LD2014 Program Book

Table of Content Rules and Regulations Camp Map Len Duong 2014 Introduction GRACE Values Introduction Camp Agenda Keynote Speaker: Mr. Vui Le “Emerging Leadership” Workshop Presenter: Dr. Mylene Tran Huynh Workshop Presenter: Ms. Linda Akutagawa Workshop Presenter: Dr. Truong Duy Nong Workshop Presenter: Dr. Hai Ho Workshop Presenter: Mr. Jeff Watkins Workshop Presenter: Mr. Bao Ngoc Nguyen Career Panelist(s): Ms. Duy-Loan Le, Ms. Van Anh Vo, Dr. Victoria Ai Linh Bryant Career Panelist(s): Mr. Anh Quoc Tran, Mr. Charlie Ton Religious Leader: Father Tran Dinh Loc Religious Leader: Pastor Nguyen Vo Hai Concurrent Workshop #1: Identifying Your Passion Concurrent Workshop #2: Communication with Styles Concurrent Workshop #3: Moving Up Your Career Ladder Concurrent Workshop #4: Goal Setting Concurrent Workshop #5: Career Aspirations “I Am Vietnamese” Project Camp Theme Five Thousand Years of Vietnamese Culture/Big Game Story Camp Songs Team Bios - “FLAVORS OF VIETNAM” VCSA 1st Place Essay Contest Winner: Peter Vu VCSA 2nd Place Essay Contest Winner: Hao Hoang VCSA 3rd Place Essay Contest Winner: Alex Nguyen VCSA Len Duong Logo Contest Winner: Jennifer Duong Le Hoang Nguyen Scholarship Recipient: Justin Gonzalez Dr. Rick Ngo Scholarship Recipient: Emily Phuong Le Catherine Tran Charity Fund Scholarship Recipients: Linda Huynh/Steven Ngo Greatland Investment CSL Properties Scholarship Recipient: Hoang Ngo Tony Toan Nguyen Memorial Scholarship Recipient: Kevin Doan Dennis Vu Scholarship Recipient: Peter Vu Saigon Eggroll Scholarship Recipient: Vincent Pham Tue Si Nguyen Scholarship Recipient: NamPhuong Gigi Pham Dr. Tat Anh Nguyen Scholarship Recipient: Yvette Luong Hoa Nguyen Scholarship Recipient: Jennifer Nguyen VCSA-DC Scholarship Recipient: Jessica Tran Vera Tran Scholarship Recipient: David Lam Mona Foundation 2013 Reports: Jaclyn Nguyen/Steven Vo VCSA – Introduction (English and Vietnamese) Len Duong Circle 100 Len Duong Organizing Committee & Acknowledgements Ad Page(s)

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TABLE OF CONTENT

17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP

17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP

Camp Rules and Regulations Camp rules are established to provide Fun and Safe environment for all campers.

Consequences for infraction of rules will be from a friendly reminder of camp rules to expulsion from the camp.

If expelled from the camp, you are responsible for your own expense getting back to your home.

1. Participate in all activities set by the Camp 1. Tham gia mọi sinh hoạt của Trại. Không Committee. No personal activities except được sinh hoạt riêng ngoại trừ trong giờ during personal free time. giải lao.

RULES AND REGULATIONS

2. Tôn trọng lẫn nhau và tài sản của người 2. Respect other campers and their property. khác. Không ẩu đả hoặc dùng ngôn ngữ No profanity or fighting is allowed. khiếm nhã.

3. Clean up after yourself in cabin, camp area and dining area. No food is allowed inside cabin at anytime.

3. Giữ gìn vệ sinh chung toàn trại và thực hiện công tác dọn dẹp cabin mỗi ngày.

Không mang đồ ăn vào trong cabin.

4. Stay off restricted areas. Only park your vehicle in the designated area.

4. Chỉ sinh hoạt trong các khu vực được cho phép. Chỉ đậu xe trong khu vực quy định.

5. Always wear your name tag and appropriate clothing during programs and activities at the camp. Do not leave the camp or change cabin without Camp Committee’s permission.

5. Luôn luôn đeo bảng tên và trang phục thích hợp với các sinh hoạt của trại. Không được rời trại hoặc đổi cabin khi chưa có phép.

6. Thông báo với Ban Quản Trại mọi hành 6. DO inform Camp Committee of any sus- động khả nghi có thể ảnh hưởng đến sự picious activities that violate the camp rules an toàn của trại sinh hoặc vi phạm nội quy and campers’ safety. No illegal activities, trại. Không được có những hành động bất nor any weapons, pets, drugs, alcohol is al- hợp pháp hoặc mang vũ khí, thú vật, ma lowed. Smoking is only at designated area, tuý, rượu bia hoặc các thứ bất hợp pháp if allowed by the Camp. vào trại. Chỉ được hút thuốc tại chỗ quy định, nếu được phép của trại.

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CAMP MAP

17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP

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17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP Len Duong Camp 2014 Introduction “Embrace Your Culture” Learn from the Past, Lead the Presence, Inspire the Future

Vietnamese Culture and Science Association would like to welcome all campers from 18 different US states and Canadian provinces to Camp Len Duong 2014 in Huntsville, Texas. This year marked the 17th anniversary of this youth leadership development program.

INTRODUCTION

Seventeen years ago, it started with one idea that Vietnamese young adults from across America will get together to learn about leadership skills and cultural awareness, to develop future leaders of the Viet communities overseas and to create lifetime friendship.

We took the time to conceive the idea, to create repeatable processes of building the camp and put our heads together to create the plan to implement the camp. With great passion shared by board members of VCSA and the original leadership team, camp Len Duong truly created incredible impacts among Vietnamese youths across North American in the past 17 years.

In the past 17 years, the camp was held in different cities, hosted by different chapters of VCSA. Speakers, authors, leaders and campers from all different walks of life came to Len Duong camp and helped created a wonderful lifetime memory. Looking back, camp Len Duong has achieved success with its goal of training nearly 4,000 young community activists to be more involved in the local communities and more than 300 young leaders for the local community organizations in North America. Campers were inspired to become leaders, and they created wonderful impacts in several different local cities across United States and Canada. Their stories have been the testimonial of the success of the camp in the past 17 years.

In reflection of the camps delivered in the past 17 years, we would like to capture the CORE values that camp Len Duong help instill in each camper and staff to make the camp a wonderful experience: G.R.A.C.E. Gratitude - Respect - Accountability - Courage - Engagement. In the next four days, we want to invite you to embark on this wonderful journey to discover your dream, reflect on your passions and what action plans you need to have in order to make your dream a reality. Have the belief in yourself and your team to achieve the goals and then have the courage to take actions toward that goal to achieve your dream. Equipped with G.R.A.CE, campers are encouraged to interact with each other, to appreciate each other uniqueness and to have the courage to get out of one’s comfort zone collaborating with other team members to achieve the team’s goals in every differen activities.

Let’s Embark on This Great Journey...(LEN DUONG!)

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17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP Trại Phát Triển Kỹ Năng Lãnh Đạo Thanh Niên 2014

Nhu cầu khẩn thiết này đã đuợc rất nhiều các hội đoàn thanh niên, sinh viên, tôn giáo và chuyên viên đáp ứng, nhưng hầu hết đều có tính cách địa phương. Hội Văn Hóa Khoa Học Việt Nam đã mạnh dạn đứng ra làm một nhịp cầu nối kết các bạn trẻ đang tích cực sinh hoạt khắp nơi tại Hoa Kỳ và Gia Nã Đại trong một môi truờng chung để các bạn có cơ hội cùng chia sẻ và học hỏi các kinh nghiệm về sinh hoạt cộng đồng, cùng học hỏi và thực tập các kỹ năng lãnh đạo, và nhất là để thấy đuợc những nét hay, nét đẹp của văn hóa, lịch sử và địa lý Việt Nam. Sự gặp gỡ và sinh hoạt chung với nhau chắc chắn sẽ mang đến kết quả tốt đẹp trong việc tạo sự thông cảm giữa các cá nhân với cá nhân, giữa hội đoàn với hội đoàn: điều kiện tất yếu để mọi nguời có thể hợp tác trong các dự án tuong lai hầu phục vụ cộng đồng và đất nuớc.

Trại Lên Đuờng là trại phát triển kỹ năng lãnh đạo dành riêng cho các bạn trẻ đang sinh hoạt tích cực trong các hội đoàn, ưu tiên đối với các bạn đang giữ các chức vụ điều hành các hội Sinh Viên Việt Nam tại các truờng đại học. Khởi đầu từ trại Lên Đuờng 1998 với con số 180 trại sinh, Lên Đuờng 1999 đa đạt đuợc quy mô toàn quốc với tổng số 312 trại sinh đến từ hầu hết các tiểu bang Hoa Kỳ và Gia Nã Đại. Trong suốt 17 năm qua, trại Lên Đường đã giúp cho gần 4000 thanh niên nam nữ gốc Việt đào luyện về kỹ năng lãnh đạo, học hỏi về văn hóa, lịch sử và địa lý Việt Nam, và qua chương trình này trại Lên Đường đã đào tạo hơn 300 nhà lãnh đạo trẻ cho các cộng đồng, tổ chức, và hội đoàn ở khắp nơi trên toàn nước Mỹ và Gia Nã Đại.

Con số này ngày càng lớn mạnh và chứng tỏ sự trưởng thành của giới trẻ Việt Nam ở hải ngoại.

Với tinh thần dấn thân, phục vụ và niềm tin vào sự phát triển và hợp tác trong cộng đồng cùng huớng về tương lai, Lên Đuờng 2014 uớc mong sẽ cung cấp thêm đuợc cho các trại sinh một số kiến thức và kỹ năng cần thiết trên buớc đuờng hoạt động tuong lai. Nào mời các bạn cùng...

LÊN ĐƯỜNG!

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INTRODUCTION

Trại Phát Triển Kỹ Năng Lãnh Đạo Lên Đuờng 2014 hân hoan đón chào các bạn về tham dự trại hè đuợc tổ chức tại đất trại Forest Glen Camp, thuộc thành phố Huntsville, tỉểu bang Texas, Hoa Kỳ. Năm nay là năm kỷ niệm lần thứ mười bảy của Trại Lên Đuờng. Bắt đầu từ những suy nghĩ chủ quan của Ban Tổ Chức, trại Lên Đuờng đuợc hình thành nhằm đáp ứng nhu cầu sinh hoạt và học hỏi về nguồn của thanh niên Việt tại hải ngoại. Trại Lên Đuờng ’98 đuợc tổ chức chỉ có tính cách thử nghiệm; nhưng như một nguời bạn trẻ tham dự trại này đã viết: “If you build it, they will come.”Sự hiện diện của các bạn tại trại Lên Đuờng năm thứ mười bảy là một bằng chứng hùng hồn là nhu cầu sinh hoạt và học tập của giới trẻ Việt Nam đúng là một nhu cầu khẩn thiết.

17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP G.R.A.C.E (Gratitude - Respect - Accountability - Courage - Engagement) Before we embark on our journey, camp Len Duong would like to feature the five core values that we encourage all staff, guests and campers to demonstrate throughout all the programs and activities delivered during the four days at camp. We also encourage all campers to take these core values home and create a leadership action plan to implement these values in your daily lives. These core values will help shaping you to become a successful leader in all of your future endeavors.

Gratitude –A deep appreciation of life in all forms, valuing both its gifts and lessons. We are living in such a busy environment that sometimes it is easy to forget the blessings that all of us have in our

G.R.A.C.E.

daily life. The blessing of the gift of life; the blessing of enjoying the sun shine or the four seasons of the year; the blessing of having a loving family, a great friendship and all the positive things currently happening around us. The world usually focuses too much on the negative thoughts and worries that sometimes we forget all the blessings around us. We need to take time to appreciate what we currently have and be grateful for all the things that other people do for us through their service. Gratitude helps us to be humble and to appreciate others and keep us in perspective. A Vietnamese proverb said “Ăn quả nhớ kẻ trồng cây” (When eating fruit, remember who planted the tree). Make a commitment every day that you have to identify at least 3 things happening on that day for which that you are thankful. Create a habit of gratitude and appreciation will change your life in a positive way. It is the foundation for finding joy in our human condition.

Respect - The practice of awareness and openness to others, new ideas and different perspectives.

In a team setting, it is important for each team member to feel that he or she is being heard.

Respect other’s viewpoint and perspective in order to help you improve your listening skills. Create a collaborative environment where your team can solve the problems effectively. Respect yourself by doing the right things and doing things that you feel right about. Respect others by following the Golden Rule that “Do unto others as you would have do unto you.” Respect not only other people but also the environment. Respect the environment by minimizing the negative impacts of creating waste. Respect the diversity of our campers and on occasions agree to disagree on different viewpoints. At Camp Len Duong, respect is strongly encouraged since it is the basis for peace and understanding.

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17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP

Courage - This is a critical value of a leader to be the change agent and create something from nothing. Life is a series of events and experiences that one goes through and continues to grow from. In order to grow and to change for the better, one may need to have the courage to take risks to take actions, going out of one’s own comfort zone and face the unknowns. Without the courage to face the unknowns at sea, the Vietnamese refugees would not be able to achieve freedom in the New World. In some difficult situations, a leader should have the courage to take actions and to create the necessary changes to improve the situations. Camp Len Duong this year is delivered at the camp site named “Courage”. Learn to practice courage in your daily life and make it a way of life. Courage allows us to grow and realize our true potential and dreams.

Engagement – The intention to wholeheartedly contribute our gifts and skills in a way that benefits our communities and environment. We live in a world in which everyone is inter-connected through different communities and each of us is given unique gifts and talents that can be used to serve others. By caring for others, caring to make a difference in other people’s life, each camper is encouraged to practice volunteerism, activism and civic engagement to bring about positive changes in the world around us. As in Camp Len Duong last year when we encourage the camper to “Be the Change!” – this year the theme is re-iterated with the GRACE values. Engagement is one of the core value that each camper is encouraged to practice.

If each of us makes a sincere effort to practice these above 5 core values and support each other in this practice, we will all become happier with our life, enjoy a more caring and peaceful world and leave a more sustainable environment to our children.

Through the four days of Camp Len Duong, we encourage all campers to reflect on the five core values, make a commitment to “Be the Change” and start practicing these values in your daily life. We look forward to hearing great stories and great plans on how you can help to spread the word about the power of practicing your values and helping to create positive changes in your communities. Please make sure you record your progress in the GRACE worksheet and submit to us after the camp is complete and then a few months afterward.

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G.R.A.C.E.

Accountability – Taking responsibility for our actions, thoughts and emotions. As a human being, each of us enters this world and is shaped in a certain way (of life) through our family, our environment, our culture and background. However, as a leader to oneself, one must be accountable for one’s own life by setting one’s own goals, purpose and to make it a reality. Self leadership is the foundation that leads to higher level of leadership. Leadership starts with the person in each of us. A leader should be accountable not just for his/her own actions, but also for our unexpected events and things occurring in his/her life. Although sometimes we cannot change our circumstances, we should be accountable for what kinds of responses or choices we made upon these circumstances. “Life begins when you do!” Be accountable for your own actions to make things happen toward achieving your goal. At Camp Len Duong you will be an integral part of your team and each team member is expected to be accountable for all the tasks assigned for him or her and ensure that things happen toward achieving the team’s goals. Remember, you are THE CHOICE you make.

17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP “EMBRACE YOUR CULTURE”

LEARN FROM THE PAST - LEAD THE PRESENT - INSPIRE THE FUTURE

Friday, May 23, 2014

CAMP AGENDA

06:00pm - 11:00pm

CAMPER REGISTRATION

Luke Lodge (Hà Nội)

06:30pm - 08:00pm

DINNER

Dining Hall (Cà Mau)

08:00pm - 08:30pm

Introductory Activities: Icebreaker

Lakeside Meeting Room (Hà Tiên)

08:30pm - 09:00pm

Camper Orientation & Security Briefing

Lakeside Meeting Room (Hà Tiên)

09:00pm - 10:00pm

Team Search Activity & Team Bonding

Lakeside Meeting Room (Hà Tiên)

10:00pm - 11:00pm

G.R.A.C.E. Presentation (Ms. Anh Lan Nguyễn & Anh Q. Nguyễn)

Lakeside Meeting Room (Hà Tiên)

11:00pm - 11:30pm

Finish Team Wall & Campers Settle into Cabins

12:00am - 06:00am

LIGHTS OUT

Saturday, May 24, 2014 06:30am - 07:30am

RISE AND SHINE (Morning Exercise)

Sport Court

07:30am - 08:15am

BREAKFAST

Dining Hall (Cà Mau)

08:15am - 09:00am

Team Orientation, Team Leader Election, Team Chants

Team Home Base

09:00am - 09:45am

Camp Opening Ceremonies

Athletic Field

09:55am - 10:50am

Kick Off Camp Theme Video KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Mr. Vui Lê “Emerging Leadership”

Lakeside Meeting Room (Hà Tiên)

11:00am - 12:00pm

Small Game #1: Tug-of-War

Athletic Field

12:00pm - 01:00pm

Lunch

Dining Hall (Cà Mau)

01:00pm - 01:30pm

FREE TIME

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17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP Saturday, May 24, 2014 Concurrent Workshops 1. How to Take Control of Your Career Presenter: Dr. Hải Hồ

Luke Lodge (Hà Nội)

2. Finding Your Passion Presenter: Dr. Mylene Trần Huỳnh

Matthew Lodge (Sài Gòn)

3. Communication with Styles Presenter: Ms. Linda Akutagawa

Mark Lodge (Huế)

4. Goal Setting Presenter: Dr. Truong Duy Nong

Sport Court

5. Career Aspirations Panelists: Ms. Duy Loan Lê, Ms. Vanessa Vân-Ánh Võ, Dr. Victoria Ai Linh Bryant, Mr. Quốc Anh Trần, Mr. Charlie Quý Tôn

Lakeside Meeting Room (Hà Tiên)

03:30pm - 04:00pm

Team Reflections and Debrief

Team Home Base

04:00pm - 05:00pm

Small Games #2

Athletic Field

05:00pm - 05:45pm

FREE TIME

05:45pm - 08:30pm

Concurrent Team Projects/Dinner

Dining Hall (Cà Mau)

08:30pm - 10:00pm

Team Project Presentations

Lakeside Meeting Room (Hà Tiên)

10:00pm - 10:45pm

BONFIRE

Athletic Field

10:45pm - 11:15pm

Midnight Snack

Dining Hall (Cà Mau)

11:15pm - 12:15am

Talent Show

Lakeside Meeting Room (Hà Tiên)

12:30am

LIGHTS OUT

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CAMP AGENDA

01:30pm - 03:30pm

17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP Sunday, May 25, 2014 07:30am - 08:30am

Personal/Spiritual Reflection

Lakeside Meeting Room (Hà Tiên)

08:00am - 09:15am

BREAKFAST

Dining Hall (Cà Mau)

09:15am - 09:45am

Team Briefing , Team Leader Election, Workshop Sign-Up

Team Home Base

09:45am - 11:15am

Concurrent Cultural Workshops

(Protestant) Pastor Nguyen Vo Hải (Catholic) Reverend Joseph Phan Đình Lộc

CAMP AGENDA

1. Vietnamese Speaking Session Presenter: Mr. Ngọc Bảo Nguyễn

Lakeside Meeting Room (Hà Tiên)

2. English Speaking Session Presenter: Mr. Jeff Watkins

Luke Lodge (Hà Nội)

3. Vietnamese Culture Through Music Presenter: Ms. Vanessa Vân-Ánh Võ

Matthew Lodge (Sài Gòn)

11:15am - 12:00pm

Small Games #3 - Cultural

Lakeside Meeting Room (Hà Tiên)

12:00pm - 01:00pm

01:00pm - 01:30pm 01:30pm - 05:30pm 05:30pm - 06:30pm

LUNCH

Dining Hall (Cà Mau)

06:30pm - 09:00pm 06:30pm - 07:30pm

Concurrent Team Skit/Dinner DINNER

Dining Hall (Cà Mau)

09:00pm - 10:00pm

TEAM SKIT PRESENTATION

Lakeside Meeting Room (Hà Tiên)

10:10pm - 11:00pm

BONFIRE

Athletic Field

11:10pm - 11:45pm

Midnight Snack

Dining Hall (Cà Mau)

11:45pm - 12:45am

Youth Forums 1. Visionary Life/Pursuit of Happiness 2. Personal Expression/GRACE 3. Outlook on Adulthood 4. Civic Engagement 5. Cultural Preservation/Identity

01:30am

LIGHTS OUT

Team Preparations for Big Game THE BIG GAME FREE TIME

Luke Lodge (Hà Nội) Mark Lodge (Huế) Matthew Lodge (Sài Gòn) Dining Hall (Cà Mau) Lakeside Meeting Room (Hà Tiên)

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17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP Monday, May 26, 2014 08:00am – 08:45am

Breakfast

Dining Hall (Cà Mau)

08:45am – 09:45am

Clean Up Competition Cabin Competition

All

09:45am – 10:15am

Team Home Base

10:15am – 12:00am

Team Reflections and Debrief

Closing Ceremony - Winning Team Announcements - Scholarship Presentations - Closing Remarks

12:00pm – 01:00pm

Lunch

Dining Hall (Cà Mau)

01:00pm – 02:00pm

Final Clean Up and Farewell

02:00pm

Len Duong 2014 Ends

CAMP AGENDA

Lakeside Meeting Room (Hà Tiên)

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17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP

MR. VUI LÊ

HEAD OF ONLINE SALES OPERATIONS, MICROSOFT Mr. Vui Lê is a multi-lingual executive with extensive international business experience. Vui has more than 25 years experience in the IT, telecom and wireless industries with a focus on technology, business development, and sales operations. He has extensive experience in developing marketing strategies, programs and deployment plans for global, national and regional companies and in creating marketing initiatives for advanced technology solutions.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Currently, Mr. Vui Le is the Head of Online Sales Operations at Microsoft.

He manages a group of Internet Online Sales Experts from Americas, Asia, and EMEA; and he is responsible for $500 million in revenue for the Company. Prior to Microsoft, Mr. Vui Le established a global wireless software company called Vuico Inc., where he was the President and CEO. During his tenure, he expanded the market for Vuico’s products in Asia by establishing an international business unit called Vuico Japan based in Tokyo, Japan, with outsourcing services from Vietnam. In 2007, the Houston Business Journal named Vuico Inc. the Number One Fastest Growing Technology Company in Houston and awarded Vui the FastTech 50 Award. In the same year, the Houston Technology Center nominated Vui to be the Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year.

Prior to Vuico Inc., Vui served as Vice President of Solutions Marketing and Strategic Alliances for epicRealm Inc., where he managed worldwide partnership marketing campaigns and initiatives. Vui was a senior manager at HP/Compaq, where he wrote, published, and lectured on Compaq AppNote and Toolkit Applications. Vui built and managed Compaq International Manufacturing Network covering Houston, Singapore, Scotland, and Japan. Early in his career, Vui established the Novell office in Houston and taught numerous seminars on networking technologies and Novell products and services.

Mr. Vui Le graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in Nuclear Engineering and a minor in Health Physics. He also earned the first Outstanding Leadership Award for organizing the First Annual International Mini-Olympic at A&M, a tradition that continues until this day. Vui authored a book called “The Forgotten Generation”, published in 2009.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Vui Lê là một giám đốc cao cấp có rất nhiều kinh nghiệm về thương mại quốc tế; ông nói được nhiều thứ tiếng. Ông có hơn 25 năm kinh nghiệm trong ngành IT, viễn thông, và kỹ nghệ vô tuyến, đặc biệt chú trọng vào các lãnh vực kỹ thuật, phát triển thương vụ, và bán và tiếp thị sản phẩm. Ngoài ra, ông còn có rất nhiều kinh nghiệm trong việc thành lập những chiến lược tiếp thị và kế hoạch phân phối sản phẩm cho những công ty có tầm vóc toàn cầu, quốc gia, hay vùng miền, đồng thời đề xuất những sáng kiến tiếp thị cho những giải pháp kỹ thuật cao.

Hiện nay ông Vui Lê là Trưởng Ban Tiếp thị Trực tuyến cho công ty Microsoft. Ông điều hành một nhóm gồm những chuyên viên về Bán Sản phẩm Trực tuyến Internet từ Mỹ châu, Á châu, và vùng Âu châu-Trung Đông-Phi châu (EMEA), và chịu trách nhiệm mang về doanh thu 500 triệu đô-la cho Microsoft. Trước khi làm việc cho Microsoft, ông Vui lập một công ty sản xuất nhu liệu vô tuyến có tên là Vuico Inc., ông làm Chủ tịch kiêm Tổng Giám đốc. Đây là một công ty có tầm vóc toàn cầu, vì trong thời kỷ làm Tổng Giám đốc, ông đã mở rộng thị trường cho Vuico sang Nhật bản với công ty Vuico Japan, đặt tại Tokyo. CÔng ty này tuyển dụng các dịch vụ từ Việt Nam. Năm 2007, Tạp chí Houston Business chọn Vuico Inc. là công ty số một trong những Công ty Kỹ thuật Phát triển Nhanh nhất ở Houston và trao tặng giải thưởng “Vui the FasteTech 50 Award.”

Cũng cùng năm đó, Trung tâm Kỹ thuật Houston đề cử ông là Doanh gia trong năm của Ernst & Young.

