Society

"From my village, I stepped out into the world!"

Thanh Quynh • October 6, 2026 05:57

As a daughter of the mountainous region of Tuong Duong, Mac Luong Ha Anh (born in 2006), a Thai ethnic girl, has had a memorable journey in her studies and personal growth. From winning a Gold Medal and Special Prize at the World Invention and Innovation Olympiad (WICO) in the 2022-2023 academic year to gaining experience in international relations and integration as an intern at the Vietnamese Embassy in Malaysia and as a communications officer at the Central Committee of the Vietnam Student Association (2006).

Thanh Quynh(perform)/Present: Hong Toai •4/10/2026

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As a daughter of the mountainous region of Tuong Duong, Mac Luong Ha Anh (born in 2006), a Thai ethnic girl, has had a memorable journey in her studies and personal growth. From winning a Gold Medal and Special Prize at the World Invention and Innovation Olympiad (WICO) in the 2022-2023 academic year to gaining experience in international relations and integration as an intern at the Vietnamese Embassy in Malaysia and as a communications officer at the Central Committee of the Vietnam Student Union (2026).

Each milestone has led me to broader environments, helping me realize that my starting point isn't a limitation, but can become a foundation for confidently stepping into the future.

To better understand the experiences of young people in an international environment and their preparation for integration, Nghe An Newspaper and Radio & Television had a conversation with Mac Luong Ha Anh.

PV:From the highlands of Tuong Duong, I've had many opportunities to experience and explore places beyond the borders of our country. After those trips, what do I remember most?

MacWageHa Anh:Of all my experiences in international environments, two are the most memorable: one from my school days and one from my university days.

My first experience was a trip to South Korea to participate in the World Invention and Innovation Olympiad (WICO). This opportunity was made possible thanks to the care and support of the school's administration and teachers at the Nghe An Provincial Ethnic Boarding High School. I remember most vividly the moment I stepped up to receive the award in the traditional attire of the Thai ethnic group.

Being able to bring the traditional clothing and identity of my homeland to another country on an international stage made me very proud. That moment also helped me realize that, even though I come from a remote mountain village, the story of my homeland and culture can still be shared and appreciated in a much larger space.

The second opportunity was an internship at the Vietnamese Embassy in Malaysia in August 2026. While the trip to South Korea helped me feel a deeper sense of pride in my identity, Malaysia opened up a different perspective for me, allowing me to directly see a new country and culture, and experience working at a Vietnamese representative office abroad.

I had the opportunity to observe how work was carried out, participate in some practical tasks, and meet colleagues and friends from many different backgrounds and with very different experiences. At that time, the knowledge I had learned in the classroom began to feel more relevant and concrete.

Those trips helped me understand that starting point can make a difference, but it doesn't determine everything. When opportunities arise, what matters is whether you are proactive and willing to seize them. I think that each trip is not only an experience, but also a chance to reflect on myself and realize that there is still much to learn, experience, and strive for.

PV:Many people still believe that young people born in mountainous areas or ethnic minority regions may have a disadvantage when entering broader environments. How do you view this? Have you ever felt insecure or apprehensive about it?What was my starting point?

Mac Luong Ha Anh:Actually, I've never thought I needed to hide or be ashamed of being of Thai ethnicity, born and raised in Tuong Duong. On the contrary, I see it as a very important part of who I am.

From a young age, all I saw were villages, streams, rivers, the roads to school, and the lives of the people around me. There were times when, witnessing the hardships of the people in my hometown, I wondered why some young people had to put their education aside to make a living?

In addition, the trips my parents took me to remote villages further from where I live gave me the opportunity to directly experience the lives of the local people, from meals and sleep amidst the sounds of insects and birds, to waking up in the morning to the sound of roosters crowing, rice pounding, and the sounds of livestock in the village.

When I entered the Diplomatic Academy, I also felt peer pressure. Many of my classmates came from prestigious schools, major cities, had excellent foreign language skills, were dynamic, and could multitask. There were times I wondered if I was lagging behind them. But then I realized I shouldn't use other people's starting points as a yardstick to negate my own efforts.

