MY LIFE EVOLUTION STORY

Be the driver of your life, the author of the story in which you are the main character. 

Now, it's me - a guy with so many stories about youth that will tell you the journey that determines who I am today.

Like many children, I was raised and surrounded by family. I never set my ambitions and did not worry about the future. It's the same at school, when all my friends put in their time studying to get good grades, I spend the same amount of time playing and end up getting bad results. This made my mother very disappointed and that day I saw her tears because of the person she had high expectations for. That moment was also when I decided to change myself and step through my own "safe zone". 

During that time, I was more focused, disciplined, and constantly striving for better academic performance. All my hard work paid off as I was accepted into the most prestigious high school here. At that time, my mind was open and I thought that everything has its positive side and that change is not so bad. Since then, I have become more ambitious and have a clear direction in my life. 

(High school graduation ceremony)

After graduating from high school, a new challenge for me was college. It was also here that I decided to take a new turn that I now look back on and thank myself for taking the risk, which was to immigrate to Canada. The road to get here was certainly not an easy one for a newbie like me. In 2019, after I got my Visa, I carried a suitcase full of hope and pride for my parents to fly to Canada alone.

(First day in Canada)

When the plane landed at Toronto Pearson Airport, I also knew that I needed to work harder because I would not have family and friends here. For the next six months, I joined George Brown College's ESL program to further strengthen my English. When I received my ESL completion certificate to prepare to enter the college environment, it was also when COVID-19 hit. A psychological and financial shock forced me to return to Vietnam after nearly 1 year of studying in Canada. I returned to Vietnam in the summer of 2020, it was a challenging time, not only for me but also for the rest of the world.

(ESL course at George Brown College)

(Receptionist at Celina Peninsula Resort)

I once again lost direction in life! Fortunately, during that time, I had a supportive family by my side. So in the following days, I found myself a new job to forget the pressures that I had to face. I was accepted into the position of Receptionist at a resort, and since then that chance has led me to the hospitality industry - an industry that I will continue to pursue in the present and future. At the same time, I enrolled at George Brown College to study Tourism and Hospitality Management to continue my passion and hope to one day return to Canada. Until the beginning of 2022, when I had prepared enough psychologically and intellectually, I once again said goodbye to my family and returned to Canada after nearly 2 years in Vietnam. This time back, I am no longer the kid from 3 years ago who was surprised by the culture in a new country but became a version that can cope with all new challenges.

And now, I am a 2nd-year student of George Brown College and still trying every day to develop more in this hospitality industry. I have the opportunity to meet friends and teachers at school. An experience I couldn't have while studying online during the past 1 year. I also have a new job as a barista at The Oats Kafe. These processes have taught me many things and made me the person I am today. I am happy with my decision, becoming optimistic and ready to face the challenges that await me ahead. As a student, adapting to a diverse culture is a very exciting side. I know that everything is just a beginning. Setting up a new life, a new order from the beginning, and starting a career may not be easy, but I believe that with all my efforts and the hopes of my family, I will never give up. 

(Barista job)

My future plan after finishing my studies here is to start a new project in the tourism industry to help connect Vietnamese and Canadian cultures more sustainably is something I've always wanted to do to thank the places where I was born and educated.

Now more than ever I want to say to that kid: "Thank you for being the best version of me you've ever been."

One last thing I want to tell you is that the future journey has a lot of interesting things waiting for you to discover. Be brave enough to let your dreams guide you!

Love and appreciate ^.^