Trước khi thành lập công ty Vuico Inc., ông Vui Lê là Phó Chủ tịch của Solutions Marketing and Strategies của công ty epicRealm. Trong cương vị này ông điều hành những chiến dịch thiết lập quan hệ hợp tác toàn cầu. Ông cũng đã làm việc cho hãng HP/Compaq. Tại đây ông đã soạn thảo, ấn hành và thuyết trình về những ứng dụng của Compaq AppNote Toolkit. Ông Vui Lê cũng thành lập và điều hành Compaq International Manufacturing Network bao gồm Houston, Singapore, Scotland, và Nhậtbản. Khi mới bắt đầu sự nghiệp, ông Vui Lê thành lập văn phòng Novell ở Houston và giảng dạy trong nhiều khóa hội thảo về những sản phẩm và dịch vụ của Novell cùng những kỹ thuật về networking.

Ông Vui Lê tốt nghiệp trường Đại học Texas A&M với chuyên ngành Kỹ sư Nguyên tử và ngành phụ về Vật lý Sức khỏe. Trong lúc theo học đại học, ông được giải thưởng Lãnh đạo Xuất sắc khi tổ chức lần đầu tiên kỳ thi Quốc tế Mini-Olympic, kỳ thi thành đã trở thành truyền thống hàng năm của Texas A&M. Ông cũng viết một cuốn sách với nhan đề “Một Thế hệ bị Lãng quên,” phát hành vào năm 2009.

LÊN ĐƯỜNG 2014 | EMBRACE YOUR CULTURE 12

17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP

MYLÈNE TRAN HUYNH, MD, MPH, FAAFP, VIRGINIA BOARD CERTIFIED FAMILY PRACTICE AND PREVENTIVE MEDICINE PHYSICIAN

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Bác sĩ Mylene Trần. Huỳnh hiện đang giữ nhiệm vụ Tham Vấn Viên cho Trung Tâm Y Khoa Quốc Gia Walter Reed tại thành phố Bethresda, Maryland. Bà đã từng phục vụ trong Không Quân Hoa Kỳ trong suốt 25 năm và về hưu năm ngoái với danh hiệu đại tá. Bà là người phụ nữ Mỹ gốc Việt đầu tiên giữ chức vụ Đại tá Không Quân Hoa Kỳ. Hiện nay, đam mê lớn nhất của bà là vấn đề sức khỏe. Bà thực tập Yoga, thiền định và tập thể dục thường xuyên và đang thực hiện một dự án toàn cầu lớn lao nhằm mục đích giúp cho các bệnh nhân của bà có được những phương pháp chữa trị hữu hiệu và lâu dài. Bà hiện đang sinh sống tại tiểu bang Virginia cùng chồng và 3 con trai.

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WORKSHOP PRESENTER

Mylène is a board certified Family Practice and Preventive Medicine physician who also practices acupuncture. She serves as an Integrative Medicine consultant at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. Mylène holds appointment as Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Preventive Medicine and Biometrics at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences where she teaches military medical students. Mylène recently “graduated” (aka retired) from the U.S. Air Force after 21+ years of active duty service. Health is Mylène’s passion; she exercises, practices yoga and mediates on a regular basis and is on a lifelong global quest for effective healing approaches to help her patients achieve optimal wellbeing. As a member of the Crystal CityPentagon Rotary Club, Mylène is actively engaged in various community service initiatives. She enjoys gardening, hiking, reading, walking on the beach…and most of all, being a soccer mom. She and her husband of 25 years reside with their “three fine sons” in Virginia.

17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP

MS. LINDA AKUTAGAWA

PRESIDENT AND CEO OF LEADERSHIP EDUCATION FOR ASIAN PACIFICS, INC.

WORKSHOP PRESENTER

Linda Akutagawa was elected to be the President and Chief Executive Officer of Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics, Inc. (LEAP) since 2011.

Before assuming the leadership role of LEAP, Linda is responsible for LEAP’s fundraising and business development and oversees LEAP’s program design, development and delivery. Linda is a member of LEAP’s Executive Manage ment Team and co-manages the operations of the organization. As the chief fundraiser for the organization, she is develops and executes strategies focused on increasing earned and contributed income. In this role, she builds interest among clients and donors to support and participate in LEAP’s leadership programs. Linda bridges her development and program design and delivery roles through her consulting with LEAP’s diverse range of cor porate, community, and government clients. She works with clients locally, nationally and globally to determine the best programs and services to support their Asian talent development needs and brings together the resources needed to deliver a solution. She also works with LEAP’s consultants to co-design and customize new and existing programs. Linda is certified to facilitate LEAP’s Leadership Development Program as well as deliver several of LEAP’s foundational courses including the 21st Century Leadership, Understanding Your Cultural Values, and Effective Work & Communication Styles.

Previously, Ms. Akutagawa was the Vice President of Resource & Business Development for LEAP, developing and implementing its fundraising, marketing & sales strategy for its programs and services.

A beneficiary of LEAP’s leadership training, Ms. Akutagawa’s first began as a volunteer for LEAP. Now in her 18th year at LEAP, she speaks and presents globally on topics such as leadership, Asian cultural values and influences, employee resource groups, diversity, networking and branding to a range of audiences such as corporations, student groups and community and professional organizations.

She is a member of the Board Directors of the Asian Women Leadership Network and a Board member of Japanese American Community Services (JACS), a community grantmaking organization. Prior to joining LEAP, Linda was the Marketing Manager for Japan and Orient Tours, a tour operator specializing in Asia and the Pacific. Linda received her B.S. in International Business with a minor in Economics from California State University at Los Angeles. Linda is married and is an auntie to 6 nieces & nephews ranging from 1-21-years old.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Linda Akutagawa là Chủ Tịch & Tổng Giám Đốc của công ty Huấn luyện Kỹ năng Lãnh đạo cho các Sắc dân Châu Á Thái Bình Dương (LEAP). Bà đặc trách về gây quỹ và phát triển thương vụ cũng như giám sát công tác soạn thảo chương trình huấn luyện và giảng dạy. Là một thành viên của Ban Điều hành và là đồng-quản lý chương trình hoạt động của LEAP, Linda soạn thảo các chiến lược gây quỹ và các chương trình huấn luyện kỹ năng lãnh đạo cho các công ty lớn nhằm tăng gia thu nhập cho LEAP. Ngoài ra, Linda còn là giảng viên chính của các chương trình huấn luyện cho những thân chủ từ công ty tư nhân, tổ chức thiện nguyện cộng đồng, và cho cả nhân viên chính quyền từ cấp địa phương, tiểu bang, đến liên bang.

Linda khởi đầu là một thiện nguyện viên và được LEAP đào tạo những kỹ năng về lãnh đạo. Sau đó Linda trở thành cộng tác viên và giữ vai trò lãnh đạo trong suốt 18 năm qua. Linda đã từng soạn thảo và huấn luyện về các đề tài như kỹ năng lãnh đạo, giá trị và ảnh hưởng của văn hóa Á châu, phát triển tiềm năng của nhân viên, các vấn đề đa văn hóa, và những kỹ năng về giao tế và tạo dựng thương hiệu.

Ngoài ra Linda còn là thành viên Hội đồng quản trị (HĐQT) Tổ chức Liên hiệp những Phụ nữ Á châu giữ vị trí Lãnh đạo và thành viên HĐQT của Tổ chức Cộng đồng Người Nhật gốc Mỹ (JACS), một tổ chức cộng đồng có khả năng tài trợ. Trước khi về với LEAP, Linda là Giám đốc Tiếp thị của Công ty Du lịch Nhật Bản và Đông Phương. Linda có bằng cử nhân về Thương mại quốc tế và phụ khoa về Kinh tế của Đai học Cal State tại Los Angeles. Linda có gia đình và là dì của 6 cháu trai và gái, từ 1 tới 21 tuổi.

LÊN ĐƯỜNG 2014 | EMBRACE YOUR CULTURE 14

17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP

DR. TRUONG DUY NONG

PRESIDENT OF INSTITUTE FOR CIVIC EDUCATION IN VIETNAM (ICEVN)

In 1990, he was one of the founders of the Vietnamese American Youth Organization (VAYO) in Houston, TX. Currently, he serves as Advisory Board Member of the Vietnamese Culture and Science Association (VCSA), a Vietnamese American organization based in Houston, Texas. In this capacity, he has designed and delivered a number of workshops in leadership development for VCSA’s annual youth leadership camps (Len Duong Camp) for the past ten years, as well as designed and taught Vietnamese history and literature courses for the past twelve years. He also served on the first Advisory Board of Sunflower Mission, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of people in Vietnam through educational assistance programs.

In 2005, he left his teaching position at Michael DeBakey High School to pursue his dream: to establish the Institute for Civic Education in Vietnam (www.icevn.org), a non-profit organization. ICEVN’s mission is to promote social responsibilities and transparency in Vietnam by providing civic education, entrepreneurship education, and managerial leadership development in Vietnam. ICEVN provides on-line educational classes on civic education, business management and leadership development, and aims to build an on-line library of approximately 100 translated books in humanity and social sciences to share the knowledge to the people in Vietnam.

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Ông Nông Duy Trường vừa là một nhà giáo dục và là một người hoạt động cộng đồng tích cực với hơn 20 năm kinh nghiệm và cũng là một nhà huấn luyện về kỹ năng lãnh đạo cho trại Lên Đường trong nhiều năm qua. Với kinh nghiệm hơn 14 năm giảng dạy tại trường trung học Michael DeBakey High School for Health Professions, ông hiểu rõ tầm quan trọng và ảnh hưởng của giáo dục đến giới trẻ. Ông tốt nghiệp Cử Nhân Toán trường đại học Houston năm 1988 và Cao Học về Khoa Học Chính Trị năm 2000 cũng tại đại học Houston. Hiện nay ông đang theo học chương trình Tiến Sĩ về Giáo Dục tại đại học Northcentral University.

Năm 1990, ông là một trong những người sáng lập ra Nhóm Sinh Hoạt Thế Hệ tại thành phố Houston, Texas. Hiện nay ông là thành viên Hội Đồng Cố Vấn của Hội VHKHVN và nguyên là thành viên của Hội Đồng Cố Vấn của tổ chức từ thiện Hoa Hướng Dương (Sunflower Mission) (từ năm 2002 đến năm 2006).

Ông đã soạn thảo nhiều chương trình huấn luyện về kỹ năng lãnh đạo cho các trại Lên Đường trong mười năm qua và giảng dạy nhiều lớp học về văn chương, lịch sử và ngôn ngữ Việt Nam do Hội VHKHVN tổ chức trong nhiều năm qua. Năm 2005, ông giã từ nghề giáo để dành toàn thời gian cho việc thành lập Học Viện Công Dân, một tổ chức thiện nguyện với mục đích phát huy tinh thần trách nhiệm xã hội và minh bạch tại Việt Nam qua chương trình giáo dục công dân chú trọng về kỹ năng lãnh đạo và quản trị doanh nghiệp.

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WORKSHOP PRESENTER

Dr. Truong Nong is an educator, a community activist with more than 25 years of experience, and a leadership trainer in the past ten years.

In the past 25 years, Dr. Nong has been involved in community building, working with youth groups as a counselor and leadership trainer. Being a high school teacher for 14 years at DeBakey High School for Health Professions, Houston, Texas, Dr. Nong knows firsthand the impact of education. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics, a Master’s of Arts in Political Science, and a Ph.D in Education. Dr. Nong has been teaching Vietnamese language and Vietnamese Studies at the University of Houston in the past 5 years.

17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP

HAI T. HO, PH.D.

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF ENGINEERING AT SOUTHERN POLYTECHNIC STATE

WORKSHOP PRESENTER

Dr. Ho is currently an Associate Professor of Engineering at Southern Polytechnic State University, Atlanta, Georgia. He enjoys working with students to teach them world-class engineering and leadership. He was formerly the Vice President of Research and Development at Newell Rubbermaid, a fortunre-500 company. He was responsible for leading product development and an organization operating in Europe, Asia, and the U.S. Prior to that, he held numerous executive positions at HID Global and Seagate Corp. Over the past 20 years, he has worked in a variety of different industries including aerospace, hard disk drives, smart cards, and label printers and software. As the named inventor of 18 patents and author of over a dozen technical publications, he has spearheaded numerous innovations leading to best-in-class commercial products. Dr. Ho is passionate about organizational leadership, technology, and people. He is also a strong advocate of corporate leadership development among Asian American professionals. He holds B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical Engineering from the University of Colorado.

Hai was born in Saigon, Vietnam, and left the country in 1975. He and his family were the first wave of Vietnamese immigrants in America. Over the years, Hai’s approach to life is to achieve happiness through a balance of career, family, and community service. He considers himself to be lucky to have exposure to both the Eastern and Western cultures and values. He and his wonderful wife of 25 years are proud parents of three well-rounded children. He is an avid tennis player and enjoys many outdoor activities such as skiing, camping, and kayaking. He was the founder of the Colorado Asian Tennis Association for five years where he brought together over 200 people each year to celebrate diversity and a passion for tennis.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tiến sĩ Hải Hồ hiện nay đang là Giáo sư Đại Học Southern Polytechnic thuộc thành phố Atlanta, tiểu bang Georgia. Ông đã từng là Phó Chủ tịch đặc trách Nghiên cứu và Phát triển của công ty Newell Rubbermaid, một công ty được xếp hạng trong số 500 Công ty hàng đầu của Mỹ. Trong vai trò này, nhiệm vụ chính của ông là lãnh đạo bộ phận phát triển sản phẩm và hoạt động của công ty tại Âu, Á châu và Hoa Kỳ. Trước khi làm cho Rubbermaid, Tiến sĩ Hải từng đảm nhiệm nhiều chức vụ lãnh đạo và điều hành cho công ty HID Global và Seagate. Trong hơn 20 năm qua, ông đã hoạt động trong nhiều lãnh vực bao gồm kỹ nghệ hàng không-không gian, thiết kế những ổ đĩa cứng máy điện toán, smart cards, máy in, và nhu liệu cho máy điện toán. Tiến sĩ Hải còn có bằng sáng chế của 18 thiết bị kỹ nghệ và điện tử, cũng như đã có trên một chục tài liệu nghiên cứu được ấn hành trong những tạp chí chuyên ngành. Ông cũng là người đi tiên phong và sáng tạo trong nhiều lãnh vực chế tạo những sản phẩm thương mại phẩm chất cao. Ngoài ra, ông cũng là người quan tâm rất nhiệt thành trong các lãnh vực lãnh đạo công ty, kỹ thuật, và nhân sự, đặc biệt là torng lãnh vực đào tạo thành phần lãnh đạo trong giới chuyên viên người Mỹ gốc Việt. Học vị của Tiến sĩ Hải gồm có Cử nhân, Cao học, và Tiến sĩ về ngành Kỹ sư Điện tại Đại học Colorado.

Tiến sĩ Hải sinh tại Saigòn, cùng với gia đình rời Việt Nam năm 1975 trong đoàn người tị nạn đầu tiên đến Mỹ. Trong cuộc đời của ông, nguyên tắc sống là đạt được hạnh phúc nhờ ở cân bằng giữa nghề nghiệp, gia đình và hoạt động cộng đồng. Ông nghĩ mình là người may mắn vì được hấp thụ cả hai nền văn hóa và giá trị Đông-Tây. Ông đã lập gia đình được 23 năm và hai ông bà có được ba người con. Tiến sĩ Hải rất thích chơi banh tennis và những hoạt động dã ngoại như trượt tuyết, cắm trại, và bơi thuyền kayak. Ông là người thành lập Hội Tennis Châu Á tại Colorado và trong 5 năm đã quy tụ được hơn 200 người mỗi năm để cùng chia sẻ niềm đam mê về môn banh tennis và sắc thái đa dạng của văn hóa mỗi nước.

LÊN ĐƯỜNG 2014 | EMBRACE YOUR CULTURE 16

17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP

MR. JEFF WATKINS

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, YMCA INTERNATIONAL

Mr. Jeff Watkins is currently the Executive Director of YMCA International Services, a Branch of the YMCA of Greater Houston providing comprehensive services to Houston’s refugee and immigrant community, a position he has held for the past 17 years. Mr. Watkins has extensive experience in the delivery of community and social services over his 20 year career with the YMCA and 3 years as Operations Director for Serve Houston Youth Corps, an AmeriCorps funded program providing community based services by engaging full-time young adults in year-long volunteer assignments.

Mr. Watkins holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Houston – Central Campus and a M.A. in Asian Studies from the University of Hawaii with a concentration in Southeast Asia. In 1993, Mr. Watkins spent 6 months in Vietnam conducting research related to his graduate studies. He is fluent in Vietnamese and familiar with Mandarin Chinese.

Mr. Watkins has been very active in the Vietnamese American community of the greater Houston area since 1985 and he is particularly supportive of the activities and events of the Vietnamese Culture and Science Association. He and his wife of 18 years, Thu Tran, have been blessed with two sons aged 16 and 14. They struggle daily to instill in their boys a respect and understanding of the language and culture of Vietnam.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ông Jeff Watkins hiện là giám đốc của chương trình YMCA International thuộc thành phố Houston, Texas. Trong hai năm làm việc thiện nguyện giúp người tị nạn Việt Nam từ 1985 đến 1986, ông có rất nhiều cơ hội tiếp xúc với người Việt Nam và đã gắng công tìm hiểu, học hỏi về ngôn ngữ, văn hoá, cùng lịch sử Việt Nam. Sau khi tốt nghiệp Cao Học ngành Chính Trị và Địa Lý tại đại học Houston, ông theo học chương trình Cao Hoc về Á Châu tại đại học Hawaii. Trong thời gian này, ông có dịp về Việt Nam 6 tháng để nghiên cứu về các tôn giáo Hòa Hảo, Cao Đài và quá trình Nam Tiến trong lịch sử Việt Nam. Ngoài dịp được tiếp xúc nhiều với người Việt, ông đã trở nên thành viên của một gia đình Việt Nam sau khi ông kết hôn với một phụ nữ người Việt cách đây hơn mười sáu năm. Hai ông bà có hai con trai và dự định sẽ nuôi dậy con bằng cả hai ngôn ngữ và hai nền văn hóa Mỹ-Việt.

LÊN ĐƯỜNG 2014 | EMBRACE YOUR CULTURE 17

WORKSHOP PRESENTER

In his current position as the Executive of YMCA International Services, Mr. Watkins overseas the following programs and initiatives including; Refugee Resettlement, Employment Services, Educational Services, Trafficked Persons Assistance Project, Immigration Legal Services, Community Outreach and International Initiatives, including a project to build elementary schools in Vietnam.

17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP

MR. BAO NGOC NGUYEN

SENIOR ENGINEER, CAMERON, LONGVIEW, TEXAS

WORKSHOP PRESENTER

Nguyen, Ngoc Bao, was born in Hanoi, Vietnam, but grew up in the South and graduated from Chu Van An high school in 1971. From 1971 to 1972 he

attended School of Law, University of Saigon. As the Vietnam War reached its peak, he joined the South Vietnam army in 1972 for two years and served as a first lieutenant.

In 1974 he attended the National Public Administration Institute. After 1975, Mr. Nguyen and his family escaped the communist and relocated in Houston, Texas. He managed to work full-time and to go to school at the same time and graduated Magna-Cum-Laude from the University of Houston with a Bachelors of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering. Mr. Nguyen currently works as the Senior Engineer at Cameron Inc., Longview, Texas.

Before this job, he had twenty years of experience in engineering support for NASA/Johnson Space Center, Structures and Mechanics Division.

He is the founder of the Vietnamese Culture and Science Association (VCSA), and served as its first President from 1990 to 1998 and as the Chairman of the Board of Directors from 1998 to 2005. He is currently an advisor for the VCSA and for the Sunflower Mission, an organization that commits to improve the lives of the people in Vietnam through educational assistance programs.

Mr. Nguyen has also been teaching Marriage Preparation Classes and Strengthening Marriage and Relationships courses for the Catholic Diocese of Galveston-Houston for 25 years. He has a very strong interest in Vietnamese literature and a strong commitment to help the Vietnamese youth to preserve and develop their cultural heritage. His specialty includes Vietnamese literature during the 19th century, especially the “Kim Van Kieu” literature masterpiece. He has been a visiting instructor in Vietnamese literature at the University of Houston, University Park for two years. In July 2007, he was selected for the Golden Wave Award by Little Saigon Radio and Viet Tide Magazine for his outstanding contribution to the Vietnamese community in Houston, Texas. In 2007, he was also honored as Outstanding Community Leader by University of Houston, Clear Lake Campus in November 2007.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Kỹ sư Nguyễn Ngọc Bảo sinh năm 1952 tại Hà Nội, Việt Nam. Ông theo học trung học tại trường Chu Văn An và sau đó, phân khoa Luật, viện đại học Sài Gòn. Năm 1972, ông tham gia quân ngũ, thụ huấn khóa 9/72 trường Sĩ Quan Bộ Binh Thủ Đức. Khi ra trường, ông phục vụ trong binh chủng Pháo Binh, quân lực Việt Nam Cộng Hòa..

Năm 1974, ông thi đậu vào khóa 22 Đốc Sự trường Quốc Gia Hành Chánh và trở về đời sống sinh viên. Ngày 30 tháng 4 năm 1975, ông cùng gia đình rời Việt Nam, rồi đến định cư tại thành phố Houston, tiểu bang Texas. Tại đây, ông theo học đại học Houston và tốt nghiệp cử nhân ngành kỹ sư cơ khí với hạng danh dự. Hiện ông là kỹ sư cao cấp của công ty Cameron,trước đó ông đã phục vụ trong chương trình không gian Hoa Kỳ từ 20 năm qua. Trong sinh hoạt thiện nguyện, ông là sáng lập viên hội Văn Hóa Khoa Học Việt Nam (VHKHVN), từng đảm nhiệm chức vụ hội trưởng từ 1990 đến 1998 và chủ tịch Hội Đồng Chỉ Đạo từ 1998 đến 2005. Ông hiện là cố vấn hội VHKHVN; cố vấn Sunflower Mission, tổ chức trợ cấp phương tiện giáo dục cho các học sinh nghèo ở Việt Nam; cố vấn Messengers of Love, tổ chức giúp đỡ người tật nguyền và trẻ mồ côi tại Việt Nam; và cố vấn hội Ái Hữu Hà Nội tại Houston, Texas. Ngoài ra, ông còn là giảng viên lớp Dự Bị Hôn Nhân cho cộng đồng Công Giáo Việt Nam tại Houston và Galveston từ 1980 đến nay, là một cây bút trong ban biên tập báo Ngày Nay từ 1995, và là người phụ trách chương trình Văn Học Nghệ Thuật trên đài phát thanh Saigon Houston từ 2004. Với một kiến thức phong phú về văn học, ông từng được mời phụ giảng lớp Văn Chương Việt Nam tại đại học Houston.

Những đóng góp của ông dành cho cộng đồng người Việt hải ngoại trong nhiều năm qua đã được đồng hương và người bản xứ ghi nhận. Ngày 14 tháng 7 năm 2007, ông được trao giải Sóng Vàng, giải thưởng do đài phát thanh Little Saigon và tuần báo Việt Tide thành lập để vinh danh cá nhân có đóng góp to lớn cho sự phát triển của cộng đồng Việt Nam tại Houston, Texas, qua cuộc bình chọn của thinh giả cùng độc giả. Hội VHKHVN cũng được trao giải đoàn thể trong ngày này. Bốn tháng sau, ngày 14 tháng 11 năm 2007, ông được viện đại học Houston-Clear Lake trao giải thưởng Community Award.

LÊN ĐƯỜNG 2014 | EMBRACE YOUR CULTURE 18

17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP

MS. DUY-LOAN LE

Mrs. Le is a Senior Fellow, Senior VP equivalence of Texas Instruments’ (TI’s) technology track. She has extensive operational and development experience in semi-conductor industry. In her various roles at TI, she oversees technology definition & development for business, directs product & technology qualifications with world-wide manufacturing teams, leads all aspects of product launch execution & high volume ramp, works with foundries, partners and suppliers all over the world to support TI’s business & technical needs. In 2008, Texas Instruments opened offices in Vietnam and Mrs. Le is helping to grow new businesses there with key customers. In addition, she engages with universities to update teaching curriculum, establishes laboratories, and chairs national design contests to nurture future engineers who are most familiar with TI’s technology. In 2002, Mrs. Le was elected to the Board of Directors at National Instruments Inc. (NATI, traded on NASDAQ). She served on the Nomination & Governance Committee and currently chairs the Compensation Committee. In 2012, Mrs. Le was elected to the Board of Directors at eSilicon Corp., the world’s largest independent semiconductor design and manufacturing services (SDMS) provider headquartered in Silicon Valley. She leads the ‘Technology Committee’.

Mrs. Le started her career with TI as a Memory Design Engineer at the age of 19. She was responsible for bringing up TI’s multi-billion- dollar memory product line, with joint venture partners in 5 countries and 3 continents for the first time in TI’s history. One of TI Digital Signal Processor (DSP) products under her development leadership was recognized in the 2004 Guinness World Records. Two of the DSP products under her operational management generated >$2,000,000,000 of revenue for TI.

In 2002, Mrs. Le became the first Asian-American and the only woman to get elected TI Senior Fellow, the highest elected title on the technical career track, in TI’s 85 year history. She holds 24 patents, among which is a portfolio classified as ‘pioneering patents’ for TI. She is a registered Professional Engineer (PE) and a sought after keynote speaker, including invitations from Fortune 500 companies in and West Point.

Throughout her career, Mrs. Le’s achievements have been recognized with many prestigious awards, including Pink’s Top 15 Women in Business, Women on the Move, Women of Vision: Leadership, Women In Technology International Hall of Fame (WITI), National Technologist Of The Year, TimesPeople, Science Spectrum Trailblazer, Asian American Engineer of The Year, Outstanding Young Engineering Graduate Award, Outstanding Young Texas Exe Award from the University of Texas, Who’s Who in the World, Vietnamese and American National Gala (VANG)’s Golden Torch Award for Exemplary Citizenship, United States Congressional Recognition for Civic Leadership, California Senate Recognition for Outstanding Civic Leadership, Texas State Recognition for Leadership, Houston’s Leader.

