UGRAD Alumni Updates: Malaysia & Vietnam
2009-2010 Malaysia
On March 20, 2014, Tan Eng Hwa,a 2009-2010 UGRAD alum, was awarded the ‘Pingat Perkhidmatan Yang Jasa Kebaktian’ (PJK) (The Meritorious Service Medal) in conjunction with the Birthday of the Sultan of the State of Kedah. The award was given in recognition of Eng Hwa’s outstanding service in bringing prosperity to the state or for substantial acts of public charity through his family business to the small town of Changlun, which borders the neighboring country of Thailand.
On May 4, 2014, Ooi Li Hsien (Sean) and Wong Yeong Ru, both 2009-2010 UGRAD alumni, acted as mentors to a team of students and led them to victory in the “Best Pitch” contest for Click Camp 4.0. This social entrepreneurship project was jointly organized by the U.S. Embassy in Malaysia, LifeChamp (headed by 2010-2011 UGRAD alum Choo Choon Sian), the Malaysian-American Alumni Partnership (MAAP) (headed by 2011-2012 UGRAD alumni Wilson Beh & Nasha Lee with 2012-2013 UGRAD alum Cheong Chee Lee) and the Malaysian Ministry of Education. The Click Camp 4.0 Project Director, 2012-2013 UGRAD alum Cayenne Lai Kar Yan, conducted the camp in Royal Hotel Penang. The event saw teams from 13 schools throughout the states of Penang, Kedah, Perak and Johor, and teams were comprised of schools from ETAs, Teach for Malaysia and ACCESS students. CLICK!
Camp 4.0 is an intensive, educational, interactive 3-day camp which brings rural and semi-urban students (aged 14-16) from 30 high schools. Three camp sessions took place: one in Penang (2nd-4th May), one in Kuching (23th-25th May), and the third in Kuala Terengganu (17th-19th June). During this time, students learned about social entrepreneurship through sessions and activities conducted by professional trainers. At the end of the camp, students were required to develop social entrepreneurship projects to solve some of the most critical issues in their communities. Ooi Li Hsien’s students’ project enabled special needs students to be financially independent, while Wong Yeong Ru’s project helped flood victims in the rural town of Mahang.
Click on this web link to learn more about the Wong Yeongs Ru’s project: http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Community/2014/05/09/Movie-night-to-raise-funds-for-flood-victims/
2011-2013 Vietnam
Phuong Vu (2011-12) holds an Amcham Scholarship from American Chamber of Commerce for academic achievement and potential leadership. She is about to finish her bachelors degree in International Law from the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam and was granted a scholarship to take part in the Asia Institute for Political Economy hosted by University of Hong Kong during the summer of 2014.
Huy Dong Si (2011-12) completed a six-month internship at the Vietnam Southern Electricity Distribution Company in early 2013 and won 2nd prize in a team circuit design challenge from Texas Instruments. He also participated in several tech competitions: Raise your ARM, Intel Ideas, and Schneider’s Go Green, and has coordinated and volunteered for various activities such as Green Summer, Volunteering Spring, and Blood Drive.
Pham Thien Thu (2011-12) was one of 14 outstanding law students awarded the Globalized Era Scholarship sponsored by over 20 big law firms and companies in Vietnam in 2012. This led her to focus on her career path in law, and she was hired to work in a top tier law firm in the Finance, Banking and M&A section in Vietnam.
Tran Thi Thuy Trang (2011-12) graduated from Foreign Trade University in Hanoi. In July 2012, she was chosen as one of the distinguished Vietnamese alumni from the Department of State to meet former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Her passion for education led Tran to found Domino Education to provide English learning systems and communication skills in a modern, creative way to individuals in Vietnam.
Thao Ngoc Do (2012-13) was selected to attend ASEAN Youth Summit held in Philippines to discuss social issues with 200 young leaders from 10 ASEAN countries. She will finish her degree this June and continue pursuing work in the nonprofit sector with her Accompany Dreams Volunteer Group, which aims to provide equal educational opportunities to street children and the impaired in Ho Chi Minh City.
Chau H.Q To (2012-13): This February, Chau’s NGO “I Love Vietnamese Project” celebrated its third year of offering free-of-charge Vietnamese language lessons to spread Vietnamese language and culture to the world. By the end of 2014, she will connect this project with programs that teach English to poor children so that students who study with her NGO can have the chance to give back to the Vietnamese community.
Nguyen Vu Thang (2012-13) has graduated from Hanoi Law University and is currently working as an associate for Vision & Associates, which is one of the biggest Vietnamese law firms. Last year, Thang was named among the top 50 advocates in the Asia-Pacific Regional Round of the FDI Moot, which is a well-known international moot competition for law students in the field of investment law.
Hien Thu Nguyen (2012-13) completed a project for the Vietnam Center for Protection of Music Copyright that involved collecting Vietnamese music discs. She left her full-time job to focus on studying singing and songwriting.
Tien Thuy Tran (2012-13) engaged in many programs initiated by the U.S Embassy in Vietnam. She became a Youth Mentor for the media literacy program called Young Citizens in Flat World to provide training on online media and communication for secondary and high school students in Hanoi, Vietnam. Tien was selected as a Vietnamese representative to the LEAD ASEAN Youth Summit in Philippines to create cross-border youth impacts for a stronger and sustainable ASEAN community.