always hard-working and proactive in her work. She was my Marketing assistant and was promoted to manager," commented Ms. Sandy Van, director and founder of the law firm.

Duong said that as an employee, she supported and followed the plans of the person in charge. But in a management position, she was the one who directly developed marketing strategies, met with partners, scheduled and implemented work. The job was stressful but helped Duong mature and learn a lot of experience from her colleagues.

After his one-year work visa expired, and during the Covid-19 pandemic, Duong decided to return to Vietnam on a rescue flight. The company allowed him to work remotely, but at that time, he was uncertain about the future and the time zone was different, so Duong had to refuse.

She also sees this as the time to look for a new environment to advance, such as studying for a master's degree to have the opportunity to enter large American corporations.

Duong (back row, second from right) with colleagues at Van Law Firm, Christmas 2019. Photo: Character provided

Thinking that he had mastered the way of studying in the US, when he returned to the classroom, Duong was overwhelmed by the fast pace. Unlike university, in the beginning, the master's program goes straight into the major, with a lot of knowledge and heavy. In university, it is about doing exercises, but at the master's level, the exercises are projects, highly specialized. For example, in the finance assignment, students are required to analyze the financial situation of large corporations.

"We have to do it practically, it takes a lot of time to research to understand," Duong said. She maintains the method of studying by planning and making a list of tasks to do. Duong's academic results in the first two semesters were absolute - 4/4.

Not only maintaining good academic results, Duong also participates in many activities and jobs at school. Since university, Duong has been a school ambassador, in charge of giving tours to introduce the history, outstanding majors and campus to interested parents and students. In addition, she works as a teaching assistant and student support staff. The jobs help Duong earn an income, also bring opportunities to learn and expand relationships.

Duong said he will take advantage of the opportunity to stay a year after graduation to find a job in the field of Marketing.

With her experience, she believes that international students should boldly exchange information, seize every opportunity to interact with employers, and participate in competitions to enrich their resumes.

"The important thing is to know your weaknesses. When you really want to overcome them, you will find a way to overcome them," Duong said.

Dawn

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