Mrs. Le graduated with BSEE, Magna Cum Laude, from Cockrell College of Engineering, University of Texas in 1982. She obtained her MBA from Bauer College of Business, University of Houston in 1989 while working full time at TI. Mrs. Le is married to her husband Tuan N. Dao for 31 years. She has two boys, Dan 20 and Don 17. She enjoys travelling, fishing, reading, movie, music, gardening, and playing poker.

Duy-Loan also holds a black belt in Tae-Kwon-Do and has won several medals and trophies in the State of Texas.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cô Lê Duy Loan cùng gia đình đến Mỹ năm 12 tuổi. Bốn năm sau, một phần nhờ vào tự học Anh ngữ ban đêm, cô tốt nghiệp trung học hạng Thủ khoa. Năm 1982, cô tốt nghiệp Kỹ sư Điện Ưu hạng tại Đại học Texas-Austin và bắt đầu làm kỹ sư về memory design cho TI năm 19 tuổi. Hiện nay cô là Giám đốc Chương trình World Wide Digital Signal Processor (DSP) Advanced Technology Ramp của TI.

Trong lịch sử 85 năm của TI cho đến nay,cô Duy Loan là người phụ nữ Á châu đầu tiên và duy nhất được TI tuyển chọn làm Thành viên Kỹ thuật Cao cấp thuộc Viện Nghiên Cứu Kỹ Thuật, năm 2002. Cô Duy Loan có 22 bằng phát minh và 8 bằng khác đang chờ giám định. Sự nghiệp của cô được các tạp chí chuyên ngành như SPECTRUM của IEEE, Asian Enterprise, các báo chí quốc tế và Việt Nam đăng tải. Cô hiện là thành viên Hội đồng Chỉ đạo của National Instruments, một công ty có trụ sở tại Austin và có cổ phần niêm yết trên NASDAQ.

Cô Duy Loan đạt được nhiều thành tích trong nghề nghiệp,và ngoài các hoạt động chuyên nghiệp, cô Duy Loan cũng rất năng động trong các hoạt động cộng đồng, đặc biệt chú trọng đến việc trợ giúp giáo dục cho trẻ em và các chương trình yểm trợ phát triển kinh tế xã hội qua các hoạt động của Mona Foundation và Sunflower Mission.

LÊN ĐƯỜNG 2014 | EMBRACE YOUR CULTURE 19

CAREER PANELIST

SENIOR FELLOW, TEXAS INSTRUMENTS

17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP

MS. VÂN ÁNH VÕ

INSTRUMENTAL MUSICIAN, FREMONT, CALIFORNIA Ms. Vanessa Van Anh Vo comes from a family of musicians and began studying đàn tranh (16-string zither) from the age of four. She graduated with distinction from the Vietnam Academy of Music, where she later taught. In 1995, Vân-Ánh won the championship title in the Vietnam National Đàn Tranh Competition, along with the first prize for best solo performance of modern folk music. When she was in Hanoi, Van-Anh founded the music group Đồng Nội Ensemble and she has performed in more than fourteen countries. She relocated to United States in early 2000’s and has become a very active musician in the main stream. In addition to touring internationally, Vân-Ánh has presented her music at Carnegie Hall, Zellerbach Hall, Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, and as a composer and guest artist for the Kronos Quartet at the Olympic Games 2012 Music Festival. In 2002, Vân-Ánh released her first CD, Twelve Months, Four Seasons; and in 2009, she released She’s Not She with award-winning composer Do Bao. Recently, she released her third CD Three-Mountain Pass with the Kronos Quartet as her guest artist.

Vân-Ánh dedicates her life to creating music on the đàn tranh and fusing Vietnamese musical tradition with fresh new structures and compositions. Since settling in the San Francisco Bay Area in 2001, Vân-Ánh’s has focused on collaborating with musicians across different music genres to create new works, bringing Vietnamese traditional music to a wider audience, and preserving her cultural legacy through teaching.

Beside the Kronos Quartet, she has also been collaborator and guest soloist with such artists as Southwest Chamber Music, Grand Houston Opera, Yerba Buena Center for Performing Arts, Nguyên Lê, Paul McCandless, and Ali Ryerson. Continually cultivating the beauty and versatility of the đàn tranh, Vân-Ánh has been co-composer and arranger for the Oscar® nominated and Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner for Best Documentary, Daughter from Danang (2002), the Emmy®Award-winning film and soundtrack for Bolinao 52 (2008), and the winner of multiple “Best Documentary” and “Audience Favorite” awards, A Village Called Versailles (2009).

In addition to đàn tranh, Vân-Ánh also performs as soloist on the monochord (đàn bầu), the 36-string hammered dulcimer (đàn tam thập lục), the bamboo xylophone (đàn t’rung), the open-ended bamboo tubes (đàn K’lông pút), traditional drums (trống), and Chinese zither (guzheng). She lives and teaches đàn tranh and other Vietnamese traditional instruments in Fremont, California.

CAREER PANELIST

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nhạc sĩ Võ Vân Ánh bắt đầu học đàn tranh từ năm 4 tuổi, cô tốt nghiệp danh dự Học Viện

Âm Nhạc Hà Nội và đoạt giải Huy Chương Vàng trình diễn đàn tranh toàn Việt Nam năm 1995. Cô đã lập được sự nghiệp âm nhạc vững vàng và mang tầm cỡ quốc tế trước khi định cư tại Hoa Kỳ vào đầu thập niên 2000. Cô là nhạc sĩ Việt Nam đầu tiên đoạt các giải thưởng âm nhạc cao quý như giải thưởng Emmy Award cho nhạc của phim thời sự Bolinao 52 (2008) và đoạt giải thưởng Sundane cho nền nhạc của phim Daughter from Đà Nẵng (2002), cùng rất nhiều giải thưởng khác.

Nỗi đam mê của nhạc sĩ Vân Ánh là sự sáng tạo âm nhạc Việt Nam, làm mới âm nhạc cổ truyền Việt Nam để tạo cho nó một vị trí xứng đáng trên trường âm nhạc quốc tế. Từ khi định cư tại Hoa Kỳ, cô đã dành trọn thì giờ cho công việc sáng tác và giảng dạy.

LÊN ĐƯỜNG 2014 | EMBRACE YOUR CULTURE 20

17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP

VICTORIA AI LINH BRYANT CEO, AMBASSADOR CAREGIVER INC.

She graduated with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Houston College of Pharmacy in 1998. After graduation, she served as a critical care pharmacist for the Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affair Medical Center. In 2003, she started a home care agency, Ambassadors Caregivers, serving seniors, the disabled and elderly population in the greater Houston area. Other founded companies include SeniorVantage, Hubmed, Inc., and recently Ambassador Foundation (a 501c3 nonprofit) helping seniors live and age well. Dr. Bryant volunteered on multiple medical missions to Vietnam and Brazil since 1997. Dr. Bryant serves on Houston West Chamber of Commerce health & wellness committee, UH College of Education Dean’s Advisory Council, UH College of Business Dean’s Advisory Council, MHSW Hospital Women’s Advisory Council and Voice to the Nations Foundation. She is past president of the Vietnamese American Chamber of Commerce of Houston and 2014 president of Texas Asian Republican Club.

She is a Leadership Houston Class 31 graduate. Dr. Bryant speaks and blogs on different topics including personal health and success, eldercare, long-­term care, Obamacare, social security and current healthcare issues. She is a true advocate for the senior and long-­term care industry and continues to consult for new businesses and businesses with the Vietnamese community. Dr. Bryant volunteers her time to serve on different community activities, and a catalyst for many city and community functions. She was awarded SuperLady 2014 and “50 Most Influential Women of 2013” by Houston Women’s Magazine. When she’s not working, she runs in marathons, models and shares her expertise on mainstream and Vietnamese television.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Victoria Ai Linh Bryant tốt nghiệp Tiến sĩ Dược khoa tại Đại học Houston năm 1988. Sau khi

tốt nghiệp Victoria làm dược sĩ tại bệnh viện Cựu chiến binh Michael DeBakey. Năm 2003, Victoria lập công ty Ambassadors Caregivers, chuyên về điều dưỡng tại gia, trợ giúp y tế cho những người cao niên, và những người khuyết tật tại thành phố Houston. Ngoài ra Victoria còn sáng lập các tổ chức và công ty như SeniorVantage, Hubmed, Inc., và Ambassador Foundation (một tổ chức phi lợi nhuận 501 (c)3).

Tiến sĩ Victoria cũng tình nguyện tham gia vào nhiều chuyến công tác y tế tại Việt Nam và Brazil từ năm 1997. Hiện nay Victoria là thành viên của Phòng Thương mại Houston West, phụ trách ủy ban y tế và sức khỏe; thành viên ban Cố vấn của Phân khoa Giáo dục và Thương mại tại Đại học Houston, của Bệnh viện Phụ nữ thuộc Bệnh viện Memorial Hermann, và tổ chức Tiếng nói Quốc gia. Victoria cũng là cựu chủ tịch của Phòng Thương mại người Mỹ gốc Việt và là Chủ tịch năm 2014 của Hội Đảng viên Cộng hòa người Á châu tại Texas.

Victoria tốt nghiệp khóa 31 Đào tạo Lãnh đạo tại Houston. Cô cũng viết và blog bề nhiều đề tài liên quan đến y tế công cộng, chăm sóc cho người cao niên, v.v…Cô tích cực vận động cho những chương trình trợ giúp người cao niên và tư vấn cho những doanh nghiệp mới trong cộng đồng Việt Nam.

Victoria được giải thưởng SuperLady năm 2014 và được tạp chí Houston Women chọn là một trong “50 người phụ nữ có ảnh hưởng lớn” năm 2013.

Victoria có sở thích chạy marathon, làm người mẫu chia sẻ kinh nghiệm chuyên môn của cô trên truyền hình của Việt Nam và của Mỹ.

LÊN ĐƯỜNG 2014 | EMBRACE YOUR CULTURE 21

CAREER PANELIST

17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP

MR. QUỐC-ANH TRẦN

HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT AND US MILITARY

CAREER PANELIST

As a Soldier, Mr. Tran is a Major in the U.S. Army Reserve. He is serving as a Human Resource Manager for 4010th U.S. Army Hospital in New Orleans, LA. In 1994, MAJ Tran was enlisted into the U.S. Army as a 98J, Military Intelligence (MI) Analyst. His first assignment was with the B Company, 303rd MI Battalion at FT Hood, TX. MAJ Tran was selected for Officer Candidate School and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in 1997. After Officer Basic Course, he was sent to Germany and served as a Platoon Leader and Executive Officer for B Company, 226 Medical Logistics Battalion. In 1999, because of his background in Military Intelligence, he was selected to serve as Intel Officer for 30th Medical Brigade in Germany. In 2000, he came back to Texas to serve as an Executive Officer for D Company, 232nd Medical Training Battalion. In 2002, MAJ Tran left the Army and joined the U.S. Army Reserve with 4010th United States Army Hospital (USAH). He served as a Medical Supply Officer and then Chief of Logistics for the 4010th USAH. In 2004, he was mobilized for 18 months and assigned as Training Officer for Irwin Army Community Hospital, at FT Riley, KS. In 2007, he took command of Headquarter and Headquarter Company (HHC), 4010th USAH. From 2009 till present, he is serving as Human Resource Manager for 4010th USAH.

As a Firefighter, Mr. Tran is a Professional Fire Fighter for the City of Houston. Currently he serves as Asian Community Liaison for Houston Fire Department. In 2002, after received honorable discharge from the U.S. Army, he joined the Houston Fire Department and has served the Houstonian for more than 11 years. He was assigned as EMT on ambulance at station 76 on Cook Rd, as Firefighter at fire station 27 near downtown, as Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighter at station 54 at Bush Continental Airport.

As an Asian Community Liaison, he is responsible for promoting HFD within the Asian community by informing the community of HFD services, educating them on fire and emergency medical services, and recruiting young Asians to join the HFD. He is a certified Structure Fire Fighter, Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighter and National Registry of Emergency Medical Technician.

During the last three years, Major Tran has been very active in the community. As Asian Liaison, he has planned and executed many events which brought many benefits to the Asian community. This year, he is introducing a FEMA sponsor program, Community Emergency Respond Team (CERT) to the Vietnamese Community.

As a Soldier, he is a Central Region Leader for Vietnamese Armed Forces Association (VAAFA). He led a group of Vietnamese American military medical professionals to provide health services to more than 500 Vietnamese at Nha Viet last year. Recently, Major Tran was elected to be Vice President for the Vietnamese Community of Houston and Vicinities (VNCH). One of his major contributions to the VNCH was leading 100 Vietnamese Houstonian to Washington DC to advocate for human right in Vietnam.

MAJ Tran was born in Saigon, Vietnam in 1970. He came to the U.S. in 1984 and settled down in New Orleans, LA. He is married to Jamie Tran, and they have a 7 year old daughter, Amy. They now live in Houston, TX.

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Ông Trần Quốc Anh là một thiếu tá trong Lực lượng Trừ bị của quân đội Hoa Kỳ, hiện đang là Trưởng Phòng Nhân sự của Bệnh viện Quân sự 4010 tại New Orleans, LA.

Năm 1994, ông Trần Quốc Anh gia nhập quân đội trong ngành tình báo, chuyên môn về phân tích. Nhiệm sở đầu tiên là tiểu đoàn tình báo điện tử 303 tại Ft. Hood, TX. Sau đó ông được gửi đi học trường sĩ quan và tốt nghiệp với cấp bậc thiếu úy năm 1997. Sau khi hoàn tất khóa Huấn luyện Cơ bản, ông được gửi sang Đức và phục vụ trong Tiểu đoàn Hậu cần Y tế 226. Năm 1999, nhờ có quá trình làm việc trong ngành tình báo quân đội ông được cử làm Sĩ quan Tình báo cho Trung đoàn Y tế 30 tại Đức. Năm 2000, trở lại Texas, ông là Chỉ huy phó Đại đội D, thuộc Tiểu đoàn Y tế 232. Năm 2002, Thiếu tá Anh rời quân ngũ và gia nhập lực lượng trừ bị, phục vụ tại bệnh viện 4010 (USAH). Từ 2009 đến nay, ông là Trưởng Phòng Nhân sự của Bệnh viện 4010.

Sau khi rời khỏi quân ngũ năm 2002, ông gia nhập Sở Cứu hỏa thành phố Houston và phục vụ trong nhiều ngành như Cứu thương (EMT), Cứu hỏa, và Cứu hỏa trong những tai nạn phi cơ. Hiên nay ông đang giữ nhiệm vụ Sĩ quan Liên lạc với Cộng đồng Á châu tại Houston.

Trong cương vị SĨ quan Liên lạc với Cộng đồng Á châu, ông đã tiếp xúc và cung cấp nhiều thông tin hữu ích cho cộng đồng, nhất là cộng đồng Việt Nam. Năm nay ông đang giới thiệu Chương trình thiết lập Toán Đối phó với những trường hợp khẩn cấp (CERT); chương trình này do FEMA bảo trợ. HIện nay ông được bầu làm Phó Chủ tịch Hội Cộng đồng người Việt tại Houston và vùng phụ cận (VNCH). MỘt trong những đóng góp quan trọng của ông cho VNCH là hướng dẫn 100 đồng hương đi Washington DC để vận động nhân quyền cho Việt Nam. Ông Trần Quốc Anh sinh năm 1970 tại Sài Gòn, sang Mỹ năm 1984 và định cư tại New Orleans, LA. Ông lập gia đình với bà Jamie Tran, hai người có một cô con gái tên Amy, 7 tuổi. Gia đình ông đang sống tại Houston, TX.

LÊN ĐƯỜNG 2014 | EMBRACE YOUR CULTURE 22

17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP

MR. CHARLIE TON

CEO, ALFALFA NAILS SUPPLY INC., REGAL NAILS, NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA

Mr. Quy “Charlie” Ton came to America as a boat person, grew up in New Orleans, Louisiana. He graduated from Louisiana State University with a Bachelor degree in Chemical Engineering. He began his business career importing nail supplies, in part, because his wife owned a nail salon and her customers wanted quality nail care products without having to pay exorbitant prices. He named the company Alfalfa Nails Supply after the flowers loved by the bees he tended as a work/study student at LSU. He began by selling to local nail salon owners and expanded throughout the United States.

Today, Alfalfa Nails Supply has more than ten thousand salon customers. Ton has developed many lines of nail products including well-known brands like Regal lacquers, ANS, QT, Lexi, Beyond, Sheila, Lila, Geluv, and Gelart. He engineered, developed, and now produces Ispa, Everest, Katai, Kata Gi, GspaW, Ion, Petalo and many more pedicure spas using the top of the line massage chairs known as HT-135 PS brand and designs, and builds much of the spas designs and the furniture used in his second business venture.

That business venture — Regal Nails — took root in 1997 while shopping in Wal-Mart. He noticed that WalMart had a hair salon on site and yet it had no nail salons. Based on that observation, Ton developed the concept that became Regal Nails salons. Ton met with Wal-Mart officials to convince them to lease space to Regal Nails. Wal-Mart turned him down at first because they did not think the concept would work. Ton refused to give up. He kept after Wal-Mart officials until they agreed to let him open a test store in Shreveport, La. The first Regal Nails opened on October 29, 1997. The salon proved so successful that Wal-Mart agreed to let him open other salons inside their stores.

He began selling franchises to Vietnamese immigrants and within ten years Ton had sold more than 900 franchises with plans to reach more soon. Franchises are located inside Wal-Mart Supercenters, Meijer, and HEB Stores and now working with AAFES to create services within military. At one point, they were growing at a rate of a hundred per year.

Ton has won numerous awards including ‘Young Alumnus of the Year” from the LSU Alumni Association Hall of Distinction; “Top Forty Under Forty” from the Greater Baton Rouge Business Report and “Young Business person of the Year” from the Baton Rouge Business Awards & Hall of Fame. He also had previously served on the Baton Rouge Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.

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Ông Quý “Charlie” Tôn là một thuyền nhân, đến Mỹ và trưởng thành tại New Orleans, Louisiana. Ông tốt nghiệp Đại học Louisiana State với bằng Cử nhân về Kỹ sư Hóa học. Ông khởi đầu doanh nghiệp bằng việc nhập cảng những dụng cụ làm móng tay, một phần vì vợ ông làm chủ một tiệm làm móng tay và thân chủ của bà muốn có được những sản phẩm tốt chăm sóc móng tay mà không phải trả giá quá mắc. Ông đặt tên cho công ty của mình là Alfalfa Nails Supply, theo tên những loại hoa có sức quyến rũ loài ong rất mạnh; sở dĩ như vậy vì khi còn học tại LSU ông phụ trách nuôi đàn ong trong chương trình work study. Doanh nghiệp của ông Charlie khởi đầu bằng việc bán dụng cụ cho các tiệm móng tay và nay đã được mở rộng trên toàn quốc Hoa Kỳ.

Cho đến nay, Công tay Alfalfa Nails Supply có hơn mười ngàn khách hàng là những chủ tiệm nail. Ông Charlie đã chế biến nhiều loại sản phẩm dành cho móng tay, gồm có những hiệu nổi tiếng như Regal lacquers, ANS, QT, Lexi, Beyond, Sheila, Lila, Geluv, và Gelart. Ngoài ra ông đã chế tạo, hoàn thiện và sản xuất các sản phẩm như Ispa, Everst, Katai, Kata Gi, Gspa W, Ion, Petalo và nhiều những cửa tiệm làm móng chân dùng những chiếc ghế massage nổi danh như HT-135PS, đồng thời vẽ kiểu, thiết kế cho những bàn ghế dùng trong lãnh vực kinh doanh thứ hai.

Lãnh vực kinh doanh thứ hai này là Regal Nails. Khởi đầu từ năm 1997 khi mua hàng ở Wal-Mart, ông Charlie thấy rằng Wal-Mart có tiệm làm tóc nhưng hoàn toàn không có tiệm làm móng tay. Theo quan sát này, ông Charlie bắt đầu có ý tưởng mà sau này trở thành Regal Nails; ông liên lạc với Wal-Mart và xin thuê địa điểm trong Wal-Mart để mở tiệm, nhưng Wal-Mart từ chối vì nghĩ rằng không khả thi. Nhưng Charlie vẫn kiên trì theo đuổi và cuối cùng Wal-Mart đồng ý cho thử nghiệm với tiệm đầu tiên tại Shreveport, LA, vào ngày 29 tháng 10, năm 1997. Cửa tiệm Regal Nails đã thành công vượt mức và Wal-Mart đồng ý cho ông mở thêm những tiệm khác trong Walmart. Cho đến nay ông đã có hơn 900 đại lý và còn có kế hoạch để phát triển thêm. Những đại lý của Regal Nails tọa lạc trong những siêu thị Wal-Mart, Meijer, và HEB. Hiện nay Charlie đang thương thảo với AAFES (Khu Thương mại dành riêng cho quân đội Hoa Kỳ) để mở những cửa tiệm trong những trung tâm này. Trong quá trình hoạt động Regal Nails đã có lúc tiến triển với tốc độ 100 tiệm mỗi năm.

Ông Charlie Quy Ton đã nhận được nhiều giải thưởng như “Cựu Sinh viên Trẻ Trong Năm” của Hội Cựu Sinh viên LSU; “Bốn mươi Nhân vật Hàng đầu dưới Bốn mươi tuổi” của Greater Baton Rouge Business Report và “Doanh gia Trẻ trong năm” của Baton Rouge Business Awards & Hall of Fame. Trước đây ông cũng là thành viên Hội đồng Quản trị của Phòng Thương mại Baton Rouge.

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CAREER PANELIST

17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP

REVEREND JOSEPH PHAN DINH LOC CATHOLIC

RELIGIOUS LEADERS

Rev. Phan was born in Phan Thiet, Vietnam. When he was young, Rev. Phan and his parents moved to Hiep An Parish in Binh Thuan Province and lived there. He was diligent in his service in the rite altar every day. In 1975, he had to quit school in order to help his parents to make a living. In 1983, he escaped Vietnam by boat and resettled in the United States. He had to support himself by working during the day and studying English at night. Then he decided to follow Jesus Christ and entered St. Mary Seminary and University in Galveston Diocese. Rev. Phan was ordained in 2002 and now is serving as Hospital Chaplain. Rev. Phan is well known for his sense of humor; he is loved and respected by the congregation, especially the youth of the Vietnamese Martyrs Church.

Cha Joseph Phan Đình Lộc sinh tại Vinh Thủy, Phan Thiết. Sau đó theo cha mẹ vào lập nghiệp tại Giáo xứ Hiệp An. Thuở nhỏ Cha Lộc rất siêng năng trong việc giúp lễ hàng ngày. Năm 1975, Cha phải nghỉ học để phụ giúp cha mẹ mưu sinh. Năm 1983, Cha vượt biển đến Mỹ, ban ngày đi làm và tối đi học them Anh văn. Sau đó, Cha quyết định đi theo ơn gọi của Thiên Chúa và được nhận vào Đại Chủng viện St. Mary thuộc Giáo phận Galveston. Cha Lộc được thụ phong Linh mục năm 2002 và hiện đang làm Cha Tuyên úy cho Nhà thương. Điểm đặc biệt về cha là tính khôi hài. Cha Lộc được nhiều người thương mến, đặc biệt là giới trẻ thuộc Giáo xứ Các Thánh Tử Đạo Việt Nam. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PASTOR NGUYEN VO HAI PROTESTANT

In 1975, when South Vietnam surrendered to North Vietnam, Pastor Hai was only two months old. His family was relocated to re-education camps and considered enemies of the state due to his father’s service with the U.S. Navy. In 1979 his family escaped by boat and was rescued by a U.S. frigate. His family was brought to the Philippines and later settled in the U.S. His parents open their first business in 1985. Pastor Hai graduated from Hilton College of Hotel Management at University of Houston and is currently running his family business. In 2003, his mother had a stroke and spent several months in ICU. This event has stirred his heart about the question of life and death that he realized his need for Jesus Christ. He accepted Christ in 2004. He was in college ministry at West University Baptist for seven years and was called to full time ministry at Second Baptist Church in 2014. Presently, he is a pastor in the International Ministry at Second Baptist Church.

Năm 1975, khi Nam Việt Nam đầu hàng Bắc Việt Nam, mục sư Hải chỉ mới 2 tháng tuổi. Gia đình ông phải đi học tập cải tạo và được lập vào danh sách kẻ thù của nước bởi vì cha ông làm việc cho Bộ Hải Quân Mỹ. Năm 1979, gia đình ông vượt biên và tị nạn tại Phi Lục Tân và sau đó không lâu thì di cư đến Mỹ. Cha mẹ của ông đã thành lập công ty đầu tiên của họ năm 1985. Mục sư Hải tốt nghiệp về bộ môn Quản Lý Khách Sạn của Hilton tại Trường Đại Học Houston và cũng đang quản nhiệm cơ nghiệp mà cha mẹ ông đã khởi đầu. Năm 2003, mẹ ông bị tai biến mạch máu và phải dưỡng bệnh tại nhà thương rất nhiều tháng. Điều này đã khởi động trong thâm tâm của ông những suy nghĩ về sự sống chết và ông đã thực sự hiểu được sự cần thiết tiếp nhận Đấng Giê-Xu Christ trong cuộc sống của ông. Ông hầu việc trong mục vụ sinh viên tại Trường Đại Học West University Baptist được bảy năm và sau đó được phong mục sư tại Hội Thánh Second Baptist năm 2014 trong mục vụ Quốc Tế.

