9X Vietnamese American goes to NASA for internship

Tran Huy Thong (22 years old) will intern at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) this summer.

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“When one door closes, another, bigger one opens. I am thrilled to be selected as a NASA intern at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory starting this summer,” wrote Tran Huy Thong (Thomas Tran).

The 22-year-old male student is studying Aerospace Engineering at Wichita University, Kansas, USA.

Thomas said that although the state he lives in is considered the capital of the aviation industry, with quite high scores and good academic performance, the 9X wanted to go somewhere further. Therefore, instead of choosing to intern at the airlines in the state, Thomas Tran applied to be an intern at NASA, a place many people dream of.

NASA internship acceptance letter sent to Thomas. Photo: NVCC.

'Getting into NASA is not easy but not impossible'

"In addition to NASA, I also applied for internships at many other places such as Spirit Aerosystem, Textron or Beechcraft. But the strange thing is that I got into NASA while other smaller places didn't," said the 22-year-old male student.

The young man said that because of the distance, the interview took place over the phone. Thanks to his experience from previous failed interviews, Thomas overcame this challenge convincingly.

“Normally, employers will ask candidates what they know about their company, as well as the project or program they are applying for, or why they are interested in that company. In addition, experience in projects they have worked on will be a big plus,” the male student informed.

Thomas said that for now, he just wants to complete his internship at NASA well to gain experience for his future job.

“In fact, getting an internship at NASA is not easy but not impossible. This agency has many branches. You can apply to many places but each program or project only recruits one person,” the young man said.

Thomas Tran (second from left) finished the ESL program (for students new to the US) in just one year. Photo: NVCC.

Self-effort

Thomas confided that he moved to the US with his family when he was 11 years old. Like many others, the 9X student had difficulty with the language problem. However, thanks to his progressive spirit and eagerness to learn, the male student quickly integrated into his new life.

"In addition to daily communication with American friends, I often read books. In one semester, I read 25 books, and wrote down any words I didn't know. The key is to use an English-English dictionary. Anyone who uses an English-Vietnamese dictionary is wrong," the 9X said.

When he entered high school, he was transferred to the International Baccalaureate Program while his peers were still studying ESL (for students new to the US).

According to Thomas Tran, this program is very difficult and heavy, especially the English subject. Students have to write a lot and constantly present in class. However, these are just challenges that help Thomas practice, creating the premise for future successes.

In 2013, Thomas graduated from high school and enrolled at Wichita State University. He wrote a scholarship essay and was the sole recipient of the school's second-highest full scholarship.

"At that time, I didn't prepare much and only knew a little about the school. I don't think you should memorize or practice for any interview. This doesn't mean you have to recite, doing so will make your answers sound unnatural. Just be honest and answer with all your heart," the Vietnamese-American shared.

"One element of success is setting standards for yourself. When your decisions are influenced or come from others, it means you are not living for yourself but living to please them," Thomas emphasized.

This guy said he sets very high standards for himself even though his parents and family don't force him.

According to Zing