I chose to learn and interact with my peers, asking questions about things I didn't know and seeking guidance on skills I lacked. As a result, instead of viewing differences as a burden, I began to see them as opportunities to learn. I believe everyone has a different starting point; what matters is whether we continue to move forward.

For me, my hometown isn't a boundary. I always feel that no matter where I go or what environment I try, there's always a warm place to return to. Perhaps that feeling gives me the confidence to step out, challenge myself, and go further.

PV: Foreign languages ​​are becoming an increasing concern for many young people, especially in their studies, job search, and integration into society. As a student with strong foreign language skills, I also strive to preserve my ethnic language. Based on my own experience, how can young people from ethnic minorities improve their foreign language abilities while maintaining their native language and cultural identity?

Mac Luong Ha Anh:For me, learning foreign languages ​​is quite a long story. There was a time when I thought English was a difficult subject and that I didn't really have an advantage in it. But as I grew older, and had more opportunities to learn and interact with different environments, I realized that if I wanted to go further, I couldn't just communicate within familiar spaces. Foreign languages ​​helped me read more, understand more, and, more importantly, allowed me to converse with people from different cultures.

Therefore, I've developed the habit of regularly engaging with English instead of just studying for tests. I read news, content related to International Relations, look up unfamiliar words, and write down useful expressions. Sometimes, reading an article in English is much slower than in Vietnamese, but I think that's how I gradually overcome my shyness and fear of foreign languages. When I use English in my work, activities, and real-world experiences, I understand even more that a foreign language isn't just a "subject," but a tool to connect with the world.

Thanks to this, when I achieved the top score of 29 in the C00 group (Literature, History, Geography) at the university level, my foreign language score was still 9 points. This result also gave me a strong foundation in foreign languages ​​to continue my studies at the university level.

But what's quite interesting is that the more new languages ​​I learn, the more aware I become of my Thai. I never had to think about how I should learn Thai, because it's the language I grew up with, through family conversations, the voices of relatives and neighbors in my village, and familiar daily life from a young age.

Perhaps that's why I rarely thought about "preserving" the Thai language before. It wasn't until I went to study far from home, attended university, and interacted with friends from many different regions that I realized it's a very personal part of me. Everyone has a story about where they were born, and for me, the Thai language is a way for the story of my homeland to be told in my own language.

During my high school years, I was a member of the school's "Traditional Arts" Club, which gave me more opportunities to experience traditional cultural values. I feel fortunate to have lived in two quite different linguistic environments: one side being Thai culture, connected to my family, hometown, and memories; the other being a foreign language that helps me learn, communicate, and enter broader environments. These two things are not contradictory but complement each other.

Later, when connecting with many fellow Thai students studying in Hanoi, I realized even more clearly that Thai is not only the language of my homeland, but also a thread that helps those far from home recognize and connect with each other.

I even think that the more I can communicate with the world, the more opportunities I have to tell the story of my homeland in my own way. For me, knowing another language is like having another door to look out at; and preserving my own language means still knowing where that door opens from.

PV:If I could send one message to young people today, I would like to...What message can I convey from my own experiences?

Mac Luong Ha Anh:I think no one can know exactly where they're going, but if you're willing to learn and dare to step outside your comfort zone, you'll have more options for the future. In a rapidly changing world, every young person probably needs to prepare themselves with a solid foundation of knowledge, foreign languages, adaptability, and most importantly, proactiveness in seizing opportunities.

I myself am still on that journey, and I don't think I or my friends have to become someone truly special to go far; we can start with very small things. Like studying a subject we love thoroughly, reading another book, learning a foreign language, or trying out a competition we want to conquer.

I hope my story will be seen not just in terms of achievement, but also as an inspiration that every young person has the right to dream, the right to try, and the right to choose their own path.

PV:Thank you for the conversation!