Vietnamese girl graduated with honors in creative major in the US

Bang Linh graduated with honors with a grade point average (GPA) of 3.97/4, after switching to a creative field that has few opportunities for international students.

Do Thi Bang Linh, 25, graduated with a double major in Visual Communications and East Asian Studies from Luther College, Iowa, late last year. This major is related to multimedia communications and visual arts such as design, photography, and video production. Linh studied all three subjects but focused on moving images (video, website, AR technology).

"That is the result of the past 5 years. I am happy and proud of myself even though my GPA did not reach 4.0 as my goal," Linh said. She is currently an intern and brand management assistant for Unilever in the US.

Eight years ago, Linh won a scholarship from the United World College in India (UWC) while studying in grade 11 of English major at the Foreign Language High School, Vietnam National University, Hanoi. She then received a full scholarship from Luther College and went to the US in 2017.

Do Thi Bang Linh. Photo: Character provided

Linh chose the Communication major because she had a lot of experience with this job since high school. She was also passionate about Kpop, liked watching music videos and was interested in the entertainment media industry of Asian countries, so she registered for a minor in East Asian Studies. However, the traditional Communication major was often theoretical, so after the first year, Linh decided to change. At that time, the school opened a new major - Visual Communication.

Linh did not encounter any language barriers or difficulties in studying thanks to early planning and knowing how to study. She asked her academic advisor for advice on subjects and credit registration. Linh also researched the course criteria, output requirements, and teaching styles of lecturers, especially building relationships with professors to discuss, from there knowing what needed to be improved. Thanks to that, Linh's GPA throughout the first years was always absolute.

With the aim of developing her career in Asia, Linh changed her major to East Asian Studies after receiving an exchange scholarship in Korea. However, this trip was canceled due to the Covid-19 outbreak. Linh had to return to Vietnam after 5 days in Korea.

Studying online in different time zones reduces her experience and affects her scholarship. After considering, she decided to take a 1.5 year break to have time to do the things she loves, such as producing music videos or doing media production internships.

The Visual Media industry is new, so the female student is looking for ways to gain practical experience. During one application, Linh was lucky to be accepted by Garena, the number 1 game distributor in Southeast Asia, as a Marketing intern, producing videos and media products for Amanotes, the number 1 music game company in the world.

"These experiences helped me realize my passion in the creative field," Linh said.

But unlike the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) industry, the creative industry in the US often prioritizes native speakers or talented foreigners, according to Linh.

"I don't have an artistic background, connections, or a top school, so it's even harder to get an internship or a job. Therefore, I have to try hard in many ways," Linh said.

At the end of 2021, Linh was able to return to the US. The most difficult thing for her at that time was having to reintegrate into the environment, apply for internships for her senior summer, and apply for graduate school. The female student was stressed and busy because she had to complete many tasks at the same time.

Linh (third row, from right) and her Snapchat colleagues picnicked in Central Park, New York, in June 2022. Photo: Character provided

To increase her chances of getting an internship, instead of applying for one position, Linh spread her resume to a series of companies in many different fields. Among them, Linh was accepted as an intern at Snap Inc., the parent company of Snapchat, a popular social network in the US.

“It was a dream opportunity,” Linh said. Working here for three months in the summer of 2022, Linh was assigned to research, synthesize documents about AR, and coordinate analysis and presentation of trends in the creative industry.

“Linh was Snap Inc.’s first creative production intern in the U.S. and she has been a great addition to our team,” said Nicole Shaub, a senior associate in the department. She described Linh as highly organized, enthusiastic, and able to collaborate with others.

According to Linh, the time she returned to the US was also the time she stepped out of her comfort zone, no longer aiming for a 4.0 GPA but wanting to experience new subjects such as drawing, history or art appreciation to expand her creative worldview.

Dr. Thomas C. Johnson, Department of Communication, praised the Vietnamese international students for their efforts in preparing thoroughly for all classes and for their unprecedented attention to detail.

He said Linh is the director and producer of the work that won first prize in the ASIANetwork Student Video Contest in 2022. The work tells the story of a mother giving birth during the pandemic and her hopes for her child's future.

“This award is highly prestigious and is highly regarded by Luther faculty, staff and students,” said Thomas.

Linh attended the Multicultural Careers Conference organized by the International Radio and Television Society Foundation (IRTS Foundation) in Manhattan, New York, November 2022. Photo: Provided by the character

Graduating at the end of 2022, right when facing a wave of layoffs in the US, despite her excellent academic performance and lots of work experience, Linh still struggled to find a job.

"I don't remember how many companies I sent my application to," Linh shared.

Non-STEM students are only eligible for a one-year work visa. The short visa duration is a drawback, making many companies reluctant to hire candidates. It was several months after graduation that Linh got the opportunity to work at Unilever.

According to Ms. Lan T., Marketing Director of North America Foods at Unilever International, Linh did not have much experience with the new industry group. However, she successfully led two brand website development projects, coordinating with many agents and suppliers as well as internal stakeholders.

"Once Linh took on the task, I knew she would do a good job," said Ms. Lan.

Because she wanted to make the most of her one-year work visa, Linh temporarily put her scholarship for a Master's program at Temple University on hold. This is the leading public school for film and media production training in the US.

"I am satisfied with what I have learned and done. In the future, if I have the opportunity, I want to work as a professor at a university to share knowledge and experience with students," Linh said.

Vnexpress.net