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17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP Concurrent Workshop #1: Identifying Your Passion The greatest joy is to be in a profession that you love. This workshop is a series of experiential exercises to discover your life’s passion. You will learn to “look, listen and feel” to stay connected and fulfill your life’s calling. _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________

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WORKSHOP

Presented by Dr. Mylene Tran Huynh

17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP NOTES:

WORKSHOP

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17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP Concurrent Workshop #2 - Communication with Styles Presented by Linda Akutagawa (LEAP)

Overview: We all have different preferences when it comes to communicating and working with those around us. When these preferences are met, we are often more motivated and comfortable with the people with whom we must work and the tasks we must perform.

All of us think, feel, and act in certain ways based on the patterns of behavior we’ve developed over time. These patterns often become so ingrained in us that we can refer to them as styles of behavior.

Greater awareness of your own work-style and communication preferences will help you to not only seek a better “fit” or alignment with the work or tasks you perform but with the people around you as well. Being more aware of the preferences of others will enable you to build better work, community and personal relationships, influence more “win-win” outcomes, and more effectively handle a broader range of potential conflict situations.

Workshop Purpose and Outcomes:

Outcomes: by the end of the workshop the participants will...

Understand your own style, its strengths and weaknesses, and how your behaviors communicate that style to others Identify someone else’s style by quick, easily learned techniques so you’ll know how to read people and treat them the way they’d like to be treated Adjust your behavior to make all kinds of people more at ease with you, and you with them.

Complete a personal action plan to implement the learning’s from the program Workshop Outline: •

Introduction - Importance of Understanding Values

•

Getting To Know You - Conduct Exercise - Human Scattergram

• Defining Styles - The Basics - Present Development of the DISC - Present The DISC Model

• Understanding Our Behavior - Group Exercises: My Strengths and Challenges - Group Exercise: Opposites • Wrap Up

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WORKSHOP

Purpose: To develop effective communication skills to foster positive relationships at home, at school, in the community and in any work environment.

17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP Concurrent Workshop #3 - Take Control of Your Career!

Presented by Dr. Hai Ho

Overview – Managing your career to achieve high job satisfaction and rich reward requires proactive planning and action on a regular basis. Most high achievers in corporate America actively and regularly manage their career activities such as advancement, professional development, networking, profile updating, and opportunity survey. Furthermore, those who additionally address worklife balance achieve both career satisfaction and happiness. In this workshop, we cover the essential aspects of career management.

Outline:

Self-assessment and discovery

- Discover what you like to do and what you do best

- Your vision and goals

Being a professional

- Attitude, mental state, confidence

- Communication style (verbal, non verbal) - Workplace Leadership

WORKSHOP

Personal Brand

- What is your value proposition - Differentiate yourself

Outstanding job search and interviewing skills

- Networking methods and skills

- Top interview tips

How to achieve job satisfaction and growth

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17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________

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WORKSHOP

NOTES:

17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP Concurrent Workshop #4 - Goal Setting Presented by Nông Duy Trường

Goals are Dreams with Deadlines Benefits of Goal Setting: SMART Goal: - Motivation - Specific - Independence - Measurable - Direction - Achievable - Meaning - Relevant - Enjoyment - Time-bound

- Fulfillment

Exercise: Turn your DREAM into GOAL NOTES:

WORKSHOP

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17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP Concurrent Workshop #5 - Career Aspirations PANELISTS: Ms. Duy Loan Lê, Senior Fellow, Texas Instruments (Engineering) Ms. Vanessa Van Anh Vo, Classical Musical Instrumentalist, Artist, Emmy Award Winner (Music) Mr. Quoc-Anh Tran, Houston Fire Department and US Military (Public Service) Ms. Victoria Ai Linh Bryant, CEO, Ambassador Caregiver Inc. (Pharmacy) Mr. Charlie Ton, CEO, Alfalfa Nail Supplies and Regal Nail Salon Inc. (Entreprenuership) CONTENT: Each of the panelists will share with the audience their own career aspirations and some tips and techniques on how to be successful in choosing a career that we are passionate about and how to develop personally and professionally in your career.

NOTE: _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________

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WORKSHOP

There will be Q&A session at the end of the panel discussion and wrap up with team interactive activities to discuss the importance of Goal Setting and how to prepare for your career.

17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP

Support the I Am Vietnamese Project led by former Len Duong alumni Huy Pham (Houston, TX), Quynh Huynh, and Lisa Nguyen (Toronto, ON).

The I Am Vietnamese Project (IamVietnamese.org) is a non-profit project dedicated to the collection and publication of literature about personal and Vietnamese cultural identity. The I Am Vietnamese Project aims to inspire and connect those like us. To provide a sense of community while we struggle on our own personal journeys, and to remind to us that we are not alone. As we read personal accounts of those like us, we feel inspired, connected, and like we belong.

“I AM VIETNAMESE” PROJECT

All proceeds will go towards three phenomenal charities - the Vietnamese Culture and Science Association (VCSA), Sunflower Mission, and the Vietnamese American Scholarship Foundation (VASF).

HOW CAN I HELP?: WRITE. Every single one of us has a story worth telling. A story that others will benefit from. Please take the time to write down your story and submit it to us. Trust us - you will be grateful, years from now, when you can share the story with your loved ones. Vietnamese, English, and all forms of expression (poetry, essays, spoken word, etc) are welcome.

Do not worry about editing, spelling or grammar - we will help you take care of it!

GET OTHERS TO WRITE. Many of you have friends that are great writers with great stories - get them to contribute!

DONATE TIME. We are in need of editors, graphic designers, and those with knowledge of the book industry. Please let us know if you can help! Contact us for more information.

Donations of in-kind services are also tax deductible! Please contact us for more information.

DONATE FUNDS. Funds will be spent purchasing books for at-need communities. All donations are tax deductible. Please contact us for more information.

For more information, to contact us, and to submit your writing, please check out www.iamvietnamese.org

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17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP EMBRACE YOUR CULTURE LEARN FROM THE PAST, LEAD THE PRESENT, INSPIRE THE FUTURE From 1998 to 2014, the mark of the seventeenth year of Lên Đường proves of its lasting impact for the Vietnamese community of North America. The uniqueness about Lên Đường is that it provides the understanding of the Vietnamese Culture as a quality for effective leadership by bringing the multigenerational and multicultural gaps that Lên Đường participants are yearning for.

LEARN FROM THE PAST: You will not know who you are without the understanding of your source of life and freedom, which has been purchased with a price, innocent blood sacrifice through many persevering battles. Set your heart in gratitude and paying respect to one another will help you discover the beautiful image within you. Start with an open heart of acceptance. Be open to learn but yet be firm in your understanding. Let the past makes you better and not bitter. Let the past be appreciated and not for you to dwell on. You are not defined by your past, you are prepared by your past.

LEAD THE PRESENT: You are here for a purpose and not by chance. Learn from the past, launch goals for the future, but live in the only moment of time over which you are actually making an impact: NOW. Show accountability for the resources that you currently have. Your talents and experiences are not for you to keep to yourself but to contribute for the building up of yourself and of others. Be of good stewards of your blessings so that you can be a blessing to others just like how you have been blessed.

INSPIRE THE FUTURE: It takes courage to dream and act out your potential.

Leaders are visionary, strategists, influencers and catalysts. Leaders motivate, inspire and sacrifice for a better future. If your actions engage others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader – John Quincy Adams. Learn and grow all you can; serve and befriend all you can; enrich and inspire all you can. Your future depends on what you do TODAY! LEARN FROM THE PAST – LEAD THE PRESENT – INSPIRE THE FUTURE EMBRACE YOUR CULTURE LEN DUONG 2014

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CAMP THEME

Each one of us is unique individually and together we are unique as the Vietnamese culture colorized by our tradition of festival, food, fashion, music, and history. Many are open to explore their heritage while others have closed off that identity. Reflect upon yourself and search deep within your desires, after all the necessary needs are met, the ultimate need is self-actualization. It is the acknowledgement of who you are, why are you here, and what will you become, to discover your potential and being able to live up to it.

17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP FIVE THOUSAND YEARS OF VIETNAMESE CULTURE

Historians generally share a common view that Vietnam was born out of a fairly sophisticated cultural community which was formed around the first half of the first millennium B.C.E. and flourished in the middle of that millennium. That was Đông Sơn cultural community.

This culture attained a degree of development higher than that of others in the region at that time. It had its own characteristics but still bore the features of Southeast Asian culture because of the common South Asian racial root (Southern Mongoloid) and the water rice culture. Different developmental routes of local cultures in various areas (in the deltas of Hồng (Red) river, Mã (Horse) river, Cả river and so on...) joined together to form Dong Son culture. This period marked a very “embryonic” state of a nation later called Vietnam, which was existing in the form of inter- and super-village community. The “embryonic” tribes had their autonomy but would come together in times of regional crises, specifically to resist foreign invaders or to build and maintain dikes for rice cultivation. This geopolitical philosophy served as a back bone of Vietnam’s political policy throughout most of its 5,000 year history.

VIETNAMESE CULTURE

The period that was considered the first apogee in the history of the Vietnamese culture known as Văn Lang – Âu Lạc culture began around 3 millennia B.C.E. This period, popularly regarded as an era of 18 Hùng Vương kings, lasted around 3,000 years and was typified by the Đông Sơn bronze drums and stable techniques of cultivating water rice.

The beginning of the first millennium A.D. also marked the beginning of a 1,000 year occupation by China. The post-Chinese domination period was characterized by the two parallel trends, Han assimilation and anti-Han assimilation. This was a second apogee of the Vietnamese culture represented by Ly, Tran and Le Dynasties during which the Vietnamese culture underwent a comprehensive restoration heavily influenced by Buddhism and Taoism.

Four centuries of peace ended with another short-lived Chinese invasion, which was followed by a period of civil war most notably by Trịnh and Nguyễn feudal lords. In the late 18th century, in one of the most spectacular show of force, the Tây Sơn led by King Quang Trung reunited the country. After the Nguyễn Dynasty, Vietnam’s last monarchy, took control of the nation, they tried to restore the Confucian culture but failed because by then the appeal of Western culture introduced by the French had already begun to penetrate Vietnamese society.

A century of French domination was marked by a cultural mix which consisted of two opposite trends – Europeanization and anti-Europeanization – which represented the underlying colonialist and patriotic sentiments respectively. From the 1930’s, a modern Vietnamese culture was beginning to assume and incorporate new characters with increasingly intensive integration into world modern civilization.

It can be said that there were three layers of culture overlapping each other during the history of Vietnam: local culture, the culture that was mixed with those of China and other countries in the region, and the culture that interacted with Western cultures. The most prominent feature of the Vietnamese culture is that it has been able to resist wholesale assimilation of foreign cultures thanks to the strong local cultural foundations. On the contrary, Vietnamese have selectively utilized those foreign cultures to enrich theirs, while maintaining their national cultural identity.

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17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP

Vietnamese culture emerges from a concrete living environment: a tropical country with many rivers and a confluence of great cultures. The natural environment (temperature, humidity, monsoon, water-flows, water-rice agriculture etc.) exerts a remarkable influence on the material and spiritual life of the nation, as well as the characteristics and psychology of its people. Social and historical conditions may have also played a significant role in the shaping of national psychology. Though sharing the same Southeast Asian cultural origin, the Vietnamese culture distinguishes itself because of the long exposure to those of China and France. This may explain the distinct cultural differences between Vietnam and other water-rice cultures like Thailand, Laos, Indonesia, and India etc.

The followings are an overview of major cultural aspects: 1. PHILOSOPHY AND IDEOLOGIES

Later, Vietnamese society and culture were enriched by the influence of Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism, all of which were conciliated and Vietnamized. Particularly, the ZenBuddhists during the Ly and Tran Dynasties earned historical acclaim for their own original and distinguished interpretation of Buddhist philosophies (i.e. Heart-Buddha, being-not being, lifedeath.) Although Confucianism flourished afterward, many famous Vietnamese Confucians did not strictly follow Confucianism and Mencianism, but rather adopted the spirit of Buddhism and Taoism to make their ideology more open, closer to the people and more harmonious with nature.

The policy that facilitated agriculture and restrained trade, popular in the Nguyen Dynasty, perhaps blocked the development of city-dweller's consciousness according to some historians.

In the past, Vietnamese generally ranked agriculture and education as their first and second priorities of occupations, while having a low opinion of the business class. Other trades including cultural activities were regarded with rather low priorities.

The agricultural society was characterized by a village community with many primitive vestiges that formed the specific characteristics of the Vietnamese. Those were the thoughts of dualism, a concrete way of thinking that was tilted to emotional experiences rather than rationalism, and images rather than concepts. However, it was also a flexible, adaptable, and conciliatory way of thinking. This way of thinking highly valued emotional ties to relatives and the community (because "there would be no home in a lost country" and "the whole village rather than a sole roof would be engulfed by flood"). This was also a way of behaving toward conciliatory, equilibrium and relations-based settlement of conflicts and disputes. “Suppleness to prevail over firmness and weakness over strength” this practical philosophy allowed Vietnam to cope accordingly with difficult situations and to do so successfully many times in Vietnam’s history.

Vietnamese highly appreciated "Benevolence" which was viewed in close association with “Righteousness” and “Virtues” such that life without benevolence and righteousness was tantamount to one without virtues. Nguyen Trai, a foremost scholar in the 15th century, once described the Vietnamese concept of Benevolence and Righteousness as the opposition to fierce violence, which became an integral part of the foundation for the policy of fighting foreign invaders as well as ruling the country. Vietnamese understood that loyalty meant being loyal to the nation as opposed to loyalty to a ruler, and respected piety without being so bound with the framework of family. Happiness was also among the top social values; people often make compliments on the happiness of a family rather than wealth and social position.

LÊN ĐƯỜNG 2014 | EMBRACE YOUR CULTURE 35

VIETNAMESE CULTURE

At the start, with primitive and rudimentary cognition of materialism and dialectics, Vietnamese thinking and beliefs appeared inseparable. However, Vietnam’s affinity to agriculture as opposed to the nomadic culture predisposed it towards the appreciation of stillness over movement. More dependent on natural phenomena, the Vietnamese philosophy paid special attention to relations that was typified by doctrine of Yin and Yang and the five basic elements (not exactly the same as the Chinese doctrine) and manifested in the moderate lifestyle tending towards harmony.

17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP 2. CUSTOMS AND PRACTICES

In the old days, the Vietnamese eating habit tends towards vegetarianism; rice and vegetables are the center of the meal that may be diversified by aquatic products. They preferred boiling as a cooking method and synthetic food processing style that involves many materials and ingredients. Today, although meat and fish have become a larger part of typical meal, Vietnamese do not forget pickled egg-plant.

In the past, Vietnamese preferred to wear light, thin, well-ventilated kind of clothing that originated from plants and was suitable for such a tropical country as Vietnam, with gray, indigo and black colors. Men’s clothing changed from loin-cloth with bare upper half of the body to short jackets and Vietnamese traditional trousers (re-designed from Chinese trousers). Women often wore brassieres, skirts and four-piece long dresses that were later modified to the modern áo dài. In general, Vietnamese women adorned themselves subtly and secretively in a society where “virtue is more important than appearance.” They generally enjoyed kerchiefs, hats and belts.

VIETNAMESE CULTURE

The old-style Vietnamese house was related to the watery environment (stilted house with curved roof). Also popular were thatch-roofed houses with clay walls, which were built mostly from wood and bamboo. This kind of house did not stand too high to avoid high winds and storms, and more importantly, the house should face to the South direction to be free from hot and cold weathers. The interior of the house was also not so spacious to leave room for the courtyard, pond, and garden. Also, Vietnamese thought that “spacious home was no better than sufficient food.” Sizable ancient architectures were often built shrouded and in harmony with natural environment.

The traditional means of transport is waterways. Ship of all types together with the river and the wharf are familiar images.

Vietnamese customs of weddings, funerals, holidays and rituals all are attached to village community. Marriages not only reflect the lovers’ desire but also had to meet the interests of the family lines, the village; thus, the choice for future bride or bridegroom was done very carefully, which had to go through many formalities from the plighting ceremony, the official proposal to the bride’s family, the wedding to the marriage tie, the ritual of sharing bridal cup of wine, the newly-weds’ first visit to the bride’s family. To be accepted as a new member of the village, the bride sometimes had to pay a fine to the village. Funeral service is also proceeded very thoroughly to express the grief and see off the relative into the other world. In time of grievances, the family of the deceased is often provided help by its neighbors rather than having to manage it by themselves.

Vietnam is a country of festivities which take place all year round, especially in spring when there is little farm work. The major festivities are Tết Nguyên Đán (Lunar New Year, ) MidFirst month , Hàn Thực (cold food) , Đoan Ngọ (double five) , Mid-Seventh month , Mid-Autumn Festival, Ông Táo (the God of the kitchen.) Each region has its own ritual holidays, the most important of which are agricultural rituals (praying for rain, getting down to the rice field, and new rice...) and trade’s rituals (copper casting, forging, making fire crackers, and boat racing...) Besides, there are also rituals dedicated to national heroes and religious and cultural services. Ritual holidays are usually divided into two parts: a spiritual part consisting of blessings or thanksgivings, and cultural part involving the community with many folk games and contests.

LÊN ĐƯỜNG 2014 | EMBRACE YOUR CULTURE 36

17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP 3. LANGUAGES

There are many theories regarding the origin of the Vietnamese language. The most persuasive one argues that the Vietnamese language previously belonged to the Mon-Khmer group of the Southeast Asian linguistic system. It was later transformed into Viet-Muong language (or old Vietnamese language) and then separated to form the modern Vietnamese language. In the modern Vietnamese language, many words have been proven to contain Mon-Khmer roots and to be phonetically and semantically relevant to the Muong language.

In the 17th century, for the purpose of evangelism and possible political motivations, some Western missionaries including Alexandre de Rhodes in collaboration with some Vietnamese created a new national language which was a combination of the native Vietnamese spoken language and Latin alphabets. This new national language offered the advantages of simple figure, composition, spelling and pronunciation facilitating the development of the modern Vietnamese prose, which could then be a conduit of influence from the West. In late 19th century, publications were published in the National language characters.

The Vietnamese language is characterized by mono-phonology with a concrete, abundant, acoustic vocabulary and a proportionate, rhythmical, lively, flexible, symbolic and emotional way of expression, which tremendously facilitates artistic and literary creation. The Vietnamese dictionary published by the Center of Lexicography in 1997 consists of 38,410 entries.

4. ARTS

Vietnam has some 50 musical instruments, most popular, diverse and long-lasting of which are percussion instruments, such as Trống Đồng (copper drums), Cồng Chiêng (gongs), Đàn Đá (lithophone), Đàn T’rưng... Wind instruments are represented by flutes and pan-pipes while string instruments are represented by Đàn Bầu (one string sitar) and Đàn Nhị.

The Vietnamese folk songs are rich in forms and melodies of regions across the country, ranging from Ngâm thơ (poetry recitation,) Hát Ru (lullaby), Hò (chanty) to Hát Quan Họ, Trống Quân, ca Huế, ca Chòi... Apart from this, there are also other forms like Hát Xẩm, Chầu Văn and Ca Trù.

Traditional performing arts include Chèo and Tuồng. Water-puppet opera, the most unique form of Vietnamese artistry was popularized in the Ly Dynasty. At the start of the 20th century, Cải Lương (reformed theatre) appeared in Cochin china with melodies of vọng cổ.

The Vietnamese acoustic arts generally have symbolic, expressive and emotional features. Traditional stage relates closely to the audience and is a combination of music and dance forms. The Vietnamese dance has few strong and tough actions, but contains many smooth and curling features with closed feet and a lot of arm-dancing actions.

In Vietnam, the arts of sculpturing on stone, copper and baked clay came into existence very early, dating back to the 10,000 B.C. Later, enameled ceramics, wooden statues, shell-encrusted pictures, lacquers, silk- made pictures and paper-made pictures all attained high degree of artistic sophistication.

The Vietnamese plastic arts focus on expressing innermost feelings with simplified forms using many methods of stylization and emphases.

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VIETNAMESE CULTURE

Throughout a millennium of Chinese occupation and under the Vietnamese feudal dynasties, the official language was the Han, but the Vietnamese always demonstrated its strength for self-preservation and development. The Han language was pronounced in the Vietnamese way, called the Han-Viet way of pronunciation, and Vietnamized in various ways to create many commonly used Vietnamese words. In the 13th century, the diverse development of the Vietnamese language popularized a system of unique writing of the Vietnamese language on the basis of the Han characters, called the Nôm character.

17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP BIG GAME STORYLINE: LE LOI AND THE LEGEND OF SWORD LAKE Len Duong camp big game this year will be based on the story of Le Loi and the Legend of Sword Lake (Ho Hoan Kiem).

Longtime ago, the Ming from China conquered and oppressed Dai Viet (known as Viet-Nam today). Where ever they went, they destroyed houses and crops. They even captured Vietnamese men and women for slavery. People suffered and they truly hated the cruel invaders.

Le Loi was one of the brilliant generals. He formed his army called The Lam Son Soldiers to fight the Ming. He went everywhere trying to find virtuous staff, recruited soldiers, and built more weapons waiting for the perfect moment.

Sometimes his soldiers swoop down the mountains to open attacks on the Ming, but his army was weak and most of the time did not bring any significant result.

BIG GAME STORY

One day Le Loi visited a lake and he asked the Dragon King for help to fight the strong enemy. The Dragon King ordered his staff to bring a miraculous sword from his treasure warehouse. He said to himself, “The Dai Viet people need my sword.” Then he called a Golden Tortoise to send the precious sword with special instructions. Le Loi received the precious sword without a handle from a fisherman who nested it with the words imprinted on the sword, “Heaven Approved”.

One time the Ming soldiers tried to set traps to catch Le Loi and his major officers. Le Loi noticed the entrapment and his army withdrawed deeper into the jungle. During the withdrawal, he spotted a glowing item from the tree.

Approaching near, he saw a sword handle with the same words imprinted on the handle, “Heaven Approved”. He inserted the handle into the sword and the two parts fit perfectly. Everyone was surprised and shouted out loud, “This is a sign from the Heaven”. The Lam Son Soldiers asked Le Loi, “Heaven entrusts this sword to you. Only you can save the mountains and the rivers of our homeland from the evil enemy. We swear to save our homeland with you.”

LÊN ĐƯỜNG 2014 | EMBRACE YOUR CULTURE 38

17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP

The news of LeLoi’s magic sword spread far and wide from every corner of the villages. Many young and old have joined the army to form a powerful force to fight the enemy, The Ming. Holding the magic sword, Le Loi led his army to fight and win every battle. The Lam Son Soldiers finally pushed the Ming back to their border with fear and pity.

King Le Loi remembered the gift from Dragon King, the Magic sword, and the Golden Tortoise. He renamed the lake as “The Sword Lake” where the people also named “The Lake of the Returned Sword.” Generations of Vietnamese have learned from this great story. The people believe “a just cause would receive help from the Heaven. Our homeland always receives great blessings.”

-------------------------------------------------- // ---------------------------------------------- We are about to spend the next few hours to learn some of the infamous conflicts and their heroes. Roll up your sleeves. You are about to fight for our country.

LÊN ĐƯỜNG 2014 | EMBRACE YOUR CULTURE 39

BIG GAME STORY

After winning over the enemy and bringing back peace to our homeland, Le Loi ascended the throne to become the King of Dai Viet. One day, King Le Loi toured the lake on his dragon boat. Suddenly the Golden Tortoise emerged from the water and swam along the boat where Le Loi was standing. He said, “Your majesty! you have accomplished your mission. Please, return the magic sword to the Dragon King.” “Golden Tortoise!”, King Le Loi said, “please address our sincere appreciation from all Dai Viet people to the Dragon King. With the magic sword, we have swept the enemy and now our people can live in happiness and prosperity.” After the remark, the sword suddenly left Le Loi. The Golden Tortoise takes the magic sword and goes down into the water. The magic sword and the Golden Tortoise have disappeared forever.

17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP

GAME OVERVIEW

After the initial briefing, you are handed a map and instructions that will lead your team to a series of tasks. Your team, faced with a race against time, must follow instructions to arrive at the right station in the right order. At each station, you will be facing challenging task(s) that lasts approximately 30 minutes; and upon its successful completion you will advance to the next stage.

The tasks are situated along your route. Your team has to overcome a variety of physical and mental challenges as instructed by our Big Game coordinators. You are expanding our territories. The roads leading to each battle station may be treacherous. Exercise common sense and do not take unnecessary risks as you will be in a light wooded area. Please be safe.

Each time you complete a challenge your team will earn points. The points your team receives depend on the effectiveness of your performance, your enthusiasm and how well you work together as a team. In addition to the points, your team may collect “tokens” at each station or along your path. Cumulative tokens will be used in the final stage.

The event finishes with a grand finale, which comprises of competitive and exciting teamgame activities.

BIG GAME STORY

Game Objectives

• Practice team-strategizing techniques

• Divide roles and responsibilities

• Manage time in a fast-paced environment

• Use consensus in decision-making

• Develop team ground rules

• Solve physical and mental challenges

• Embed “GRACE” values during the transitions, into each station, and everyone you see

during the duration of the game.

Expected Outcomes

• Increase morale and team bonding

• Practice a variety of teambuilding techniques

• Realize the importance of working as a team

• Understand of individual strengths and weakness within a group setting

• Think unconventionally.

