Do Ngoc Son: 'Confidently live with passion'

(Baonghean) - After graduating from Nghia Dan 1-5 High School in 2014, Do Ngoc Son became a student of the Faculty of Foreign Economics (Foreign Trade University, Hanoi). The name Do Ngoc Son not only impressed with his impressive achievements, but also left a mark as a talented MC. The boy from the red land is also known as the President of the MC and Foreign Trade Fashion Club (MFC - FTU).

Do Ngoc Son on stage hosting the CMA GRAND CONFERENCE program of AFA Research and Education and the Institute of Chartered Management Accountants Australia (CMA Australia). Photo: NVCC.

Currently, Son is a third-year student at Hanoi Foreign Trade University. Not only does he have an admirable academic record, but he is also very active in extracurricular activities. Do Ngoc Son not only tries his hand at projects related to his major such as the VSEED Social Enterprise Support and Development Project or the Green Seeds project, but he also participates in other jobs such as MC at VTC Television Station, MC teacher. In addition, Son also excelled in becoming a Student Ambassador of FPT Telecom and received a Certificate of Merit from the Central Youth Union.

Starting out as a student of the Foreign Economics Department at the Foreign Trade University in Hanoi, what made Son fall in love with the MC job and become the President of the MC and Foreign Trade Fashion Club (MFC) after 3 years of participation?

Although my major at Foreign Trade University is an economics training school, the school has many hobby groups. Because I wanted to be a MC since I was a child, I signed up for the MC and Fashion Club when I was a freshman. Of the nearly 40 clubs at the university, MFC was the first club I applied to.

During my time at the club, I always tried to improve my MC skills and actively participated in the club's programs. Perhaps that's why everyone trusted me to be the President of MFC Club. I personally feel very lucky because there are many good and talented people in the club.

Many people, when seeing the achievements, or more accurately, the initial successes of a young man, were curious to ask about the starting point of that success? Where did it come from?

Many young people have also asked me curiously: Is Son a "family heirloom"? I would like to share: My parents are small businessmen in the countryside. In high school, I also studied at a normal school in my hometown. Always reminding myself to try hard in studying and in life, especially knowing how to dream and pursue my passion, that can be considered a start.

I am lucky to have my family support me in pursuing my passions. For example, with the "profession" of being a program host. It can be said that my passion for MC was formed since I was a child, when every night my whole family loved to watch game shows like "Who is a millionaire", "Choose the right price"... Looking at the MCs on TV, I was fascinated, always wishing that when I grew up, I would become a program host.

It was my passion that “led the way” for me to boldly participate in extracurricular programs in class and in the locality. I practiced alone or whenever possible on how to speak, how to behave... When I was still in school, I often organized imitation competitions on TV and I played the role of MC such as "Who is a millionaire", "Magic hat"... Gradually, it was through practice and exposure to programs and activities that I gained confidence and maturity...

Do Ngoc Son studies and researches at school. Photo: NVCC

I can’t help but mention a person who had a huge influence on my choice, that is my father. I remember, when I was little, my father always said that being a host was a great job and brought me many things: flexibility, understanding, behavior… My father was also the one who often encouraged me to have faith in what I was pursuing.

Being a native of Nghe An, when standing on stage as an MC, Son speaks with a standard Hanoi accent. Surely Son has some secrets in "adjusting" his voice as well as training? And those are also the difficulties that Son has to overcome?

Voice is a prerequisite for a program host. Therefore, Nghe accent, besides being beautiful from a cultural perspective, is also an obstacle for an MC in large programs that require connection and wide dissemination.

That’s why I think I have to try twice as hard as my friends from other regions who have the advantage of speaking. Actually, at first my voice was still “lipped”, and I tried hard but it was still difficult to correct. Sometimes I felt tired and frustrated when I had to practice “standard voice”. However, I was determined: I had to succeed. If it was hard to practice alone, I had to ask my friends for help.

My secret is to practice reading a lot. Back then, I read 50 pages of books every day, and asked my older siblings and friends to help me correct my sounds and accents. I kept at it for 3 months to master the “Hanoi accent”. I realized that there was no job I couldn’t do, the important thing was whether I had passion and devoted all my energy to it or not.

Country accent, as Son said, sometimes still brings obstacles? So is there anything that Son feels the countryside brings to him? According to Son, what are the important factors to become a good MC?

I think that my hometown Nghe An, the land of hard-working and diligent people, has partly created my character. My hometown, where my relatives and friends have always followed me, is the greatest source of encouragement for me to always strive, persevere and try.

Becoming a good MC is always what I want. And in my opinion, besides an attractive voice, an MC needs to be articulate, confident, and handle situations quickly... However, I think the most important factor is the ability to observe. This was conveyed to me by BTV Thu Ha of VTV News program when I hosted the program with her. She said that being a good MC is not only about being able to speak well and accurately, but also having the ability to observe so that you can grasp everything and become more in control of the program.

Having hosted many different big and small shows, can Son share his most memorable memory?

I used to host some programs of VTC Station such asI Speak Up, One Day I Go, Technology News, Startupsand Youth Union programs such asVietnam - Ireland Student Volunteer Exchange, Sharing Tet Festival, Loving Tet,...

However, I still remember most the moment I was the MC in the program “Dancing for Kindness” organized by the Central Youth Union. That day, I hosted at Ly Thai To monument in very hot weather but thousands of students still danced enthusiastically and wholeheartedly. I also had the chance to interact with MC Phan Anh and witnessed the auction of a painting with the amount of more than 60 million VND to support poor children.

Do Ngoc Son hosts the "Wrapping Chung Cake, Wrapping Love" Festival for the Dinh Dau New Year 2017 in Hanoi. Photo: NVCC

Being the President of the MC and Fashion Club of Foreign Trade University must be a heavy responsibility. How does Son balance his studies and outside activities? What are his plans for the future?

This is also a question that many of my friends and relatives always wonder about. I would like to share that I have a secret: I never let time go to waste. When I have free time, I will take out my books to study, read, do my homework or use my computer to work. The rest of the time, I participate in outside activities.

In general, I always value the time in a day and never let it go to waste. My future plan is to study for a master's degree abroad, however, that depends a lot on my ability and effort. Besides, I still want to live with my passion for MC, whether I am a businessman or someone else, I still want to be associated with the name MC.

It can be said that Son is a young person who knows how to “inspire”. Can Son share his secret or motto in life with young people?

Not everyone has a passion for something or a job, so when you identify your passion, you really like it, you really like doing it, then always be confident to move forward no matter how difficult or arduous the road ahead is so that when you reach the shore of success or the brink of failure, you still won't regret that you missed your passion.

Thanks Son for the chat. Wishing you more and more success in the future!

Thuy Vinh - Thuc Trinh