Mia Trinh '24: How philanthropy can change lives

Mia Trinh, hailing from the suburban town of La Phu situated outside Hanoi, Vietnam, experienced a dramatic change in her life when she received a scholarship to study at a high school in Tel Aviv. This experience, along with her scholarship for NYU Shanghai, made her realize the transformative power of philanthropy. She is a member of the class of 2024 and a recipient of the 2013 Fund.

This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity. 

You mentioned that attending high school in Tel Aviv was the start of your experience with scholarship, how did you get the opportunity to go to high school in Tel Aviv?

I studied junior high in Vietnam and was working on a community project. The founder of that project attended this high school in Tel Aviv and encouraged me to apply to the school and for the scholarship. She said it would be a great opportunity for me. The high school was unique and the student population was very diverse in ethnicity and nationality. Most importantly, it offered the International Baccalaureate (IB) program. Without graduating from the IB program I would not have even been able to apply for NYU Shanghai.

Why did you choose to come to NYU Shanghai?

In highschool, I often heard seniors mentioning that they were applying to joint venture university programs in Asia, which raised my awareness of joint university programs available in Asia. I applied to NYU Shanghai because of my interest in China. I have always enjoyed Chinese culture, which I experienced through Chinese movies, drama and music growing up. I also knew if I came to NYU Shanghai, I would be able to learn another language, which is a big plus for me. I picked up some basic Chinese, but I was not very fluent when I first arrived. Besides taking Intermediate One and Two classes in Chinese, I took extra classes in Beijing during the summer break to improve my language skills.

How do you think scholarships have helped you?

I definitely wouldn't be where I am today without the support of various scholarships. I come from a small manufacturing town in northern Vietnam. I am one of the few people from my town who have gone abroad for college and possibly the first one to go overseas for high school. There is a gap of accessibility for students from my town. It is a very traditional place where everyone makes similar life choices because it is what they know. Without the opportunity to attend an international high school in Tel Aviv or the support of a scholarship, I would have had to follow the standard path of national exams in Vietnam’s public schools, making it impossible to experience an international environment firsthand and to understand Vietnam in the larger global context. It would also be difficult to apply to NYU Shanghai, then the last four years would not have then been possible. Scholarship opened doors for me that I never imagined could be opened.

Scholarships have also given me a new perspective on philanthropy. As a recipient, I see things differently. Even though I might not be able to give back financially now, I see actions such as sharing advice with juniors, talking to potential NYU Shanghai students about my experience, and answering questions about the university as a way to give back. I did not join a club during my time on campus, but I set up the First Generation Student Committee to help first-generation university students find direction and guidance in their life. I think that my time is best spent in an underserved community and by setting up such a committee, I believe this is my way of giving back to our NYU Shanghai community. 

Before coming to NYU Shanghai, I took a gap year after high school and taught English to earn pocket money. While teaching, I would focus on skills like essay writing that I thought would be beneficial for my students’ higher education, rather than just teaching the language. I also tried to broaden their horizon through the different topics we study. Reflecting on how that one person who encouraged me to apply to the high school in Tel Aviv changed my life, I realized that very small actions can significantly broaden someone else's horizon.

Being a 2013 Fund Recipient, what would you like to say to those who have contributed to the 2013 Fund?

I deeply appreciate everyone who has contributed to the 2013 Fund. Our University is still young, and our alumni network is not yet strong or wealthy since everyone is early in their careers. In this situation, every single gift, big or small, counts. I have a lot of hope for what the 2013 fund can do for students in the future. As our university grows and builds its legacy, I believe the students from NYU Shanghai will be very successful in the future. The goal is always for the school to be need-blind, and to achieve that, we need the alumni community to give to the University.

Where did you go for Study Away and how was that experience?

I went to NYU Abu Dhabi for one semester of study away where the campus and the experience were wonderful. Choosing Abu Dhabi as a Study Away site was also financially savvy compared to other options. A bonus from studying in Abu Dhabi was the opportunity to reconnect with many of my high school friends. Many of them had applied to NYU Abu Dhabi as my high school was within the Middle East. It was nice to catch up with everyone after being apart for a long time.

What is your plan after graduating from NYU Shanghai?

I will be returning to Vietnam to work as a management trainee for TikTok Shop. Vietnam is a developing country, and I hope that through my work in Tiktok, I can help small businesses learn how to better use the platform to sell their products, ultimately creating livelihoods for them.