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I hold a firm belief that Greek mythology becomes more intriguing through an engineer’s eyes. Had the wings his father built been flawless, I wonder whether Icarus would still be accused of wanting too much. Perhaps we would have called his ascent courage. Somewhere between human yearning and the limits of wax, a technical failure becomes a judgement on ambition, and I find myself lingering there, long after putting the book down. Mathematics occupies much of my life, but literary worlds have a way of following me into it.
I hold a firm belief that Greek mythology becomes more intriguing through an engineer’s eyes. Had the wings his father built been flawless, I wonder whether Icarus would still be accused of wanting too much. Perhaps we would have called his ascent courage. Somewhere between human yearning and the limits of wax, a technical failure becomes a judgement on ambition, and I find myself lingering there, long after putting the book down. Mathematics occupies much of my life, but literary worlds have a way of following me into it.
As Robin Williams’s John Keating says in Dead Poets Society, “But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for.” I want to leave room for that—for writing something simply because a moment mattered, and I wasn’t quite ready to let it pass.
As Robin Williams’s John Keating says in Dead Poets Society, “But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for.” I want to leave room for that—for writing something simply because a moment mattered, and I wasn’t quite ready to let it pass.
(01) ARTS ✶
(01) ARTS ✶
PAINTING ✶ FILM
PAINTING ✶ FILM
Arts
(A) BOB ROSS & ME
(A) BOB ROSS & ME
During COVID, I followed Bob Ross into painting, convinced that a few reassuring instructions might be enough to produce a landscape. The results suggest otherwise. Still, I was bored; there were colors to mix, and for a while it was nice to worry about whether a tree looked like a tree. Here are a few attempts I remain affectionately embarrassed by.
During COVID, I followed Bob Ross into painting, convinced that a few reassuring instructions might be enough to produce a landscape. The results suggest otherwise. Still, I was bored; there were colors to mix, and for a while it was nice to worry about whether a tree looked like a tree. Here are a few attempts I remain affectionately embarrassed by.
(02) FILM ✶
(02) FILM ✶
MICROPLASTICS ✶ 2021
MICROPLASTICS ✶ 2021
Promising Prize
Promising Prize
(B) HOW NEARLY INVISIBLE THINGS TRAVEL
(B) HOW NEARLY INVISIBLE THINGS TRAVEL
In 2021, that curiosity wandered into filmmaking. I made a short film about microplastics and how something nearly invisible could work its way into oceans, food chains, and everyday life. That meant learning, somewhat haphazardly, how to turn research into a story: planning shots, filming, editing, recording narration, and discovering just how much time can disappear while moving a clip two seconds to the left. The film eventually won the promising prize at Panasonic's KWN competition.
In 2021, that curiosity wandered into filmmaking. I made a short film about microplastics and how something nearly invisible could work its way into oceans, food chains, and everyday life. That meant learning, somewhat haphazardly, how to turn research into a story: planning shots, filming, editing, recording narration, and discovering just how much time can disappear while moving a clip two seconds to the left. The film eventually won the promising prize at Panasonic's KWN competition.
KWN 2 ✶ FRAME 02
KWN 1 ✶ FRAME 01
KWN 2 ✶ FRAME 02
(03) POETRY ✶
(03) POETRY ✶
VIETNAMESE ✶ ENGLISH
VIETNAMESE ✶ ENGLISH
Poetry
Poetry
Excerpts from poems I’ve written in Vietnamese and English, usually beginning with something small that refused to leave my head. Sometimes a passing observation becomes a verse; sometimes mathematics or engineering wanders in and makes itself comfortable. Writing gives me somewhere to follow these thoughts without knowing in advance where they should end.
Excerpts from poems I’ve written in Vietnamese and English, usually beginning with something small that refused to leave my head. Sometimes a passing observation becomes a verse; sometimes mathematics or engineering wanders in and makes itself comfortable. Writing gives me somewhere to follow these thoughts without knowing in advance where they should end.
(04) MUN & DEBATING ✶
(04) MUN & DEBATING ✶
UNISMUN ✶ HMUN ✶ HDT ✶ WSC
UNISMUN ✶ HMUN ✶ HDT ✶ WSC
MUN & DEBATING
MUN & DEBATING
(A) ON THE FLOOR
(A) ON THE FLOOR
At UNISMUN and Hanoi MUN (HMUN), I learned how much could hang on a single clause, researching national positions and negotiating resolutions. I earned a Best Position Paper award in ECOSOC and later chaired my school’s DGSMUN, helping delegates find their footing on the floor.
At UNISMUN and Hanoi MUN (HMUN), I learned how much could hang on a single clause, researching national positions and negotiating resolutions. I earned a Best Position Paper award in ECOSOC and later chaired my school’s DGSMUN, helping delegates find their footing on the floor.
(B) AT THE PODIUM
(B) AT THE PODIUM
Debating meant hurried notes and the occasional panic of hearing an argument I hadn’t anticipated. I competed through middle school, with a few good runs: runner-up at Hanoi Debate Tournament (HDT) in 2021, a division win at Future Eastern Stars that year, and overall champion team in the Junior Division at the 2021 World Scholar’s Cup Hanoi Round. In 2023, my team won HDT’s Junior Division. I also tried the British Parliamentary debate format and reached the final six of The Face of TEDxHanoi. Eventually, engineering interested me more, and I stepped away from competition while keeping the habit of questioning assumptions.
Debating meant hurried notes and the occasional panic of hearing an argument I hadn’t anticipated. I competed through middle school, with a few good runs: runner-up at Hanoi Debate Tournament (HDT) in 2021, a division win at Future Eastern Stars that year, and overall champion team in the Junior Division at the 2021 World Scholar’s Cup Hanoi Round. In 2023, my team won HDT’s Junior Division. I also tried the British Parliamentary debate format and reached the final six of The Face of TEDxHanoi. Eventually, engineering interested me more, and I stepped away from competition while keeping the habit of questioning assumptions.
MUN
MUN
2021
Best Position Paper
Best Position Paper
ECOSOC
ECOSOC
MUN
MUN
2021
Chair
Chair
DGSMUN, my school’s MUN
DGSMUN, my school’s MUN
DEBATE
DEBATE
2021
2021
Runner-up
Runner-up
Hanoi Debate Tournament (HDT)
Hanoi Debate Tournament (HDT)
DEBATE
DEBATE
2021
2021
Division win
Division win
Future Eastern Stars
Future Eastern Stars
DEBATE
DEBATE
2021
2021
Overall champion team, Junior Division
Overall champion team, Junior Division
World Scholar’s Cup, Hanoi Round
World Scholar’s Cup, Hanoi Round
DEBATE
DEBATE
2023
2023
Junior Division winner
Junior Division winner
Hanoi Debate Tournament (HDT)
Hanoi Debate Tournament (HDT)
BP
BP
2021
Final six
Final six
The Face of TEDxHanoi
The Face of TEDxHanoi