Vietnamese-born 9X goes to NASA for internship

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

"Father Nguyen Dinh Thuc incites parishioners."

"When one door closes, another, larger door opens. I am deeply moved to be selected as a NASA intern at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory beginning this summer," wrote Tran Huy Thong (Thomas Tran).

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

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

Thomas received a letter notifying him of his acceptance for an internship position from NASA. Photo: Provided by the interviewee.

'Getting into NASA isn't easy, but it's not impossible.'

"Besides NASA, I also applied for internships at several other places like Sprit Aerosystem, Textron, and Beechcraft. But strangely, I got accepted into NASA while I didn't get accepted into smaller places," the 22-year-old student said.

The young man explained that because of the distance, the interview took place over the phone. Thanks to experience from previous interview failures, Thomas aced this challenge convincingly.

"Typically, recruiters will ask candidates what they know about their company, as well as the project or program they're applying for, or why they're interested in that company. In addition, experience in previous projects is a significant plus," the male student explained.

Thomas said that for now, he just wants to do well in his internship at NASA to gain experience for his future career.

"Actually, getting an internship at NASA isn't easy, but it's not impossible either. The agency has many branches. You can apply to multiple places, but each program or project only hires one person," the young man said.

Thomas Tran (second from the left) completed his ESL program (for students who have recently arrived in the US) in just one year. Photo: Provided by the interviewee.

Self-effort

Thomas shared that he moved to the US with his family when he was 11 years old. Like many others, he faced difficulties with the language. However, thanks to his proactive attitude and eagerness to learn, the young man quickly adapted to his new life.

"Besides daily communication with my American friends, I read books regularly. In one semester, I read 25 novels, writing down any words I didn't know. The key is to use an English-English dictionary. Anyone who uses an English-Vietnamese dictionary is making a mistake," the 9X generation member said.

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

According to Thomas Tran, this program is very difficult and demanding, especially the English course. Students have to write a lot and constantly give presentations in class. However, these are just challenges that help Thomas train and lay the foundation for future success.

In 2013, Thomas graduated from high school and enrolled at Wichita University. He wrote an essay for a scholarship and was the only one to win the university's second-largest full scholarship.

"Back then, I wasn't very prepared and only knew a little about the school. I believe you shouldn't memorize or practice for any interview. It's not like reciting a lesson; doing so will make your answers sound unnatural. Just be genuine and answer to the best of your ability," the Vietnamese-American shared.

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

The young man said he sets very high standards for himself, even though his parents and family don't pressure him.

According to Zing