• Understand and appreciate the sacrifice of our forefathers Central Theme

•The theme allows full range of physical, mind, and team activities. It encourages each

individuals to rise up and become the top performers by adapting GRACE values.

•Gratitude – A deep appreciation of life in all forms, valuing both its gifts and lessons. This

is the foundation for finding joy in our human condition.

•Respect - The practice of awareness and openness to others, new ideas and different

perspectives. Respect is the basis for peace and understanding.

•Accountability - Taking responsibility for our actions, thoughts and emotions.

Acknowledging our choices and their consequences empowers us to choose again.

•Courage - The discipline to be authentic, honest and act with integrity. Courage allows us

to grow and realize our true potential and dreams.

•Engagement – The intention to wholeheartedly contribute our gifts and skills in a way

that benefits our communities and natural environments. This is a natural outcome

and test of a values-based life.

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17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP VIỆT NAM VIỆT NAM Việt Nam, Việt Nam nghe từ vào đời.

Việt Nam hai câu nói trên vành môi.

Việt Nam nước tôi.

Việt Nam, Việt Nam tên gọi là người.

Việt Nam hai câu nói sau cùng khi lìa đời.

Việt Nam đây miền xinh tươi.

Việt Nam đem vào sông núi.

Tự Do Công Bình Bác Ái muôn đời.

Việt Nam kêu gọi thương nhau.

Việt Nam đi xây đắp yên vui dài lâu.

Việt Nam trên đường tương lai, Lửa thiêng soi tồn thế giới.

Việt Nam ta nguyền tranh đấu cho đời.

Tình yêu đây là khí giới.

Tình thương đem về muôn nơi.

Việt Nam đây tiếng nói đi xây tình người.

Việt Nam! (Muôn năm! Muôn năm!)

Việt Nam! (Muôn năm! Muôn năm!)

Việt Nam! Quê hương đất nước sáng ngời.

Việt Nam! (Muôn năm! Muôn năm!)

Việt Nam! (Muôn năm! Muôn năm!)

Việt Nam! Muôn đời!

LÊN ĐƯỜNG 2014 | EMBRACE YOUR CULTURE 41

CAMP SONGS

Việt Nam không đòi xương máu.

17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP VIỆT NAM QUÊ HƯƠNG NGẠO NGHỄ Ta như nước dâng, dâng chẳng có bao giờ tàn. Đường dài ngút ngàn chỉ một trận cười vang vang.

Lê sâu bàn chân gông cùm một thời xa xăm. Đôi mắt ta rực sáng theo nhịp xích kêu loàng xoàng.

Ta khua xích kêu vang dậy trước mặt mọi người.

Nụ cười muôn đời là một nụ cười không tươi.

Nụ cười xa vời, nụ cười của lòng hờn sôi.

Bước tiến ta tràn tới tung xiềng vào mặt nhân gian.

CAMP SONGS

ĐK: Máu ta từ thành Văn Lang dồn lại.

Xương da thịt này cha ôngmiệt mài.

Từng giờ qua, cười ngạo nghễ đi trong đau nhức khôn nguôi.

Chúng ta thành một đoàn người hiên ngang, Trên bàn chông hát cười đùa vang vang.

Còn Việt Nam, triệu con tim này còn triệu khối kiêu hùng.

Ta như giống dân đi tràn trên lò lửa hồng.

Mặt lạnh như đồng cùng nhìn về một xa xăm.

Da chan mồ hôi nhễ nhại cuộn vòng gân tươi. Ôm vết thương rỉ máu ta cười dưới ánh mặt trời.

Ta khuyên cháu con ta còn tiếp tục làm người.

Làm người huy hoàng phải chọn làm người dân Nam. Làm người ngang tàng điểm mặt mày của trần gian.

Hỡi những ai gục xuống ngoi dậy hùng cường đi lên.

LÊN ĐƯỜNG 2014 | EMBRACE YOUR CULTURE 42

17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP LÀM GIÓ TUNG CỜ Đừng làm áng mây trời một đời bay mãi chơi vơi. Đừng làm áng mây trời một đời theo gió ngàn nơi.

Thà làm áng mây trời một ngày che mát quê tôi.

Thà làm áng mây trời một ngày mưa xuống ơn đời.

Thà làm áng mây trời, làm áng mây trời về đến bên người.

Thà làm áng mây trời, làm áng mây trời dịu mát môi cười.

Đừng làm nước ao tù, một đời rêu bám thâm u. Đừng làm nước ao tù, một đời soi bóng sầu tư.

Thà làm nước xuôi giòng nhịp nhàng đưa sóng trào dâng.

Thà làm nước xuôi giòng nhịp nhàng đơm lúa thơm nồng.

Thà làm nước xuôi giòng, làm nước xuôi giòng vùng vẫy oai hùng.

Thà làm nước xuôi giòng, làm nước xuôi giòng ngọt lúa thơm nồng. Đừng làm kiếp con người một đời như đám rong trôi. Đừng làm kiếp con người một đời ôm bóng sầu khơi.

Thà làm kiếp con người một ngày tranh đấu mê say.

Thà làm kiếp con người một ngày nhưng sống muôn ngày.

Thà làm kiếp con người dù sống một ngày nhưng sống mê say.

Thà làm kiếp con người dù sống một giờ làm gió tung cờ.

CHIA TAY Gặp nhau đây rồi chia tay.

Ngày vàng như đã vụt qua trong phút giây.

Niềm hăng say còn chưa phai. Đường trường sông núi hẹn mai ta sum vầy.

Còn trong ta tình bao la.

Cuộc tình chinh chiến bùng lên muôn ước mơ.

Lời suy tư, lời đêm qua.

Dặn lòng hãy nhớ lời yêu thương nhắn về.

LÊN ĐƯỜNG 2014 | EMBRACE YOUR CULTURE 43

CAMP SONGS

Đừng làm cánh chim ngàn lạc rừng muôn kiếp lang thang. Đừng làm cánh chim ngàn muộn màng rung tiếng thở than.

Thà làm cánh chim ngàn dọc ngang trên đất Việt nam.

Thà làm cánh chim ngàn nhịp nhàng ca hát chung đoàn.

Thà làm cánh chim ngàn, làm cánh chim ngàn bay khắp giang san.

Thà làm cánh chim ngàn, làm cánh chim ngàn nhập bóng chung đoàn.

17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP QUỐC CA VIỆT NAM

TUỔI TRẺ VIỆT NAM LÊN ĐƯỜNG Tuổi trẻ Việt Nam lên đường!

Tuổi trẻ Việt Nam lên đường!

Tuổi trẻ Việt Nam lên đường!

Lên Đường!

CAMP SONGS

Này công dân ơi! Quốc gia đến ngày giải phóng Đồng lòng cùng đi hy sinh tiếc gì thân sống.

Vì tương lai Quốc dân cùng xông pha khói tên, Làm sao cho núi sông từ nay luôn vững bền.

Dù cho thây phơi trên gươm giáo.

Thù nước lấy máu đào đem báo.

Vì yêu thương quê nhà, vì yêu thương sơn hà, Nòi giống lúc biến phải cần giải nguy, Người thanh niên luôn vững bền tâm trí, Vì đau xót cha mẹ già và đàn em thơ.

Hùng tráng quyết chiến đấu, làm cho khắp nơi Vì yêu thương muôn người, vì yêu thương Vang tiếng người nước nam cho đến muôn đời. giống nòi, Công dân ơi! Mau hiến thân dưới cờ.

Công dân ơi! Mau làm cho cõi bờ, Toàn dân đứng lên đáp lời gọi của non sông.

Thoát cơn tàn phá, vẻ vang nòi giống.

Xứng danh nghìn năm nòi giống Lạc Hồng.

Tuổi trẻ Việt Nam, minh châu trời đông!

Tuổi trẻ Việt Nam, sáng danh Lạc Hồng.

CÙNG QUÂY QUẦN Một lòng vì nước đấng anh hùng, Một đời son sắt khách má hồng Cùng quây quần ta vui vui vui.

Toàn dân chung lòng, đuốc Nhân Quyền thắp Ta hát với nhau chơi chơi chơi. sáng non sông.

Rồi lên tiếng reo cười cười cười.

Tuổi trẻ Việt Nam quyết vùng lên Làm vui thú bao người người người. Độc tài phi nhân phải vùi thân Nhìn lên trời đầy sao sao sao.

Nhưng không biết phương nao nao nao.

Bạo quyền gian ác phải phơi xác dươi gươm Chợt trông thấy ông thần thần thần. anh hùng.

Cài gươm báu bên mình mình mình.

Hàng triệu bàn tay châm lửa thiêng Nào ai từng trông thấy thấy thấy.

Hòa cùng nhịp tim, quên niềm riêng Nào ai dám reo vui vui vui Đồng lòng tranh đấu, đường quê với năm Được trông thấy con chuột chuột chuột. châu nối liền Thò đuôi ngoáy tai mèo mèo mèo.

Ngọn lửa Mê Linh bập bùng, rừng già Lam Sơn chập chùng Này Bạch Đằng Giang, kia Vân Đồn sóng vỗ rền vang Là người Việt Nam kiên cường Là giòng Tiên Long can trường Tuổi trẻ Việt Nam - LÊN ĐƯỜNG! (Nhạc & Lời Nguyệt Ánh)

Nào ta cùng đánh răng răng răng.

Lau mặt mũi tay chân chân chân.

Rồi ta nhớ chải đầu đầu đầu.

Và ta quyết không hề buồn rầu.

BỐN PHƯƠNG HỌP MẶT

Bốn phương trời ta về đây chung vui.

Không phân chia giọng nói tiếng cười.

Cùng nắm tay ta kết tình thân ái.

Trao cho nhau những gì mến thương.

Trao cho nhau những gì mến thương.

LÊN ĐƯỜNG 2014 | EMBRACE YOUR CULTURE 44

17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP TÔI YÊU QUÊ TÔI Tôi yêu quê tôi, yêu lũy tre dài đẹp xinh.

Yêu con sông xanh, yêu cát hoe vàng bên đình.

Yêu trăng buông lơi trên má cô hàng đẹp xinh, Và yêu mấy nhịp cầu tre là đây đang dựng mùa hoa.

Tôi yêu đơn sơ qua mái tranh nghèo mẹ quê.

Yêu duyên nên thơ trong tiếng khoan hò ước thề.

Yêu con đê xinh đưa lối qua chợ làng xưa, Và yêu mấy nhịp cầu tre là đây anh chờ em về.

Kìa cùng đùa chơi, trẻ thơ ca hát say đời.

Dù nghèo mà vui, hỏi ai không hé môi cười.

Mưa nắng ơn trời, luống cày thắm đẹp lúa ngời.

Xóm làng đón mùa chiêm mới, ấm no ấp ủ làng tôi.

TRỐNG CƠM Tình bằng có cái trống cơm, Khen ai khéo vỗ (ố mấy) bông nên bông - Ố mấy bông nên bông.

Một đàn tang tình con nít - Một đàn tang tình con nít. Ố mấy lội, lội, lội sông, ố mấy đi tìm.

Em nhớ thương ai, Đôi con mắt ố mấy lim dim Đôi con mắt ố mấy lim dim Một bầy tang tình con nhện ố ố ố ố mấy giăng tơ.

Giăng tơ ố mấy đi tìm -Em nhớ thương ai Duyên nợ khách tang bồng - duyên nợ khách tang bồng.

VỀ VỚI MẸ CHA Từ Nam Quan Cà Mau, từ non cao rừng sâu, gặp nhau cho non nước xây cầu Người thanh niên Việt Nam quay về với xóm làng tiếng reo vui rộn trong lòng ĐK: Cùng đi xây Trường Sơn cùng đi xây Hoành Sơn, cùng đi biến ruộng hoang ra lúa thơm.

Vượt khơi ra đảo xa, lướt ngàn núi sông nhà, ta đắp bồi cho mẹ cha.

Nhìn non sông tả tơi, tình quê hương đầy vơi, người thanh niên Việt Nam ngậm ngùi Chờ chi không vùng lên, thiết tha với dân lành cứ co ro ngồi sao đành? ĐK: Cùng đi xây Trường Sơn cùng đi xây Hoành Sơn, cùng đi biến ruộng hoang ra lúa thơm Vượt khơi ra đảo xa, lướt ngàn núi sông nhà, ta đắp bồi cho mẹ cha.

LÊN ĐƯỜNG 2014 | EMBRACE YOUR CULTURE 45

CAMP SONGS

Tôi yêu quê tôi, yêu mãi bay giờ còn yêu.

Yêu chim bay qua mang đến tin mừng thái hòa.

Yêu anh, yêu em, yêu nước, yêu trời gần xa, Và yêu cánh đồng vời xa là đây anh chờ em về.

17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP ĐẾN VỚI QUÊ HƯƠNG TÔI Đến với quê hương tôi, nói với quê hương tôi, dù hờn căm còn đầy. Đến với quê hương tơi, nói với quê hương tôi, dù còn bao khổ đau. Đến với quê hương tôi, tương lai lo đền bồi, ruộng vườn cho lúa thêm mới. Đến với quê hương tôi, yêu thương như rạng ngời, nhà Việt Nam sướng vui. ĐK. Ánh sáng đã lan tới, sức sống đã vun xới, trên bao nỗi vui mừng.

Quê hương tăm tối, quê hương sẽ đổi mới, quê hương sẽ yên vui. Đến với quê hương tôi, nói với quê hương tôi, dù gian nan còn nhiều. Đến với quê hương tôi, nói với quê hương tôi, miệt mài không hề nguôi. Đến với quê hương tôi, sông sâu không ngại ngùng, còn niềm tin sáng chói. Đến với quê hương tôi, đêm thâu không bão bùng, nụ cười luôn thắm trên môi.

(Trở lại ĐK) Đến với quê hương tôi, nói với quê hương tôi, lời yêu thương đậm đà.

Sống với quê hương tôi, chết với quê hương tôi, một ngày cho đời vui. Đến với quê hương tôi, vinh quang đang chờ người, nhọc nhằn ta quyết vươn tới.

Sống với quê hương tôi, yêu thương như rạng ngời, hận thù mai sẽ vơi.

CAMP SONGS

GẦN NHAU ĐK: Gần nhau trao cho nhau yêu thương tình loài người.

Gần nhau trao cho nhau tin yêu đừng gian dối.

Gần nhau trao cho nhau ánh mắt nhân loại này.

Tình yêu thương trao nhau xây đắp trên tình người.

1. Cho dù rừng thay lá xanh đi, cho dù biển cả có phân ly.

Ta vẫn yêu thương nhau mãi mãi. (ĐK) 2. Cho dù đồi hay núi di đi, cho dù bầu trời thiếu mây bay.

Ta vẫn yêu thương nhau mãi mãi. (ĐK) 3. Cho dù mùa xuân thiếu hoa tươi, cho dù rừng già thiếu muông chim.

Ta vẫn yêu thương nhau mãi mãi. (ĐK) NHẢY LỬA Anh em ta mau cố chất cây khô vào đây đốt chung. Đêm khuya nghe tiếng tí tách cây khô nổ vang giữa rừng.

Giang tay nhau đứng vòng quanh lửa hồng, trông khói xanh gió đưa bốc cao.

Cùng cầm tay hát vang lừng, ta chúc lửa thiêng sáng tươi xua tan bóng đêm.

Anh em ta đùa vui hăng hái. Hát cho đời vui vui thật là vui.

LÊN ĐƯỜNG 2014 | EMBRACE YOUR CULTURE 46

17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP

TEAM BIOS “FLAVORS OF VIETNAM” PHỞ CHUA LẠNG SƠN - SOUR NOODLE DISH: SOUR NOODLE – is well known in the province Lang Son. There is two parts to the dish, the dry part and the sauce. The dried part composed of phở noodles, pork, peanuts, dried onions, fried potatoes or taro, cucumber, mint … depending on your taste. The essential of Pho Chua is the sauce “nước đủ” or “nước sốt”. In order to have a satisfying sauce, you stir fried onion, garlic, and boiled with chili, tomatoes, sweet vinegar, sugar, fish sauce, and ginger. Pho Chua dish is frequently consumed during summer with phở noodle at the bottom, then chicken hearts, liver, fries, enriched by the the golden sauce, sprinkled with mint, dried onions, and the sour savor is the essential ingredient from the sweet vinegar in the sauce giving that refreshing taste. To eat, mixed the ingredient thoroughly and enjoy!

REGION: LANG SON It is the Northeast Region of Viet Nam. Lang Son population is about 617,000. The most famous sight-seeing place in Lang Son is the Tam Thanh Grottos–three consecutive caverns going upwards to the mountain top; Lady To Thi Mount (Vong Phu mountain) is another famous sight-seeing place nearby; it looks like a woman embracing a baby waiting for her husband. There are two famous border gates in Langson: Ải Nam Quan and Ải Chi Lăng. Nam Quan border gate is considered the official border demarcation between the two countries. In the history of VN, Nam Quan has witnessed many invasions from China. The most current one was in 1979 when Communist China invaded Langson and destroyed a great deal of Langson city proper. Another border gate is Ải Chi Lăng. The northern face of this gate was better known as the “Monster Gate” implying the gate to hell for the invaders, and the southern face was known as “Sworn Gate” where Vietnamese soldiers slolemnly swear to protect the country by their lives. The first invasion from China via Langson was in 981, and Chinese forces were defeated at Chi Lang by King Le Dai Hanh.

Recently the Vietnamese government has ceded a large part of territory to China including the Nam Quan Gate.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MÓN ĂN: PHỞ CHUA – Là Đặc Sản ở Tỉnh Lạng Sơn. Phở Chua gồm hai phần: nguyên liệu khô và phần nước. Phần khô của món phở chua gồm nhiều thứ bánh phở, thịt xá xíu, lạc, hành khô, khoai lang hoặc khoai môn, dưa chuột, rau thơm … tùy theo khẩu vị. Đặc điểm của Phở Chua Lạng Sơn chính là “nước đủ” hay còn gọi là “nước sốt”. Để có một nồi nước đủ ưng ý, bạn phi thơm hành, tỏi, rồi đun cùng với ớt, cà chua, dấm đường, đường, nước mắm, gừng. Tô phở chua ăn vào mùa hè gồm lượt bánh phở dưới cùng, sau đó đến lớp tim, gan, thịt, sau cùng là lớp đậu phộng rang, khoai lang chiên, nước sốt vàng và rau thơm, hành khô, vị chua đặc trưng của dấm đường trong nước sốt tạo nên cảm giác thanh mát. Khi ăn chỉ cần trộn đều là được. ĐỊA DANH: LẠNG SƠN là một tỉnh ở vùng Đông Bắc Việt Nam. Dân số cho đến nay khoảng chừng 671,000. Là một tỉnh miền núi nên phong cảnh thiên nhiên vốn đã hữu tình và hùng vĩ với rặng Bắc Sơn chạy từ Thái Nguyên tới thung lũng sông Thương. Ngoài ra Lạng Sơn còn có nhiều danh lam thắng cảnh nổi tiếng, đặc biệt là núi Nàng Tô thị (Hòn Vọng Phu) là hòn núi có hình người phụ nữ ôm con đợi chồng.

Lạng Sơn có hai địa danh lẫy lừng là Ải Nam Quan và Ải Chi Lăng. Ải Nam Quan được coi là biên giới chính thức giữa hai nước Việt Hoa. Trong mọi cuộc xâm lăng của Trung Hoa vào Việt Nam, Lạng Sơn luôn luôn là tỉnh đầu tiên phải đương đầu. Cuộc chiến gần đây nhất giữa Việt Nam và Trung Hoa xảy ra năm 1979 khi Trung Cộng tấn công 6 tỉnh biên giới của Việt NaM. Ải Chi Lăng nằm sâu hơn trong nội địa Việt Nam. Phía bắc ải Chi Lăng còn được gọi là Quỷ Môn Quan dành cho quân xâm lăng phương bắc, và phía nam ải được gọi là Ngõ Thề, nơi quân Việt thề liều chết giữ non sông.

Ải Chi Lăng là nơi đã diễn ra những trận đánh đẫm máu và chiến thắng của quân Việt chống lại xâm lăng Trung Hoa. Cuộc xâm lăng đầu tiên vào Việt Nam qua ngả Lạng Sơn là của nhà Tống năm 981.

Cuộc xâm lăng này đã bị vua Lê Đại Hành đánh tan tại Chi Lăng.

LÊN ĐƯỜNG 2014 | EMBRACE YOUR CULTURE 47

TEAM BIOS

17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP BÁNH CUỐN THANH TRÌ – RICE CREPE

TEAM BIOS

DISH: RICE CREPE – is made from a thin, wide sheet of steamed fermented rice, steaming a slightly fermented rice batter on a cloth, which is stretched, over a pot of boiling water to make it. It is a batter filled with seasoned ground pork, minced wood ear mushroom, and minced shallots. Sides for this dish usually consist of Vietnamese pork ham, sliced cucumber, mint and bean sprouts, with the mixed fish sauce. Bánh cuốn eaten by is self is called “bánh ướt.”

The traditional bánh cuốn needs a drop of cà cuống, which is the essence of a giant water bug, Lethocerus indicus, is added to the fish sauce for extra flavor. A different version of bánh cuốn, called bánh cuốn Thanh Trì. The rie sheets are not rolls, but just stacked up in a basket with lotus or banana leaves covering it It is eaten with chả lụa, fried shallots, or ground prawns.

REGION: THANH TRÌ is a district of Hanoi, located on the southeastern side of Hanoi, on the western bank of the Red River. “Thanh Trì” means “blue”, and the district’s historical name, Thanh Dam, means “Blue Lagoon”.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MÓN ĂN: BÁNH CUỐN – làm từ bột gạo hấp tráng mỏng bằng cách đặt nồi hấp, căng vải mỏng trên miệng nồi và xoa đều bột gạo lên bề mặt miếng vải để lá bánh cuốn được mỏng. Bánh có thể cuộn thêm nhân gồm một ít thịt vai, băm cùng mộc nhĩ, hành phi. Ăn chung với giò lụa, dưa leo, rau thơm, giá, và nước mắm pha nhạt. Bánh cuốn không có nhân ở Miền Nam gọi là “bánh ướt”.

Là bánh cuốn truyền thống thì không thể thiếu tinh dầu cà cuống pha trong nước chấm. Bánh cuốn Thanh Trì là món ăn nổi tiếng của người Hà Nội, là đặc sản của phường Thanh Trì. Bánh cuốn Thanh Trì thường được xếp thành từng lớp trong lòng một chiếc thúng, trên phủ tấm lá sen hay lá chuối.

Bánh không cuộn nhân và được ăn cùng chả lụa và hành phi khô và tôm xay nhỏ. ĐỊA DANH: THANH TRÌ là huyện nằm ven phía đông nam của Hà Nội. Huyện Thanh Trì nằm ở hữu ngạn sông Hồng. Tên huyện Thanh Trì và tên cổ Thanh Đàm có nghĩa “ao xanh” và “đầm xanh” chính là dựa vào đặc điểm địa hình của huyện.

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BÚN CHẢ HÀ NỘI – PORK VERMICELLI

DISH: PORK VERMICELLI – is composed of grilled pork, vermicelli served with herbs and a side dish of dipping sauce. It is thought to have originated from Ha Nội. The south have similar dish called Bún thịt nướng.

REGION: HA NOI – is a Vietnam Capital City on the western bank of the Red River. Hanoi is famous with 36 wards consisting of 3 different guilds: merchants, artisans, and peasants. In Hanoi city proper there are many lakes; the most famous one is the Returned Sword Lake (a part of the Red River after it branches off). There is an islet in the middle of the lake on which Ngoc Son temple was constructed in the late 18th century. Connecting the temple to the shore is the famous The Huc bridge. There are also many ancient pagodas in Ha Noi like the One-Pillar Pagoda in Tây Lake (West Lake), also known as Truc Bach lake. There exists Quan Thanh Temple, built in the reign of King Ly Thai To (1010–1028), worshipped Tran Vu, a deity with a mixture of Vietnamese and Chinese myths. His statue was 4 meter in height, cast in black bronze in 1677 with meticulously scuptured armors; however, his hair was let hanging down in Taoist fashion. Voi Phuc (Kneeling Elephants) is another temple constructed in the reign of Ly Thanh Tong (1028-1054) in the memory of Prince Linh Lang who sacrified in a battle against the Chinese.

MÓN ĂN: BÚN CHẢ – Bao gồm thịt heo nướng, bún, và nước chấm. Bún Chả khởi đầu từ Hà Nội. Miền nam cũng có món tương tự được gọi là bún thịt nướng.

ĐỊA DANH: HÀ NỘI – là thủ đô Việt nam. Một thành phố nằm bên bờ phía tây của sông Hồng. Hà Nội nổi tiếng với 36 phố phường, gồm các phường buôn, phường thợ và phường làm nghề nông. Trong phạm vi Hà Nội có Hồ Hoàn Kiếm (một đoạn cũ của sông Hồng để lại sau khi chuyển dòng) giữa hồ có đền Ngọc Sơn được xây lên từ cuối thế kỷ 18.

Từ bờ hồ đến đền có cầu Thê Húc. Hà Nội còn nổi tiếng với các chùa chiền cổ kính như Chùa Một Cột tại Hồ Tây hay còn được gọi la Hồ Trúc Bạch. Đền Quán Thánh xây từ đời Lý Thái Tổ (1010-1028) thờ thánh Trấn Vũ là một hình tượng kết hợp thần thoại Việt Nam và Trung Quốc. Tượng thánh Trấn Vũ bằng đồng đen cao gần 4 m (đúc năm 1677), y phục gọn gàng nhưng lại xõa tóc, theo hình tượng một đạo sĩ; đền Voi Phục xây từ đời Lý Thái Tông (1028 – 1054) để tưởng nhớ đến thái tử Linh Lang, người ta hy sinh trong trân chiến đánh Trung Quốc.

