UNDER THE HAT
Peek under my HAT and you'll find the adventures I've joined - from school projects to real community work. They might be small, but they tell big stories about what I care about.
HER
If you asked where my passion for women’s advocacy began, I couldn’t name a single moment. It had lingered since childhood - an early curiosity about why women were expected to trade ambition for obligation. Growing up as the eldest daughter in a traditional Vietnamese family, I saw how expectations pressed on women, how early marriages and financial dependence shaped their futures.
For me, empowerment has always started with options, and options start with economic independence. That's how finance became my lens for advocacy. When a woman can control her resources, she can control her future. That belief drove me to research, to volunteer, and eventually to create something of my own: Bride to Business.
To me, empowerment begins with choice, and choice begins with economic independence. That’s why finance became my lens for advocacy. When a woman controls her resources, she controls her future. That belief led me to research, volunteer, and eventually create Bride to Business - a name meant to challenge the idea that marriage is a girl’s only path. Instead, it offers another ending: a business, a career, a life built on agency. Our mission is simple but urgent-equip women and children in underserved areas with financial literacy, digital tools, and entrepreneurial skills to break the cycle of child marriage.
That mission brought me to Pác Bó, Bắc Kạn - a breathtaking yet isolated region where rice terraces gleam under the sun, and too often, girlhood ends too soon. Over several days, our team hosted 15+ interactive sessions on practical skills: saving and budgeting, using FinTech for inclusion, and turning local crafts into income. More than just lessons, they were conversations about freedom - the kind that starts when knowledge meets opportunity.
A project born from Nam Định's crafts - blending tradition and modernity to honor artisans, preserve heritage, and carve out a living culture for today
Carve Per Diem began with a trip to my mother side's hometown - to Nam Định. Stepping off the bus into the quiet hum of the countryside, the air carrying the faint scent of wood and lacquer, the sun scorching above. I was greeted by my aunt, who introduced me to a family of craftsmen who have kept the art of mother-of-pearl inlay and rolled bamboo alive through generations.
In their small workshop, I watched their hands move with precision, each shell and bamboo piece becoming a story of skill, patience, and pride. They spoke of learning from their parents, of the joy and struggle of preserving tradition in a world that often overlooks it. Their passion was contagious, and under their guidance, I tried my hand at inlaying shells - clumsy at first, but hooked by the beauty of the craft.
I realized then how undervalued Vietnamese artisans are. While foreign craftsmanship is celebrated, many of our own masters work quietly in obscurity. I wanted to change that - to show the world their artistry and the stories behind it.
The name Carve Per Diem, inspired by Dead Poets Society, reflects the spirit of preserving art and seizing the day. What began as an idea grew into a year-long journey of learning, partnering with over 50 artisan families, and launching an online platform. My goal remains simple: to bridge tradition and modernity, and to carve out a lasting space for Vietnamese craftsmanship to thrive.
When COVID-19 hit, I kept hearing that 'the poor suffered the most’. Curious, I decided to test this for Vietnam - my first research project, later published in The Economics and Finance Letters
I taught myself to read national datasets, apply GINI coefficients, and visualize income changes. The result was surprising: from 2020 - 2023, COVID-19 reduced income inequality, as wealthier urban groups were hit harder.
Beyond the data, the project taught me how research challenges assumptions and how much I enjoy the patience, rigor, and discovery it demands..
THE DETERMINANTS OF LIVING COST IN VIETNAM
As a high school student fascinated by finance, I wanted to go beyond textbooks and test a big theory in a local context. The Balassa-Samuelson hypothesis, which links productivity to cost of living, felt abstract until I asked myself: What does this mean for Vietnam? That simple question became the starting point of my research project, later published in an academic journal.
I gathered panel data from 63 provinces over five years (2018–2022), taught myself how to use EViews for econometric modeling, and applied regression analysis to identify factors driving living-cost differences across regions. The process was full of challenges-long hours cleaning messy datasets, re-checking models when coefficients didn't make sense-but it taught me patience, rigor, and the ability to turn theory into empirical insight.
The results surprised me: trained labor and formal sector size push living costs higher, while informal businesses and rural populations lower them. Beyond the numbers, I realized that research can reframe how we see inequality: it's not only about income gaps, but also about structural productivity differences that shape daily life.
This project gave me more than technical skills in econometrics-it gave me confidence that even as a student, I can contribute to understanding national issues. Most importantly, it deepened my belief that economics is not just theory; it's a way to ask sharper questions about society and find answers that matter.
Editorial Internship at Thời Đại Magazine
During my two-month internship at Thời Đại Magazine, I worked as part of the editorial team, assisting with article writing, research, and content coordination. I learned how to balance creativity with accuracy while adapting to the fast-paced workflow of a newsroom.
Through this experience, I strengthened my communication and teamwork skills, developed greater confidence in expressing ideas, and gained a deeper appreciation for the role of storytelling in connecting people and cultures.
I was honored to receive an "Excellent" evaluation and a Certificate of Achievement upon completing the internship.