LÊN ĐƯỜNG 2014 | EMBRACE YOUR CULTURE 48

17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP BÚN CHẢ HÀ NỘI – PORK VERMICELLI (CONTINUED)

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Bối cảnh lịch sử: Trong suốt nhiều thế kỷ trước công nguyên, các vua Hùng đã sử dụng vùng đất thuộc Hà Nội bây giờ làm thủ đô. Ngày nay, nhiều di tích của thành Cổ Loa đã được tìm thấy tại huyện Đông Anh thuộc ngoại thành Hà Nội. Cổ Loa được xây vào thế kỷ thứ 3 trước công nguyên dưới thời vua Thục An Dương Vương để ngăn chặn quân xâm lược từ phương Bắc. Năm 1010, vua Lý Thái Tổ, tức Lý Công Uẩn, dời kinh đô từ vùng hiểm trở Hoa Lư, thuộc tỉnh Ninh Bình cách Hà Nội khoảng 100 cây số về hướng Nam, vào thành Đại La (tức Hà Nội ngày nay) vì Đại La thuận tiện hơn cho việc sản xuất và thương mại. Nhà vua đặt tên cho kinh đô mới là “Thăng Long”, nghĩa là con rồng bay lên, vì theo truyền thuyết thì đích thân vua đã thấy một con rồng vàng từ trong thành bay lên, và vua cho rằng đây là dấu hiệu của sự thịnh vượng. Tại Hà Nội ngày nay, chúng ta trông thấy rất nhiều công trình kiến trúc được xây dựng trong thời gian đó như chùa Một Cột, đền Trấn Vũ, trường Quốc Tử Giám, và Văn Miếu, nơi đặt những tấm bia ghi tên những người đã thi đỗ tiến sĩ.

Đầu thế kỷ 15 anh hùng Lê Lợi lên ngôi vua, khai sáng nên nhà Hậu Lê, và trả lại Thăng Long tư thế kinh đô với tên gọi mới là Đông Kinh. Sau này, những thương nhân từ phương Tây đến Việt Nam phát âm tên Đông Kinh là Tonkin hoặc Tonquin, và dùng tên này để ám chỉ toàn bộ miền Bắc Việt Nam. Theo truyền thuyết, chiến thắng vẻ vang của vua Lê Lợi có liên hệ thanh kiếm thần mà Trời đã ban cho vua để chống quân Minh. Sau khi chiến thắng, trong một buổi vua du ngoạn bằng thuyền trên hồ Hoàn Kiếm (có nghĩa là trả lại kiếm), một con rùa vàng nổi lên trên mặt nước và đòi lại thanh kiếm vua đang đeo bên mình. Đến đầu thế kỷ 16, dưới triều nhà Mạc, Đông Kinh lại được gọi là Thăng Long. Vào đầu thê kỷ 19, sau khi chiến thắng quân Tây Sơn và thống nhất sơn hà, Nguyễn Ánh lên ngôi vua, đặt niên hiệu là Gia Long, quốc hiệu là Việt Nam, và dời kinh đô về Huế. Cho đến khi chế độ quân chủ chấm dứt năm 1945, Thăng Long chỉ còn là thủ phủ của những tỉnh miền Bắc. Năm 1831, vua Minh Mạng triều Nguyễn thiết lập tỉnh Hà Nội, bao gồm Thăng Long và một vài huyện lỵ chung quanh. Chữ “Hà Nội” có nghĩa là “vùng đất ở giữa các dòng sông”. Cuối thế kỷ 19, Hà Nội bị người Pháp chiếm đóng và trở nên một thành phố thuộc địa trong suốt hơn nửa thế kỷ. Đến cuối năm 1954, quân đội Pháp bị đánh bại và phải rút khỏi Việt Nam. Tuy nhiên, đất nước bị chia đôi. Hà Nội trở thành thủ đô của miền Bắc.

Sau khi chiến tranh Việt Nam chấm dứt vào tháng tư năm 1975, Hà Nội trở thành thủ đô của cả nước dưới chế độ cộng sản.

Đến cuối thế kỷ 14, triều đại nhà Lê suy yếu dần. Năm 1400, Hồ Quý Ly lật đổ nhà Lê và dời kinh đô về Thanh Hóa, gọi là Tây Đô (tức thủ đô ở phía Tây). Lúc bấy giờ, cố đô Thăng Long được gọi là Đông Đô. Đầu thế kỷ 15, sau khi đánh bại giặc ngoại xâm, người anh

LÊN ĐƯỜNG 2014 | EMBRACE YOUR CULTURE 49

TEAM BIOS

Historical background: For many centuries B.C, the Hanoi area was made by the Hung Kings the capital. At present, vestiges of the Co Loa citadel are found. This is the ancient capital’s fortification of King An Duong Vuong, built in the third century B.C. In the 10th century, Vietnam gained independence after over 1000 years under the rule of the northern aggressors. In 1010, King Ly Thai To moved the then capital from the inaccessible Hoa Lu area to the Dai La Citadel (present day Hanoi) as the latter was more convenient for production and trade. The King named the new capital “Thang Long”, meaning “the soar-ing dragon” which, according to legend, was seen flying up from the citadel by the King and considered by himself as a good omen of prosperity. Nowadays, one may see in Hanoi architectural projects built in that time such as One-Pillar pagoda, Tran Vu temple, ancient university of Quoc Tu Giam, and Van Mieu. At the beginning of the 15th century, the national hero Le Loi de- feated foreign aggressors and gave Thang Long back the capital status with the new name of “Dong Kinh”. Later, Western traders coming to Vietnam pronounced Dong Kinh as Tonkin or Tonquin which meant all of the North of Vietnam. Le Loi’s victory is connected with Hoan Kiem lake (Returned Sword) located in the centre of Hanoi. Legend has it that after the victory, Le Loi traveled by boat on the lake. A golden tortoise emerged from water surface and claimed back the sword believed to have been given by God to Le Loi to fight the enemy. At the beginning of the 16th century under the Mac Dynasty Dong Kinh regained the Thang Long name. At the beginning of the 19th century, the Nguyen Dynasty moved the capital to Hue until the end of the monarchy in 1945. Thang Long re- mained the capital of the Northern provinces. In 1831, the Minh Mang King of the Nguyen Dynasty established Hanoi Province including Thang Long and some surrounding districts. The word Hanoi means “the land between rivers”. At the end of the 19th century Hanoi was occupied by the French and it became a colonial city for over half a century. At the end of 1954, the French army was defeated and withdrew from Vietnam but the country was divided into two parts. Hanoi was the capital of the North. After the end of Vietnam war in 1975, Hanoi became the capital of Vietnam.

17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP

BÁNH ĐA CUA HẢI PHÒNG (FLAT NOODLE CRAB SOUP)

DISH: Flat Noodle Crab Soup - is a traditional breakfast dish of Hải Phòng. Bánh Đa is a flat brown rice noodles that is a bit tougher in texture. This bowl also includes fried fish patties (chả cá) or fish balls (cá viên), fried pork rolls (chả lá lốt), Crabs paste patties (riêu), morning glories, and Chinese celeries. Shrimp paste (mắm tôm) can be added for flavor.

REGION: HẢI PHÒNG means “coastal defense”. is also nicknamed “The City of the red flame trees” because of the many Delonix regia planted throughout the city. It is the third largest city of Vietnam after Saigon and Ha Noi, and northern Vietnam’s most important seaport with its deep-water anchorage and large maritime facilities.

Haiphong is the home of Lê Chân, one of the female generals under the command of the Trưng Sisters (Hai Bà Trưng) who rose against Chinese rule in the year 43 C.E. Centuries later under the Mạc Dynasty the area earned the appellation Hải tần Phòng thủ (“defensive coastal area”) as it protected the eastern flank of Mac kings’ home province.

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MÓN ĂN: BÁNH ĐA CUA – là món ăn sáng đặc sản của Hải Phòng. Bánh Đa làm từ bột gạo nâu và loại bánh này dai hơn các loại bánh khác. Vật liệu trong tô bánh đa cua gồm có chả cá hoặc cá viên, chả lá lốt, riêu cua, rau muống, và rau cần. Có thể thêm mắm tôm cho gia vị.

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ĐỊA DANH: HẢI PHÒNG - nghĩa là “bảo vệ duyên hải, còn dược gọi là Thành phố hoa phượng đỏ. Hải Phòng là thành phố lớn thứ 3 của Viêt Nam sau Sài Gòn và Hà Nội. Hải Phòng là đầu mối giao thông đường biển phía Bắc. Với lợi thế cảng nước sâu nên vận tải biển rất phát triển, đồng thời là một trong những động lực tăng trưởng của vùng kinh tế trọng điểm Bắc bộ.

Hải Phòng là quê hương của nữ tướng Lê Chân, một trong những nữ tướng thời Hai Bà Trưng đã khởi nghĩa đánh Trung Quốc năm 43 SCN. Mấy trăm năm sau thời Nhà Mạc đã đổi tên dất này là Hải tần Phỏng thủ để bao vệ phải dông của cơ ngơi Đời Nhà Mạc.

LÊN ĐƯỜNG 2014 | EMBRACE YOUR CULTURE 50

17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP

MÌ QUẢNG – QUẢNG STYLE NOODLES

DISH: Mì Quảng - There is famous saying “Love each other by pouring green tea, make a bowl of Quang egg noodle for you to eat.” This couplet describes a girl from Quảng Nam, who warmly invites her lover to drink a cup of tea and a bowl of mì Quảng, to show him the depth of her love for him. In her opinion, mì Quảng and tea are food and drink worthy of being served in this context.

The dish is made with rice noodles tinted yellow with the use of turmeric. The meat part are usually shrimp, pork, chicken, or even fish and beef. The broth is made by simmering the meat with water or bone broth for a more intense flavor, seasoned with fish sauce, black pepper, shallot and garlic.

Extras include hard boiled egg, crushed peanuts, Vietnamese steamed pork sausage, chilli pepper or chilli sauce, fresh vegetables like water mint, basil, impomoea aquatic, Vietnamese coriander, sliced bana flower, and lettuce, and pieces of toasted sesame rice rackers (bánh tráng). Ingregdients may vary, but peanuts and bánh tráng are most commonly found in Mì Quảng and make the dish unique amongst other noodle dishes.

REGION: QUANG NAM - is a province in the South Central Coast region of Vietnam. More than half of Quảng Nam’s area is covered by forest making it one of the more forested provinces in Vietnam. Forests dominate in the west of the province and along the border to Quảng Ngãi Province. Quảng Nam has two famous traditional products: the world’s highest essential oil content Trà My cinnamon (aka Saigon Cinnamon) and Ngọc Linh ginseng.

The Thu Bồn River system covers most of the province making it one of the largest river systems in central Vietnam. It led to the rise of an ancient Cham city state, Hội An. This ancient town is considered a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Quảng Nam was once the political and near the geographic centre of Champa. In 1306, there is the treaty of the Champa King, Che Man, and Viet King, Tran Nhan Tong. Che Man gave King Tran Nhan Tong two regions called O Region (south of Quang Tri, Hue), and Ly Region (part of Hue, North of Thu Bon River), as a tribute to mary Princess Huyen Tran.

The province was split into two in 1956. North of Quảng Nam belongs has nine districts and the southern half known as Quảng Tín Province with six districts below Ru Ri River. After 1975, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam merged the two provinces of Quảng Nam. Quảng Tín and Da Nang City to become Quang Nam – Da Nang with Da Nang being the provincial capital.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MÓN ĂN: Mì Quảng – có câu thơ Thương nhau múc bát chè xanh, Làm tô mì Quảng anh xơi cho cùng.

Câu thơ lục bát diễn tả một cô gái từ Quảng Nam, đã ngọt ngào mời người yêu mình uống ly trà và ăn một tô mì Quảng, để tỏ tình yêu sâu đậm của nàng cho chàng. Đối với cô ta, mì Quảng và trà là thực phẩm và nước uống đáng được dùng trong tâm trạng này.

Sợi mì được làm bằng gạo nhuộm vàng bằng nghệ. Thit có thể dùng tôm, heo, gà, kể cả cá và bò.

Nước lèo làm bằng cách đun các loại thịt và xương để lấy gia vị, thêm vào nước mắm, tiêu, hành tăm và tỏi.

Có thể thêm vào trứng luộc, đậu phộng giã, chả, ớt, rau húng lủi, rau quế, rau muống, rau răm, bắp chuối bào, rau cải, và bánh tráng. Thành phần mì Quảng có thể chế biến khác nhau nhưng mì Quảng thì không thể thiếu được đậu phộng và bánh tráng.

ĐỊA DANH: QUẢNG NAM – là một tỉnh thuộc vùng Duyên hải Nam Trung Bộ, Việt Nam. Hơn nửa vùng Quảng Nam là rừng, và vì vậy, Quảng Nam là một trong những tỉnh có tài nguyên rừng lớn nhất. Đa số rừng chiếm bên phía tây biên giới của Quảng Nam và biên giới của Tỉnh Quảng Ngải. Quảng Nam có hai thứ sản xuất: nguyên liệu dầu quế Trà My (hoặc quế Sài Gòn), và sâm Ngọc Linh.

Sông Thu Bồn bao quanh phần lớn của tỉnh, thế nên đây cũng là một trong những con sông lớn nhất tại Việt Nam. Nhờ con sông này mà dẫn đến sự tồn tại của khu phố cổ người Chiêm Thành, còn gọi là Hội An. Thành phố cổ này được sự công nhận của UNESCO là Di Sản của Thế Giới.

Quảng Nam đã từng là trung điểm của chính trị. Trước kia Quảng Nam là đất Chiêm Thành. Năm 1306 theo thỏa ước giữa vua Chiêm Thành là Chế Mân và vua Đại Việt là Trần Nhân Tông thì vua Chế Mân dâng hai châu Ô tức Thuận Châu (nam Quảng Trị, Huế) và châu Lý (một phần Huế, bắc sông Thu Bồn) làm sính lễ cưới con gái vua Trần Nhân Tông là công chúa Huyền Trân.

Sau Hiệp định Genève, tỉnh Quảng Nam thời Việt Nam Cộng Hòa vào năm 1956 lại chia thành hai tỉnh mới là Quảng Nam ở phía Bắc gồm chín quận. Sáu quận phía nam sông Rù Rì thuộc tỉnh Quảng Tín. Sau năm 1975, Sau khi thống nhất đất nước, chính phủ nước Cộng hòa Xã hội Chủ nghĩa Việt Nam quyết định sáp nhập hai tỉnh Quảng Nam, Quảng Tín và Thành phố Đà Nẵng thành lập tỉnh Quảng Nam-Đà Nẵng với Đà Nẵng là tỉnh lỵ.

LÊN ĐƯỜNG 2014 | EMBRACE YOUR CULTURE 51

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17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP

BÚN BÒ HUẾ - HUẾ STYLE BEEF NOODLE SOUP

DISH: BÚN BÒ HUẾ or just Bún Bò is a popular Vietnamese soup containing rice vermicelli (bún) and beef (bò) that originated in Hue City. Huế is a city of central Vietnam associated with the cooking style of the former royal court. The dish is greatly admired for its balance of spicy, sour, salty and sweet flavors and the predominant flavor is that of lemon grass. Compared to phở or bún riêu, the noodles are thicker and more cylindrical.

Bun bo usually includes thin slices of marinated and boiled beef shank, chunks of oxtail, and pig’s knuckles. It can also include cubes of congealed pig blood, and a texture resembling firm tofu. Bun bo is commonly served with lime wedges, cilantro sprigs, diced green onions, raw sliced onions, chili sauce, thinly sliced banana blossom, red cabbage, mint, basil, perilla, Vietnamese coriander (rau ram), saw tooth herb and sometimes mung bean sprouts.

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REGION: Huế city is the provincial capital of Thua Thien province in the central region of Vietnam, adjacent in the north by Quang Tri province, in the south by Quang Nam province, in the west by Truong Son Mountain, and by the South Chinese sea in the east. Hue has distinct 4 seasons, but affected heavily by the monsoon from September to November. Hue is a city having both river (Huong river) and mountain (Ngu Binh mount), and was chosen as the capital for the Nguyen dynasty, the last dynasty of Vietnam. In 1802, King Nguyen Anh, aka King Gia Long, made Huế the national capital city when he unified the Vietnam until 1945 when the Second World War ended.

The Inner Citadel is where the royal family lived consisting of the Forbidden City, Palace of Supreme Harmony (Dien Thai Hoa), and other palaces where the king worked. The royal tombs and mausoleums are also scenic places attracting tourists for both of their natural scenery and the architechture of the mausoleums. Tam Giang lagoon is a famous place in Vietnamese folklore because it has been a dangerous area separating Hue and the area in the north. Besides bún bò, Hue’s distinguish dishes are baby clam rice (Com Hen), clear shrimp pork rice cake, and the special characteristic of Hue food is the excessive use of chili.

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MÓN ĂN: BÚN BÒ HUẾ hoặc bún bò là một trong những đặc sản của Huế. Các địa phương khác gọi là “bún bò Huế” để chỉ xuất xứ của món ăn này. Cách nấu của Huế tượng trưng cho sự cao quý của hoàng tộc. Món này được bao người ái mộ bởi sự dung hoà của vị cay, chua, mặn, và ngọt, và đặc trưng của món là vị sả. So với các loại bánh cho bánh phở hay bún cho bún riêu, sợi bún của món này có dạng dầy và tròn hơn.

Nguyên liệu bún bò bao gồm thịt bò nạm ướp, luộc và thái mỏng, đuôi xương bò chặt khúc, và giò heo. Có thể thêm vào huyết heo, có độ chắc như đậu hũ. Trong tô bún bò còn có chanh, ngò, hành lá, hành tây thái mỏng, ớt bằm, bắp chuối, bắp cải tím, rau thơm, rau quế, rau tía tô, rau răm, ngò gai, và giá.

ĐỊA DANH: Huế là tỉnh lỵ của tỉnh Thừa Thiên, nằm ở trung trung phần Việt Nam, phía bắc giáp tỉnh Quảng Trị, phía nam giáp Quảng Nam–Đà Nẵng, phía tây là dãy Trường Sơn, và phía đông nhìn ra biển Đông. Khí hậu của Huế gồm có 4 mùa rõ rệt, nhưng cũng chịu ảnh hưởng nặng của mưa mùa (monsoon) bắt đầu từ tháng 9 đến tháng 11. Huế là một thành phố vừa có sông (sông Hương) vừa có núi (Ngự Bình) nên được chọn làm Đế Đô của nhà Nguyễn, triều đại phong kiến cuối cùng của Việt Nam. Năm 1802, vua Gia Long, tức Nguyễn Phúc Ánh, khi thống nhất đất nước đã lấy Huế làm kinh đô cho cả nước cho đến năm 1945 khi Thế chiến Thứ hai chấm dứt.

Thành nội Huế, tức hoàng cung của các vua, nay là một di tích lịch sử của dân tộc với Tử Cấm Thành, Điện Thái Hòa, và những nơi khác nhà vua làm việc. Một thắng cảnh nữa của Huế là lăng tẩm của các vị vua triều Nguyễn từ Gia Long, Minh Mạng, Tự Đức và Khải Định. Huế còn một thắng cảnh hùng vĩ nữa đã từng nổi tiếng trong thi ca bình dân: “Yêu em anh cũng muốn vô, Sợ truông nhà Hồ, sợ Phá Tam Giang.” Phá Tam Giang là cửa nơi ba con sông hợp lại, hiện nay là một khu vực kinh tế hải sản đặc biệt của Huế. Ngoài bún bò, đặc sản của Huế còn có cơm hến, bánh bột lọc, và đặc biệt là thức ăn dùng rất nhiều ớt.

LÊN ĐƯỜNG 2014 | EMBRACE YOUR CULTURE 52

17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP

CƠM HẾN VĨ DẠ (BABY CLAM RICE)

DISH: Cơm Hến – Is a signature dish originated in Hue. It is made with room temperature rice mixed with stir-fried clams. The Clams is first soaked in rice water to clear out all the dirt. Then they are boiled and drain to take out the meat to be stir-fried with onions, shallot, garlic, sugar, salt, paprika, and black pepper. The boiled water from the clam can be make into a soup by continue to boil it with lemon grass and pepper. The spicy clam sauce is made from Fermented Shrimp Sauce (Mắm ruốc) with the clam’s broth, sugar, paprika, shallot and garlic.

Condiments to add to the dish are Sesame rice cracker, roasted peanuts, pork rinds, star apple slices, shredded banana flower, chopped cabbage, mint, Vietnamese corianders, taro stem. These ingredients culminate in a distinctive balance of sweetness, saltiness, sourness, spiciness, with you separate crunchy textures from the pork rinds and sesame rice crackers.

REGION: Vĩ Dạ - is a ward, or urban subdistrict of the city Huế, province Thua Thien Hue, Vietnam. Vĩ Dạ Ward can also be read as Vỹ Dạ or Vĩ Dã (note the accent marks). It is famous for a poem “Day Thon Vi Da”, translated as “Here Ward Vi Da” by the Vietnamese famous Poet Han Mac Tu.

The wind went its way, the cloud went its way The sadden current, the flowers quivers Whose boat anchors near the Moon river, Will it be able to taxi the moon home tonight?

Dream of a guest a far, a guest a far Your gown so white I cannot see Here, too many fogs faded image Who knows whose heart deeply love?

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MÓN ĂN: CƠM HẾN – là một đặc sản ẩm thực Huế. Cơm hến được trình bày dưới hình thức là cơm nguội trộn với hến xào. Hến ngâm nước gạo một thời gian để thải hết bùn đất, rửa sạch, đem luộc cho đến khi hến mở vỏ. Xào hến với hành tăm, tỏi, đường, muối, ớt tượng, và tiêu. Nước luộc hến có thể làm nước canh bằng cách luộc sả và tiêu. Nước sốt hến làm bằng nước hến và mắm ruốc, đường, ớt tương, hành tăm, và tỏi. Các nguyên liệu đi kèm gồm có: bánh tráng nướng, đậu phộng rang nguyên hạt, tóp mỡ, khế chua, bắp chuối thái chỉ, bắp cải, rau thơm, rau răm, bạc hà.

Tất cả nguyên liệu phối hợp để tạo ra các vị như ngọn, mặn, chua, cay, và còn thêm vị giòn của bánh tráng và tóp mỡ.

ĐỊA DANH: Vĩ Dạ là một phường thuộc thành phố Huế, tỉnh Thừa Thiên Huế, Việt Nam. Phường Vĩ Dạ (Vỹ Dạ) nằm trên đất làng Vĩ Dạ hay Vĩ Dã nổi tiếng với bài thơ Đây thôn Vĩ Dạ của Hàn Mặc Tử.

Sao anh không về chơi thôn Vĩ?

Nhìn nắng hàng cau nắng mới lên.

Vườn ai mướt quá xanh như ngọc Lá trúc che ngang mặt chữ điền.

Gió theo lối gió, mây đường mây, Dòng nước buồn thiu, hoa bắp lay...

Thuyền ai đậu bến sông Trăng đó, Có chở trăng về kịp tối nay?

Mơ khách đường xa, khách đường xa Áo em trắng quá nhìn không ra... Ở đây sương khói mờ nhân ảnh Ai biết tình ai có đậm đà?

LÊN ĐƯỜNG 2014 | EMBRACE YOUR CULTURE 53

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Why haven’t you visit Ward Vĩ?

Look at the areca-nut, the sun rises Whose garden is slicky green as a jade The bamboo leaf covers a square face.

17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP

BÁNH CANH NHA TRANG (FISH PATTY UDON)

DISH: Banh Canh – is a specialty very famous in Nha Trang that every tourist must have a taste. The deliciousness is not just about its broth with the taste of sweetness and sourness, but many are charmed by the softess, sweetness, tasty smell, and without bones of the Mackerel steaks.

There are two types of udon: rice udon and tapioca udon. The tapioca udon has a chewy consistency and it goes well with crab udon soup while the rice udon pairs well with fish patty or pork hock. Besides the Mackerel steak, there are places that sell Banh canh with fish patty, fish internal parts, pork hock, which make bánh canh a very qualitative dish.

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MÓN ĂN: BÁNH CANH - là món đặc sản rất nổi tiếng ở Nha Trang mà hầu như du khách nào đến đây cũng phải một lần thưởng thức. Cái ngon của tô bánh canh nơi đây không chỉ ở thứ nước lèo ngọt ngọt, chua chua mà nhiều người “mê mệt” còn bởi độ chất của những khúc cá thu mềm, ngọt, thơm và không có một chút xương.

Có hai loại bánh canh. Bánh canh bột gạo và bánh canh bột mì. Bột mì có độ dẻo và thường được dùng làm bánh canh cua. Còn bột gạo được ăn với chả cá và giò heo.

Ngoài cá thu dầm thì có chỗ còn bán bánh canh với: chả cá, bao tử cá, khúc giò heo lớn, khiến món ăn này càng “chất lượng” hơn bao giờ hết.

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BÁNH XÈO SÀI GÒN

DISH: Banh Xeo, literally “sizzling cake”, named for the loud sizzling sound it makes when the rice batter is poured into the hot skillet are Vietnamese savoury fried pancakes made of rice flour, water, turmeric powder, stuffed with slivers of fatty pork, shrimp, diced green onion, and bean sprouts. Southern-style bánh xèo contains coconut milk. They are served wrapped in mustard leaf, lettuce leaves or banh trang wrappers, and stuffed with mint leaves, basil, fish leaf and/or other herbs, and dipped in a sweet and sour diluted fish sauce.

REGION: Sai Gon is situated by the Saigon River in the center of the Cuu Long delta and the South- eastern part of South Vietnam. The city is 50 km west of the Pacific Ocean and has 12 km of coastline. The port of Saigon was built in 1862 and is accessible to 50,000 ton vessels at pres- ent. From this city, highways run to all Southern provinces. The city is also a cluster of hundreds of small rivers and channels watering the Cöûu Long delta. The climate in Sai Gon is distinctively seasonal. The dry season lasts from November to April, when there is much sunshine and dry wind with an average temperature of 79 o F. The rainy season begins in May and ends in Octo- ber characterized by sudden heavy rains with an average temperature of 84 o F. In general, the climate of Sai Gon is tropical, hot but mild thanks to the sea.

Humidity is 80%, low compared with other regions of the country. With population of over 5 million, Sai Gon is the nation’s center of industry, commerce, tourism and international communication.

LÊN ĐƯỜNG 2014 | EMBRACE YOUR CULTURE 54

17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP

BÁNH XÈO SÀI GÒN (CONTINUED)

Historical Background: Sai Gon started life as a fishing village known as Prei Nokor and, during the Angkor period (until the fifteenth century), it flourished as an entrepôt for Cambodian boats pushing down the Mekong River. By the seventeenth century it boasted a Khmer garrison and a community of Malay, Indian and Chinese traders. During the eighteenth century, Nguyen dynasty ousted the Khmers, renamed the city Saigon, and established a temporary capital here between 1772 and 1802. The French seized Saigon in 1861, and a year later the Treaty of Saigon declared the city the capital of French Cochinchina. This event was the precursor to the long struggle between the people of Vietnam and France. In the years after the defeat of the French, Vietnam was divided into two separate countries, and Saigon became the hub of resettlement for many as people from North and Central Vietnam immigrated south. In the 1960’s and 70’s, Saigon was bustling with commerce and busi- ness. Already heavily influenced by the French in terms of culture and style, the city had an air of a French provincial town with a Vietnamese twist. Saigon was dubbed the “Pearl of the Orient” by the foreign press. The city was alive with activities and cultural diversity that rivaled any Asian city at the time. After the fall of South Vietnam to communism in 1975, the city and many of its in- habitants were in a state of chaos and turmoil. In 1976, the new government renamed the city Ho Chi Minh City and shut its door to the rest of the world. Although recognized world wide as Ho Chi Minh City, to the people of Vietnam, the city is still lovingly referred to as Sai Gon.

MÓN ĂN: Bánh xèo là một loại bánh có bột bên ngoài, bên trong có nhân là tôm, thịt, giá đỗ, được rán giòn màu vàng, đúc thành hình tròn hoặc gấp lại thành hình bán nguyệt. Bánh xèo ăn bằng cách cuốn với rau bẹ rộng, thêm rau sống và chấm với nước mắm chua ngọt. Các loại rau ăn kèm với bánh xèo rất đa dạng gồm rau diếp, cải xanh, rau diếp cá, tía tô, rau húng, lá quế, lá cơm nguội non.

ĐỊA DANH: Sài Gòn là thành phố chính của miền Nam bên cạnh sông Sài Gòn và giữa các nhánh sông Cửu Long về phía Đông Nam của miền Nam Việt Nam, cách biển Thái Bình Dương 50 cây số với bãi biển dài 12 cây số. Cảng Sài Gòn có từ năm 1862 và hiện nay có thể cho cập bến loại tàu lớn cỡ 50,000 tấn. Sài Gòn có đường tráng nhựa đi khắp các tỉnh miền Nam và hàng trăm sông lạch tưới tẩm vùng đất trù phú Cửu Long. Thời tiết ở đây có 2 mùa rõ rệt. Tháng 11 đến tháng 4 là mùa nắng với gió khô và nhiệt độ trung bình là 26o C. Tháng 5-tháng10 là mùa mưa với những trận mưa bất ngờ và nhiệt độ trung bình là 29o C. Sài Gòn bị ảnh hưởng của thời tiết nhiệt đới, nóng nhưng khá ôn hòa vì gần biển. Độ ẩm khoảng 80%, thấp so với các vùng khác trong nước. Với dân số trên 5 triệu, Sài Gòn là trung tâm lớn nhất Việt Nam về kỹ nghệ, thương mại, du lịch và đầu tư của nước ngoài.

Bối Cảnh Lịch Sử: Vào thế kỷ thứ 15, khi còn nằm dưới quyền cai trị của quốc vương Chiêm Thành, thành phố này là một làng đánh ca có tên Prei Nokor, và phồn thịnh nhờ ngư dân trên sông Mê Kông. Cho đến thế kỷ 17, dưới sự bảo vệ của lính Khmer, một số dân Mã Lai, Ấn Độ và Trung Hoa đã định cư nơi này. Vào cuối thế kỷ 18, nhà Nguyễn đánh đuổi chính phủ Khmer và đặt lại tên là Sài Gòn. Từ năm 1772 đến 1802, nhà Nguyễn đã dùng thành phố này như thủ đô tạm thời. Năm 1861, Pháp chiếm Sài Gòn , và 1 năm sau đó Hiệp Định Sài Gòn chính thức hóa Sài Gòn là thủ đô của toàn vùng Cochichina dưới quyền đô hộ của Pháp. Biến cố này trở nên dây mối đầu tiên cho một thời kỳ kháng chiến chống Pháp gần 1 thế kỷ của dân tộc Việt Nam. Sau khi Pháp thua, và Việt Nam bị chia đôi đất nước, hàng vạn người tỵ nạn Cộng Sản từ Trung và Bắc Việt lũ lượt về định cư tại Sài Gòn. Vào thập niên 60 và 70, Sài Gònmở mang mạnh mẽ về mặt thương mại. Sau nhiều năm bị ảnh hưởng của văn hóa Pháp, bề ngoài Sài Gòn có nét như một thành phố Pháp nhưng trong vẫn mang nặng tính chất Việt. Trong làng báo quốc tế, Sài Gòn được gọi là “Hòn Ngọc Viễn Đông” với nhiều tiện nghi về mọi mặt, tương đương với tất cả mọi thành phố lớn khác trong vùng Đông Á vào những thập niên đó. Sau khi Cộng Sản chiếm miền Nam năm 1975, Sài Gòn lâm vào tình huống đổ nát và sau đó một năm, thành phố này bị đổi tên là Thành Phố Hồ Chí Minh và tuyệt giao với thế giới bên ngoài gần 1 thập niên. Cái tên mới này tuy được thông dụng trong giới quốc tế, nhưng người dân Việt Nam vẫn thương gọi thành phố này là Sài Gòn.

LÊN ĐƯỜNG 2014 | EMBRACE YOUR CULTURE 55

TEAM BIOS

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17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP CƠM TẤM NINH KIỀU

DISH: Cơm tấm, or broken rice, is a dish made from rice with fractured rice grains. Tấm refers to the broken rice grains, while cơm refers to cooked rice.

It is usually served with grilled pork (either ribs or shredded) plus the bì (thinly shredded pork mixed with cooked and thinly shredded pork skin) over broken rice. The rice and meat are served with various greens and pickled vegetables, along with a prawn paste cake, steamed egg, and grilled prawns. Typically, restaurants will serve this popular combination rice plate with a small bowl of mixed fish sauce, as well as a small bowl of soup broth with garlic chives.

TEAM BIOS

REGION: Ninh Kieu is an urban district of Can Tho in the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam. Ninh Kieu is located at the centre of Cam Tho. Ninh Kieu is located along the Bassac River. Its most attractive site is the wharf, along which there are several hotels and restaurants. Ninh Kieu’s population in 2004 was 209,274, and it has an area of 29.22 km2.

Historical Background: Ninh Kieu battle in 1426, or Chuc Dong battle, was among the decisive battles in the 14-year Lam Sơn army uprising which re-established Vietnam’s independence from the Ming dynasty.

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MÓN ĂN: CƠM TẤM – Cơm tấm được nấu từ hạt gạo tấm, tức hạt gạo bị bể.

Những miếng sườn được ướp gia vị, nướng trên bếp than toả hương thơm khó lòng cưỡng lại. Bí quyết của món sườn là không bị cháy đen, sườn vàng rộm, thơm và mềm. Một dĩa cơm tấm có thể gồm cả sườn, bì, chả, trứng. Ăn cơm tấm phải có nước mắm ngọt, là nước mắm pha với nước lọc và thêm đường kèm với mỡ hành và đồ chua. Nhà hàng cũng thường phục vụ thêm một chén canh nhỏ ăn kèm.

ĐỊA DANH: Ninh Kiều là quận trung tâm của thành phố Cần Thơ. Quận Ninh Kiều có Bến Ninh Kiều, là một địa danh du lịch nổi tiếng của Cần Thơ. Nơi đây đặt trụ sở của nhiều ban ngành của thành phố. Ninh Kiều có diện tích 29.22 km2 và vào năm 2004 có dân số là 209,274.

Bối cảnh lịch sử: Trận Ninh Kiều là một trận thắng lẫy lừng của nghĩa quân Lam Sơn diễn ra năm 1426, còn gọi là trận Chúc Động. Đây là trận quyết chiến, một trong những thắng lợi quyết định toàn cục của cuộc khởi nghĩa Lam Sơn. Trận đánh này đánh dấu bước chuyển quan trọng về thế của nghĩa quân: từ phòng ngự bị động sang chủ động tiến công lực lượng chủ lực của quân Minh.

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17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP BÚN MẮM TRÀ VINH

DISH: Bun Mam, or Rice Vermicelli Soup With Fermented Fish And Seafood, has such an acquired taste. This dish is has great balance of flavors from the fresh fish, shrimp and pork. The fresh and abundant array of mints and veggies make this dish outstanding.

Cook the fermented fish with water. The fish will be melted, then the chef will sautée the minced garlic, shallot and lemongrass until fragrant, add coconut juice, water and pour the fermented fish broth into the pot through a mesh strainer. Add egg plant and lemongrass stalks. Adjust the soup to taste with sugar and chicken stock.

REGION: Tra Vinh city is located in the Mekong Delta region, which is in the Southern part of Vietnam. It was the provincial capital of a province with a population of 51,535. Tra Vinh has an area of 6803.5 hectares and a population of 131,360 inhabitants and 10 administrative units.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MÓN ĂN: Bún Mắm hải sản là món ngon đặc trưng của xứ Trà Vinh.

Mắm cá lóc, hoặc các loại mắm ngon khác như mắm cá rô, sặt , cá chèn, cá trắng... được nấu sôi lên tan rửa cả thịt. Sau đó người ta lược lại bằng lưới nhuyễn nhiều lần, chỉ lấy nước trong, đó là nước cốt ngọt của mắm. Bắp chuối bào nhuyễn với một ít giá cho vào tô. Bún ngon sắp lên trên. Tôm sú, mực, ruột hào, nghêu luộc chín, phủ đều lên trên cùng. Nước cốt mắm nấu sôi riu riu, được nêm nếm vừa ăn và có dằn một chút sả, nghệ, riềng cho thơm.

Tưới nước cốt mắm vào tô bún vừa đủ ăn. Nêm thêm mắm tôm, vắt chanh, bỏ ớt tùy thích.

ĐỊA DANH: Thành phố Trà Vinh, nằm bên bờ sông Tiền, là tỉnh lỵ tỉnh Trà Vinh .

Thành phố Trà Vinh với hệ thống giao thông đường bộ và đường thủy khá hoàn chỉnh thuận tiện để phát triển kinh tế, văn hóa - xã hội với các tỉnh đồng bằng sông Cửu Long và là vùng kinh tế trọng điểm của tỉnh. Trà Vinh có dân số 51,535 và diện tích 6803.5 hecta.

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TEAM BIOS

In a serving bowl, place a handful of rice vermicelli. Top with the cooked seafood and ladle the soup over. Add roasted pork. Serve hot with the fresh vegetable platter, chili and a lime wedge.

17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP HỦ TIẾU MỸ THO

DISH: Hu Tieu is a noodle soup consisting of rice noodles with pork stock and toppings. Hủ tiếu Mỹ Tho contains one or more slices of boiled pork hind leg, including the skin, and the noodle is a chewier variant of the rice noodle. The sweet aroma of the broth comes from the meat, dried squid, and special condiments. Hu Tieu My Tho is highly regarded for its clear and soothing broth and dazzling array of herbs, aromatics and other garnishes and condiments.

REGION: My Tho is recognized as a grade II capital city, center of economics, education and technology of Tiền Giang Province, located in the Mekong Deltaregion of South Vietnam. It has a population of approximately 220,000 in 2012.

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Khi quân giặc đến Châu Sơn, thì cũng vừa lúc sứ giả đem ngựa sắt, roi sắt đến cho cậu bé. Cậu bé mặc giáp cầm roi sắt và nhảy lên ngựa. Kỳ diệu thay con ngựa không những có thể cất vó phóng mà còn phun lửa từ miệng. Cậu bé thúc ngựa xông vào tấn công quân giặc và đánh quân giặc tơi bời đến nỗi cây gậy sắt bị gẫy và cậu phải nhổ bật bụi tre vệ đường để làm vũ khí. Quân giặc hoàn toàn bị đả bại và phải rút lui. Cậu bé thúc ngựa đuổi theo đến chân núi Sóc Sơn thì dừng lại và cả người lẫn ngựa cùng bay lên trời mất dạng.

TEAM BIOS

Nhà vua phong cho cậu bé là Phù Đổng Thiên Vương và cho dựng đền thờ để tưởng nhớ công đức đã bảo vệ đất nước.

Tương truyền vì lửa từ miệng ngựa sắt đã làm cháy xém những bụi tre ở huyện Gia Bình khiến cho loại tre này có vân rất đẹp còn gọi là tre Đằng Ngà, còn ngôi làng trong vùng giao tranh bị lửa thiêu cháy sau này được gọi là làng Cháy.

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17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP 1st Place Essay Contest Winner: Peter Vu (Houston, TX, USA)

I am a first-year, first-generation college student at the University of Houston majoring in Honors Biomedical Sciences. With this degree, I hope to pursue a career in medical research and public health. Currently, I am serving as treasurer for the University’s Global Medical Brigades chapter. As the treasurer, I am assigned the task of building our chapter’s financial foundation in order for us to provide health care services in third-world countries. As a freshman officer, I hope that my experience at Len Duong Camp 2014 can help me burgeon as a leader and as a person and help me make an impact in all the communities that I serve in, whether it be the Vietnamese community, the University of Houston, or even the City of Houston.

Untold Stories

My inspiration for volunteering and becoming involved in the community stem from my grandfather and the personal stories I am able to experience by helping others. When I was younger, I frequently lost track of time helping my grandfather in his garden. In that time, I learned a substantial amount about the man he was. He was like an open book: his life was the chapters, his days were the pages. He lived a life of giving. As the oldest of a family of twelve, he gave up his dream of completing his education by withdrawing from school and working to provide for his family. He was the first to come to America and saved up every penny he made peeling vegetables to bring his family here. Everything he did, he did first for family; anything after, he did for charity. I remember the last thing he ever said to me: “The world is full of takers and few givers. I want you to be one of the few.” I took those words to heart. Before I started to help my grandfather in his garden, I saw him as a grumpy, old man who did not want to open up and spend time with anyone in the family, not even his grandchildren. But by spending time with him and volunteering in his garden, I was able to see my grandfather in a new light. He would tell me about himself and his life in Vietnam, his family then and his family now, while we gardened. They were stories that I knew were significant moments in his character, the family’s character, and even my character. To this day, the life of self-sacrifice and giving he led has and will always inspire me to emulate his life. However, his death has taught me something as well; everyone has a story but not everyone has enough time to tell it. My inspiration to volunteer and become involved in the community grow from the desire to help people by giving them more time to tell their stories, not only to me, but to their loved ones as well.

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VCSA ESSAY CONTEST

Mohandas Gandhi, Indian political and spiritual leader, once said, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” I whole heartedly affirm his position. The inspiration to volunteer and become involved in the community is essential to the community’s growth in a positive direction. I believe I have lost myself in volunteering. However, I have been inspired to find myself within this community and within the services I have and will provide.

17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP

VCSA CONTEST

Community volunteerism is important because it builds a sense of unity within the community and positively influences the way the community and individuals in the community grow. In this case, the community I am focusing on is the Vietnamese community. I volunteer in this community through two mediums: as a teacher and as a public speaker. Every Saturday and Sunday, I volunteer as a Vietnamese bible school teacher. As a teacher, I educate the next generation in their faith, their culture, and their language. I am a staunch believer that by knowing one’s language, faith, and culture, one can identify who they really are. In class, I focus on teaching language first. Language is the primary transmitter of culture and if individuals lose their native tongue, they lose parts of their identity. In my eyes, it is sad when someone of non-American descent cannot relate to their culture and tradition. In addition, I also volunteer with the 900 AM radio outreach program. In this program, I help plan and talk on talk shows designed to tackle teenage social problems with various religious figures, professionals, and other teenagers for the Vietnamese listening community. Most of the time, we focus on bridging the gaps between my generation and my parents’ generation. I grew up in an American culture raised by Vietnamese parents. Often times, it was difficult to bridge the gap and relate to them from my stand point. That’s why the importance of community volunteerism is relatable to the proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child.” By volunteering as a teacher and as a speaker for the Vietnamese community, I hope to have help students and listeners understand what we as a community face.

By addressing these problems through community volunteering, we open our eyes to the situation at hand and can unify ourselves to influence how we as a community and as individuals within the community can grow. Community volunteerism is necessary because it allows people to see how unique we are and how we can distinct ourselves in this giant melting pot called America.

I want to attend Len Duong Camp for three reasons. First, I want to be a part of and help build a sense of unity within this community of Vietnamese students. We are the policy makers of tomorrow; what we say and do as individuals not only reflect ourselves but also our community. Second, I want to attend Len Duong Camp in order to learn from and with like-minded mentors and students.

Finally, and most importantly, I want to be able to connect with others and build bonds that are renewed every year. I want to understand their stories and their aspirations and I feel that Len Duong Camp can help me do so.

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17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP 2nd Place Essay Contest Winner: Hao Hoang (New Brighton, MN, USA)

“Có hàng ngàn cách để tham gia tình nguyện. Tuy nhiên, một điểm giống nhau cơ bản giữa các hoạt động tình nguyện này là: tình nguyện đòi hỏi tấm lòng đóng góp, sự tận tâm, lòng nhiệt huyết, thời gian và kỹ năng để giúp đỡ cộng đồng. Cộng đồng có thể diễn giải là hàng xóm, láng giềng, thành phố nơi cư ngụ, quốc gia, hoặc hơn thế nữa là cộng đồng thế giới. Rất nhiều tổ chức thiện nguyện được thành lập, tuy nhiên gặp khó khăn vì không có đủ nguồn lực cả về tài chính lẫn nhân lực để hoàn thành công việc mà họ mong muốn. Các tình nguyện viên với sự giúp sức “nhỏ nhoi” sẽ giúp cho những tổ chức này đến gần hơn với những mục tiêu mà họ theo đuổi. Sức mạnh của sự hợp lực đến từ lòng từ tâm sẽ đem lại một xã hội tốt đẹp hơn.

Công việc thiện nguyện tạo cho tôi cơ hội để gặp gỡ những người bạn, trau dồi và học hỏi những kỹ năng từ họ…Ngoài ra, tôi nhận thức rằng thế giới này còn quá nhiều hoàn cảnh éo le, tôi biết trân trọng cuộc sống, và học cách sống và suy nghĩ cho người khác. Với những hữu ích không đếm xuể từ việc thiện nguyện, tôi muốn dành tuổi trẻ, lòng nhiệt huyết để chia sẻ cho công đồng. Sống là để chia sẻ, nhờ vậy cuộc sống sẽ ý nghĩa và trọn vẹn hơn.

Từ kinh nghiệm tham gia Trại Lên Đường 2012 đã thay đổi cách suy nghĩ của tôi.

Khi rời trại, tôi đã đút kết một bài học cho bản thân – live your dream. Tôi đã dám mơ ước, và gắng sức mình để thực hiện ước mơ ấy. Dành cho mình thời gian, tôi nghiêm túc suy nghĩ về tương lai, và vạch ra hoạch định rõ ràng để đạt được mục tiêu ấy. Đồng thời, với những kỹ năng học được từ trại Lên Đường, tôi đã sẵn sàng để tham gia giúp đỡ cộng đồng.”

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VCSA CONTEST

Hao has been working as a registered nurse for almost a year. She is pursuing further education at Metropolitan State University. After attending her first Len Duong camp in 2012, Hao learnt many leadership skills, and started to utilize them in her life. Also, she was inspired to start helping the community, especially in preserving the Vietnamese culture. She used to volunteer teaching Vietnamese for Vietnamese American kids at Phat An temple. Moreover, she enjoyed participating in several events in the Vietnamese community. Attending Camp Len Duong this year, Hao hopes to exchange skills from other campers, learn how to utilize the leadership skills in preserving the Vietnamese cultural heritage among Vietnamese American youth.

17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP 3rd Place Essay Contest Winner: Alex Nguyen (Montreal, Quebec, CAN)

Alex, a student from Montreal, Quebec, is currently studying at McGill University majoring in Psychology with a minor in Physiology. Alex is on the dragon boat team, True Grit, which has taken home gold and bronze medals at Nationals for the Under-23 division allowing them to qualify for the World Championship in Italy this summer. He is a certified national lifeguard and holds a black belt in Taekwon-Do. Alex has volunteered for several hospitals under the McGill University Health Centre. He is also the VP Academics and Communications for his university’s cultural club. Ever since attending Len Duong in 2013, Alex has already been looking forward to meet new people and develop new skills in Texas.

The Art of Giving Back “I volunteer as tribute!” – Hunger Games

It currently holds position as the most popular quote that includes the word volunteer in today’s decade. According to the Oxford dictionary, volunteer is defined as “a person who freely offers to undertake a task”. Everyone has their own way of volunteering. What you’re about to read is a short story of a boy who begins his journey from volunteering in his little community, to finding himself at Lên Đường Camp.

VCSA CONTEST

The fascinating part of volunteering is that it usually occurs in the form of “giving back”. This is exactly how it triggered this little boy to begin volunteering.

Let’s call him, Huy-Khôi, in order to protect his identity. He was only 8 years old when his father started him on Taekwon-Do lessons in his local community. His instructors soon saw potential in him and began investing their time to carry him to the next level. When Huy-Khôi turned 14 years old, he became the first kid from his community to have earned a black belt in the International Taekwon-Do Federation.

At this point, Huy-Khôi realized he had a duty, and responsibilities. He had little kids looking up to him, and even adults who just began the sport around his community.

He decided to give back the time in which his masters invested in him. This sparked the beginning of Huy-Khôi’s journey to volunteer. He soon became an assistant instructor and began teaching kids the dojos and the life lessons that he learnt during his experience. Huy-Khôi soon realized the impact he had through volunteering in his little local community. It began to reach out to people from outside his local community. The way he understood it, community was the best place to start. The act of giving back had a surprising pyramid effect!

Fast-forward another six years. Huy-Khôi has volunteered for his community, high school, university, city, and even represented his country for dragon-boat. The next golden opportunity was awaiting for him. It was, Lên Đường Camp. This was the chance for him to meet his people, the Vietnamese people. Back in Huy-Khôi’s hometown, he couldn’t find any organizations in which he could participate. So, did Huy-Khôi go to Lên Đường camp in the end? Did it change him at all?

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17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP

In order to answer that question, I would have to reveal that Huy-Khôi in this story is actually me. Yes, it’s my Vietnamese name given by my parents at birth. It was just a year ago around this time when I was told about Lên Đường Camp. To be honest, I initially did not know what to expect from it. I was worried I would not fit in. However, this all changed soon when I attended Lên Đường Camp in Toronto during the summer of 2013.

At this camp, I encountered the most diverse range of Vietnamese people. I got the opportunity to meet people who did not speak a single word of Vietnamese to people who ONLY spoke Vietnamese. There were people who were just 16 years old to people who are generations ahead of us. There were even people from across world.

Despite our differences, we all shared the same goal. We all wanted to make an impact for our community, country, and our people. We connected immediately through our similarities like having parents who watch Asia and Paris by Night, to putting “nước mắm” on everything we ate.

Upon my return back home, I realized something about me had evolved. I picked up the Oxford dictionary again, but this time to look up a new word, community. It is defined as “a group of people living in the same place”. Well, I guess I already knew that. However, I knew there just had to be a broader meaning to it after coming back from Lên Đường. I continued reading down onto the next definition and was struck by a deeper meaning to the exact same word: “a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals”.

Len Duong 2014 Logo Contest Winner: Jennifer Duong (Houston, TX, USA)

LÊN ĐƯỜNG 2014 | EMBRACE YOUR CULTURE 63

VCSA CONTEST

In order to answer that question, I would have to reveal that Huy-Khôi in this story is actually me. Yes, it’s my Vietnamese name given by my parents at birth. It was just a year ago around this time when I was told about Lên Đường Camp. To be honest, I initially did not know what to expect from it. I was worried I would not fit in. However, this all changed soon when I attended Lên Đường Camp in Toronto during the summer of 2013.

17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP Le Hoang Nguyen Scholarship Winner : Justin Gonzalez (Houston, TX, USA)

Justin Gonzalez is finishing his freshman year at Texas A&M, College station, as a Computer Engineer with a minor in Mathematics. He is currently a Junior Officer for VSA and he is hoping to earn a position as an officer. He will also be the historian for HKSA in the upcoming year. Justin knows what it takes to overcome any obstacle and be what he wants to be.

“I have mixed expectations of Camp Len Duong 2014, all of them positive. My assumptions stem from the introductory paragraph on the camp’s website. One of my expectations would be to meet new people whom share a common goal of improving their community. I will meet leaders and peers who want to become leaders, to help the greater good. Different minds, skill sets and focused majors, will all mix in one area. Each new person who I meet may affect my life, or I may affect their lives. I expect to create new friendships, be part of a new family. Not only will I grow with my fellow peers but we will inspire each other. We will share dreams, our deepest aspirations, and our history. We will have the privilege to receive and learn tools that will help change our communities for the better. Collective minds, helping improve one another, both mentally and emotionally, through new connections forged throughout the expanse of the camp. New leaders will be made, leaders who can empower others to be leaders and to make a difference. The importance of team work will be shown; the potential of many minds is endless, as opposed to one mind, one body. Teams will be forged and challenges will arise, a friendly competition made so that team work can be displayed and learned. Moreover, I expect to learn how to help the Vietnamese community as a whole, not just my personal community at Texas A&M. ”

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Selfless and giving, would be two words I would use to describe volunteering. Volunteer service to me means giving back to the community. Giving back to those who make your community what it is.

A community is composed of many people, some who you see and others behind the scenes. Each member of a community makes a difference, sometimes it’s not obvious but everyone affects the community as a whole. To volunteer is to help those in need. Volunteering shows the dedication you have towards your community, and the pride you have to be in your community. By volunteering not only do you give to the community but inadvertently may receive. Each volunteering job is different and requires different skills. Sometimes a volunteer lacks the skills, and so they are taught. Volunteering shows a glittering hope that selflessness still exists in the world. It is an opportunity, to get close to members of the community and meet new people whom are genial by nature. By volunteering you make a mark in the community and show an example for others to follow.

I personally used to do odd jobs for people in the community when I was young, not calling it volunteering but instead “helping out”. Each time I finished a task, I felt a sense of accomplishment and merriment, happy I was able to help. The point in which I began to volunteer extensively was during my high school career. I logged around 100 hours but had committed an additional 200 unlogged hours helping out mainly an organization called Habitat for Humanity. I would go to their shop called “ReStore” and help move boxes, load, unload or anything that was needy. I would also help in their house project, in which volunteers helped a family build their own home. This specific volunteering experience made a profound effect on my person. Not only did I learn new skills, such as cocking, and painting, but I learned the difficulties involved in making a house. The main thing however which affected me the most happened at the end of the day. As the day was concluding, the future homeowners asked if we could step aside to have a small chat. Immediately, tears were shed. She could not express how thankful and blessed she felt to have been helped by many selfless volunteers. She never imagined being able to have her own home, let alone building it along with many young volunteers. She shed so many tears that many of the volunteers could not help but cry themselves. While this was all happening I realized the large effect that one could make. I was standing in a community build by volunteers, literally brick by brick, each house from the ground up made from the collaboration of hundreds of volunteers. Beautiful homes, all made by selfless people. Even I shed a tear or two, this was a beautiful moment, the feelings that arose, made me feel proud to be a volunteer. This feeling is why I want to serve. I serve to help others, serve to give happiness where it is needed, serve to set an example that every person makes a difference.

LÊN ĐƯỜNG 2014 | EMBRACE YOUR CULTURE 64

17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP Dr. Rick Ngo Scholarship Winner : Emily Phuong Le (St. Catherine, MN)

“I was thrilled to hear about Len Duong Camp for the first time from my friend. As an active kid growing up, my parents gave me various opportunities to attend camps. It remains a beautiful part of childhood that shapes the person I am today. I’m not afraid to step up and be a leader to make changes and support others. I value connections and the beauty of friendship. I build my own identity and aim for the best. Coming to Len Duong Camp, I personally expect to learn new things, get out of my comfort zone and meet the amazing people there. As a 19-year-old, this will be the first time that I travel out of state on my own to attend a camp. I can’t wait to see what I will learn along the way there. I want to get out of my protective shell and explore the world. There is nothing to lose, but everything is to gain. There are potentials that I will get hurt, I may feel lonely, or I can be scared. Every journey, especially the ones into new territory, is scary. But my excitement, eagerness and desire to success are bigger than my fears. I am ready to go out there to win some or learn some. I expect to meet inspiring leaders at Len Duong Camp. I respect and look up all the people who put this camp together and dream to be one someday. Even though this is my first time attending camp, I watched many videos many it and feel empower to connect the Vietnamese community in North America. This camp goes beyond the purpose to educate and entertain the young generation, but also motivate and call out to all the intelligent Vietnamese young adults to remember their roots and take a stand to make a difference. I hope to reach new heights and change my view about my own identity as a young Vietnamese American.

Last but not least, I expect to make positive contributions to this camp. I want to participate in every activity, reach out to the people in my team who need support, and contribute the enthusiastic fire inside of me to the burning torch of the camp. I want to live it. I want to look back at this camp with no regrets and thought: “that was amazing”. As Mark Twain said “twenty years from now, you are more disappointed the things you didn’t do, than the things you did”. I will open my heart and mind to accept new ideas and concepts. I’m ready to be a good follower first, in order to be a good leader. Len Duong camp no doubt will be a great start to my summer. I hope to see it as an entrance to my exciting young adulthood. After the camp, I wish to keep connected with the extraordinary people I meet there. They will enrich my life as my inspiration and motivation to push me forward in life.”

Việt Nam Trong Tôi

“This stinks” – lời nói vỏn vẹn của Kathy làm tuôn trào cảm xúc của tôi lúc đó. Chuyện là ba mẹ tôi vừa đi thăm Việt Nam trở về và mua cho tôi một bịch kẹo dừa, một trong những thứ mà tôi nhớ nhất từ mảnh đất đầy tình người ấy.

Tôi mừng rỡ đem kẹo lên trường chia cho nhỏ bạn thân người Mỹ Trắng một viên kẹo và đó là lời nói gọn lỏn tôi được nhận lại. Tôi chưa bao giờ nhận biết được tình yêu nồng cháy với Việt Nam nhiều như vậy cho đến khoảnh khắc đó. Một đứa con gái 14 tuổi, sống mũi cay nồng, nhìn kinh ngạc vào nhỏ bạn thân với ánh mắt rưng rưng. Cảm giác của tôi lúc đó khó mà tả được. Lúc đó tôi không biết giải thích với Kathy như thế nào. Không phải là tôi tiếc rẻ miếng kẹo yêu thích.

Cũng không phải là sự tức tối khi không nhận được lại lòng chân thành và biết ơn. Mà đó là lúc tôi nhận ra được rằng chính tôi là người đại diện của dân tộc Việt Nam. Lời xúc phạm đó không liên quan đến cá nhân tôi, nhưng lại ảnh hưởng đến dòng máu đỏ thắm đang chảy xiết trong tôi. Khoảnh khắc bất ngờ đó, dù chỉ xảy ra trong tích tắc, lại làm tôi bâng khuâng và nhớ mãi. Tôi càng ngỡ ngàng hơn khi biết rằng xung quanh tôi không có ai để chống đỡ, bảo vệ cho niềm tự hào của tôi ngoài chính mình. Đúng lúc đó, tôi nhận ra rằng tôi phải làm một thứ gì đó để cũng cố, liên hợp và phục vụ cho cộng động người Việt Nam ở Mỹ.

Xa rồi cái thời kí ức Việt Nam của những con đò, rặng tre, và những con đường làng ngoằn nghèo. Trong xã hội bận rộn cuồng nhiệt ở nửa vòng trái đất này, người Việt Nam là những con người không ngừng vươn lên tới những nỗ lực mới. Niềm tự hào là khi thấy được những dãy mall với các con chữ quen thuộc và biết rằng những người Việt Nam đi trước thật tài năng và thành công biết mấy. Đoàn kết là khi thấy được những chương trình lễ tết Việt Nam được tổ chức ở những sân khấu lớn. Gìn giữ là khi thấy các bé vừa tập nói ngọng nghiu là được ba mẹ dạy tiếng Việt trước khi được học tiếng Anh. Niềm vui là khi những người trong gia đình và bạn bè tụ tập với nhau chỉ vì “chúng ta đều là Việt Nam với nhau”. Có điều gì đó linh thiêng, máu mủ đã gắn kết những đứa con của thế hệ di cư sau này. Đâu phải ba mẹ của chúng ta thân quen với nhau, cũng không phải sự gắn kết đó đem lại lợi lọc lớn lao gì cho ai. Mà đó như là bản năng của con người Việt Nam trẻ sau này: tình yêu phở, nét đẹp tinh khôi của áo dài, sự quen thuộc với những bài ca truyền thống, etc. Vì những nét chung này, những con người Việt Nam dù ở nơi đâu, cũng có thể kết nối với nhau khi con tim đã cũng một nhịp đập.

Ngay khi tôi nhận ra những tình cảm đặc biệt của tôi dành cho dân tộc mình, tôi đã tham gia Vietnamese Community of Minnesota. Tôi thấy được một phần trách nhiệm của mình để đóng góp cho cộng đồng người Việt ở Mỹ để giúp đỡ cho những người khó khăn, bảo vệ truyền thống dân tộc, và phổ biến văn hóa Việt xa hơn để tạo thêm sự nhận thức văn hóa cho những người như cô bạn Kathy của tôi. Tiến đến tương lai, tôi thấy mình có khả năng lãnh đạo chương trình, quản lí những cuộc họp mặt cho người Việt Nam ở nhiều độ tuổi để sum họp vớI nhau. Tôi muốn giữ gìn những nét đẹp truyền thống của đất nước xinh đẹp này. Để một ngày không xa, không phải chỉ mỗi bản thân mình, mà tôi muốn nghe thế hệ con cháu sau này nói rằng: “tôi tự hào là người Việt Nam”.

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SCHOLARSHIPS

Emily is a first year at St. Catherine University, Minnesota, double major in Accounting and Marketing Management with a minor in Financial Economics. Being one of the top 18 finalists for the full ride scholarship at the America’s biggest female college, she is empowered to break out of the maledominant society to do more and be more. Emily has served as the chapter president of Business Professionals of America, and won Second Place in the Nation in Advanced Interview Skills in Orlando, FL 2013. In addition, she is a St. Catherine University admission ambassador, represent her school in various events and panels. As a member of the prestigious Antonian Honors Scholar program, Emily strives to be the best in academic. She was awarded Senate Member of the Month in January 2014 for my outstanding service as the Administrative Affairs of the University Student Senate, influencing and making changes on campus.

17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP

Catherine Tran Charity Fund Scholarship Winner 1 : Linda Huynh (Langley, BC, CAN)

Linda graduated from the University of British Columbia (UBC) in 2012, specializing in accounting.

She is currently working as a staff accountant and is working towards obtaining her designation to become a Chartered Accountant this year. She participated in a Miss Friendship Vietnamese Pageant in 2010 and was also a Student Engagement Director for the Commerce Community Program at UBC organizing various charity events in 2012. She volunteered in Cambodia for three weeks in 2013, which involved building a middle school and assisting with community development. She wants to transcend the skills of an accountant and strive to provide opportunities to the poor by being a mentor and an educator.

“My expectations of Camp Len Duong 2014 is to become motivated and inspired to take initiative to pursue a leadership role to improve the Vietnamese community in Vancouver. I hope the camp will give me an opportunity to network with Vietnamese youth in North America and together we can share our ideas to improve our communities. I expect to generate relationships with the other participants and learn more about their involvement in the Vietnamese community and what they hope to achieve. I think Camp Len Duong is a great for young individuals such as myself who do want to get involved with community or be the change but don’t know where to start. I hope Camp Len Duong will direct us in the right path to pursue our goal and vision to being the change in our community and provide the right tools and resources to do so. The camp gathers young Vietnamese individuals from North America that share a common ground on making a difference and this camp enables Vietnamese individuals to support and inspire each other no matter which country or city you’re from. It’s about having the same goal and making a positive impact to the Vietnamese community and creating a platform for future Vietnamese youth to continue to be proactive in their Vietnamese communities. I think attending Camp Len Duong for the first time will enable me to have a different perspective of the Vietnamese community and realize the potential we have to be the change. I also would like this to be an opportunity to learn more about Camp Len Duong and its initiatives since I am interested in being part of the core team to bring the camp to Vancouver in 2016. In order for me to become passionate and motivated about being the change and bringing the camp to Vancouver, I need to see for myself the effect Camp Len Duong has on Vietnamese youth. I’m very excited to participate in Camp Len Duong this year for the first time. I hope that it’s everything I expected and more. I hope that when I do return to Vancouver that it has made an impact on me and will have inspired to do more in my community. It only takes one person to be the change because once we believe in our vision and what we can

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accomplish, others will also believe in us and will want to partake in this meaningful initiative.”

The Heart of a Volunteer

“Be the change you want to see in the world.” This is the quote that I live by which motivates me to make a change and create a positive impact on society. Ever since I chose to speak about the Vietnam War in a public speaking competition in middle school, I became passionate about helping others and giving back in some way. It afforded me the opportunity to ask my parents about their struggles in Canada, rendering me more appreciative of the education and opportunities I have in Canada. To this day, I continue to look up to my parents’ determination of making a life in Canada, despite the many cultural and communication barriers they faced.

When I went to university, I started living on my own since 18, and financed my own post-secondary education.

Although my parents did not have the resources to finance my education, my determination and value in higher education remained strong. The experience has allowed me to become more independent, empowered, grateful, and determined to succeed in my life goals and to give back to those who did not have the opportunity to pursue their education like me.

I felt like that the Vancouver Vietnamese community was at its plateau because no significant change or initiative was being planned to take its efforts to the next level to improve the Vietnamese community. There was no strategic plan, no goals being discussed, and not enough interest from the Vietnamese youth. It was the same events being organized every year but did not have an effect on the Vietnamese youth to become proactive and it did not add value. I believe bringing Camp Len Duong to Vancouver is the change that the Vietnamese community needs and thus I want to continue my involvement within the Vietnamese community by bringing Camp Len Duong to Vancouver.

After graduating from University in 2012 and starting my career as an accountant, I still had this urge to make a difference and to do something that will create a positive impact. I decided to travel to Cambodia with a group of individuals through a not-for-profit organization in 2013 to help build a school and aid in community development. The trip was an eye-opening experience that changed my perspective on life for the better. We met with families that were self-sustainable due the organization’s efforts of providing clean water. Then we met families that were struggling with no hope in their eyes. Families that had to give up their children to off a debt that was a minimal amount and young adults that were 18 or 19 years old that never attended school due to financial issues.

There were families that were drinking water from a pond that had tadpoles in it because clean water was not accessible and a struggling mother trying to support her three young daughters on her own since her husband was diagnosed with stomach cancer. I saw the impact on a family that received helped by just having clean water that enabled them to grow and sell crops which generated sustainable income for their families. Then I saw a family that was in the process of receiving help but was struggling to survive. Visiting families that received help showed us the impact our contributions and efforts can do to improve a family’s life. Our efforts can give hope to people to live and to survive.

It’s impossible to help every individual in the world but if we are able to make an impact and help just one person, I believe our efforts are worth it and that we must continuously strive to help individuals in the world that may not have the resources to be self sustainable.

LÊN ĐƯỜNG 2014 | EMBRACE YOUR CULTURE 66

17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP

Catherine Tran Charity Fund Scholarship Winner 2 : Steven Ngo (Vancouver, BC, CAN)

Steven has just finished his J.D. degree at the University of British Columbia and will be pursuing a career in commercial tax law at a large national firm in Canada. He is also an executive with the Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers and has volunteered with legal aid where he provided advice for immigrant families and represented them in court. Outside of the law, he absolutely loves music and plays the guitar, piano and bass.

Last year, he founded his own charity, Healing Using Music, which has since expanded to 5 chapters across Canada and Vietnam, and has performed around the world including the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics.

Steven enjoys immersing himself in new places and has travelled to six different continents so far. He loves meeting people, building new friendships and looks forward to having a great time at Len Duong 2014

I. Why I Strive To Be Active in the Community

Volunteer service has always been a cornerstone of my life. Ever since high school, I have been actively involved in volunteer service, from participating in student clubs to volunteering in nonprofit organizations. In university, I continued this drive of volunteerism as I led student clubs, participated in student government and volunteered abroad in South America and Asia. Because of my involvement in the community and my strong academic success, the Associate Dean at the University of British Columbia granted me the prestigious honor of being the valedictorian of my graduating class. Even now as I work towards completing my Juris Doctor degree, I continue to be active in the community and founded my own non-profit organization in 2013, Healing Using Music, which has since expanded to over 134 volunteers across 5 chapters in Canada, Australia and Vietnam. But why do I strive to be active in the community? It all started with a rickety old boat from Vietnam.

From the bottom, my parents worked their way up to the top. Pulling day and night shifts, my parents did whatever they could to support my younger brother and I so that we could have a better life in Canada. I am certain that there were many times when my parents felt like giving up. But they didn’t. They never complained. They never stopped. They kept on going. And during this period, one of the values that my parents instilled into me was the importance of giving back to the community.

My parents received an incredible amount of community support. People whom they have never met wanted to help and support them on their journey. Whether it was financial support or emotional support, donating non-perishable foods, used clothing or even unwanted video games, the community supported my family every step of the way. And for that, I am eternally grateful. Because I have personally experienced the warmth of community support, I know of the importance of volunteer service. The community gave my parents an opportunity to survive, an opportunity to thrive, and an opportunity to flourish in Canada. Thus, as a way to return the favour, I have embarked on my own life-long mission to pay it forward, and this is the reason why I strive to be as active as I can in the community.

II. What Does Volunteer Service Mean To Me?

Ever since I started on my journey to give back to the community, I have learned so much and met so many people along the way who have significantly shaped who I am today. But if I had to distill my volunteer experiences and explain what volunteer service means into two core tenets, they would be (i) improving lives and (ii) creating new paths for future generations.

i. Improving lives To me, volunteer service means improving lives and lending a hand to those in need. From something as simple as planting trees on Earth Day to serving food at a community kitchen, from playing music in a nursing home to representing an immigrant family in court, volunteer service can improve lives. It is easy to caught up in our own day-to-day tribulations that we lose the sight of the power that we each hold in our hands. The power to make a difference. To me, volunteer service does not necessarily have to be grandiose gestures. In fact, I believe that small acts over time can make a difference in improving the lives of others. From my volunteer experiences in Canada and internationally in South America and Asia, I have discovered that a simple act of compassion can go a long way in terms of breaking through barriers and connecting with others. Humans are social creatures, and often, the success of our society is shaped by the strength of our community.

ii. Creating new paths for future generations Second, volunteer service means creating new paths and mentoring future generations. Mentorship is very important to me, and I feel that it is an under-looked aspect of volunteer service. When I decided to pursue law as a career, I had very few people to speak to about my career choice. My parents only had their high school degrees, so they could not offer much guidance nor did they have any friends who were in law. As a minority group, law is not necessarily the top career choice compared to other professions like medicine, engineering or business. I want to change this and trail-blaze new paths for future generations, especially in the Vietnamese community. In particular, I want to empower Vietnamese youth who are considering law as a career and offer them guidance, guidance that I wish that I had when I was creating my own path. Without volunteer service and the support from the community, my life would be very different. My parents would have had a much harder time rebuilding their new life in Canada, and we would not be where we are today. Having started at the bottom and worked our way up, I have personally experienced the life-changing impact of volunteer service, and as a result, I strive to be as active as I can in the community to help improve the lives of others.

LÊN ĐƯỜNG 2014 | EMBRACE YOUR CULTURE 67

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“Since this will be my first time attending Len Duong Camp, I am very excited for the opportunity to be part of such a strong and vibrant community of like-minded Vietnamese youth. In particular, I look forward to developing myself professionally and personally. From a professional aspect, I look forward to the opportunity to build upon my leadership skills and gain new perspectives. Skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, decision making and conflict resolution are all essential skills that are important to develop as a leader in our community. I am very impressed by the professional development opportunities offered by Camp, and I am eager to take the skills that I learn at Camp, so that I could become a stronger leader in my own community. From a personal aspect, I look forward to meeting other Vietnamese youth from all over Canada and the United States. As a VietnameseCanadian myself from Vancouver, I feel that Camp provides such a unique opportunity to engage with other like-minded Vietnamese youth across Canada and the United States. Given that the Vietnamese community in Vancouver is quite small, I personally look forward to the opportunity to be immersed in such a neat environment like Camp and build life-long connections and friendships.”

17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP Greatland Investment Scholarship Winner : Hoang Ngo (St. Paul, MN, USA)

Hoang is currently a second year student at Century College, major in Architecture and Civil Engineering. He’s currently volunteering at the St. Aldebert Catholic Church to teach Vietnamese language and culture and bible study for the children.

“From the past experiences that I have had from participating to Len Duong camp in the past few years, my expectations were very basic such as having fun, enjoying the out-door, and making new friends. However, I realized that there is some thing much more important than just having fun. There is teamwork, building connection network, cultural development, and last but not least good food! Talking about teamwork, all the previous activities were great and very helpful for a team to work together, however, I want this year to get one step further where everyone has to bring the best of the best out of us. Secondly, I am always active within the church region and do not know much about other options out there. I think Len Duong camp is a very unique environment and extra-ordinary community with numerous Vietnamese culture groups from North to South for me to sharpen my leadership skills and to learn more about Vietnamese heritage. My forever lasting memory of the food was the “Phở” that we had two years ago in Minnesota. I hope we will have another unforgettable camp experience and form long lasting friendships as well. Thank you so much for providing us such a wonderful opportunity. “

Việt Nam Quê Tôi

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“Mỗi người khi sinh ra đều có một quê hương cho riêng mình. Tuy rằng bạn không thể chọn một quê hương cho riêng mình, nhưng tôi nghĩ có được sự lựa chọn hay không có cũng là một vinh dự hay nói cách khác là một niềm tự hào khi bạn có một quê hương. Tôi sinh ra và lớn lên tại một thị trấn nhỏ ở thuộc miền Nam Việt Nam. Tôi nhớ như in những con đường rợp bóng mát bởi hai hàng cây cổ thụ chạy dài hai bên đường, những con đường đã gắn liền với những kỷ niệm thời thơ ấu cùng những ngày tháng cắp sách đền trường. Không thể thiếu được những quán sá mọc đày như nấm, những khu chợ luôn luôn tấp nạp người ra vào. Thế nên Việt Nam đối với tôi như là một người bạn thân, một người thầy, và có thể hơn thế nữa là một bến đỗ bình yên cho những ai biết chân trọng nó.

Đất nước Việt Nam đối với tôi như một người bạn thân vì tôi rất vui và hãnh diện khi được sinh ra và lớn lên cùng đất nước Việt Nam thân yêu, tuy đã có nhiều thay đổi nhưng chúng tôi đã trưởng thành và đã có vài trang nhật ký mới. Một người thầy là vì tôi không thể được như ngày hôm này nếu không có một người thầy. Người đã dạy tôi những câu ca dao tục ngữ, những chân lý sống hằng ngày, và những câu hát thắm đầy yêu thương. Quê hương tôi là bến đỗ bình yên để ta có thể nhớ về nơi chôn rau cắt rốn của tôi. Nơi đó có những người mà tôi quen biết thân thiết, có cánh diều vi vu, những cánh đồng thẳng cánh cò bay, và có những kỷ niệm không quen bên bạn bè, người thân. Thế nên dù tôi đi đâu, về đâu tôi luôn nhắc nhở bản thân mình phai nhớ về quê hương bởi vì nó theo tôi suốt cả hành trình dài trong cuộc sống.

Sinh ra và lớn lên tại Việt Nam đã giúp tôi hiểu được phần nào sự khổ cục của người dân đất Việt hiện tại đang phải chịu đựng những áp bực của bộ máy chính quyền cũ nát. Những người dân luôn phải chịu những cảnh bóc lột trắng trơn của những người có chức có quyền giống như thời phóng kiến, một xã hội mà khi một người mẹ khước từ thiên chức của mình và từ bỏ những thai nhi vô tội một cách mất nhân tính. Có thể những chuyện đó khiến con người ta phải quên đi một xã hội mục nát như vậy, những người xưa cũng có câu, “Thương người như thể thương thân.” Tuy rằng tôi rất muốn làm gì đó cho đất nước tôi trở nên tốt đẹp hơn, tươi sáng hơn nhưng với nỗ lực của mình tôi thì giống như một giọt nước ngoài biển khơi mà thôi.

Cho nên nếu chúng ta mỗi người một tay, một tiếng nói sẽ góp gió thành bão lên tiếng cho những con người không thể làm chủ được số phận của mình. Nếu được thế tôi tin rằng không sớm muộn gì đất nước ta lại là một Hòn Ngọc Viễn Đông.”

LÊN ĐƯỜNG 2014 | EMBRACE YOUR CULTURE 68

17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP Tony Toan Nguyen Memorial Scholarship Winner : Kevin Doan (Richardson, TX, USA)

Kevin Doan is currently enrolled at the University of Texas at Dallas. He is a pre-med Biology major, just finished with his sophomore year. He is currently involved with VSA at University of Texas at Dallas and serve as Fundraising Coordinator at his School’s Health Occupations Students of America. In his pursuit to become a doctor, he is also working on volunteering at his local hospital, and research in a biomedical laboratory. Having not yet experienced Len Duong camp, he is excited for this year’s adventure, with high hopes to strengthen his Vietnamese culture and form lasting friendships.

“I have never been to Camp Len Duong, due to several scheduling conflicts, but I’m sure it will be a blast. Based on what I found on the website, I think there will be several fun activities that help develops a sense of volunteerism and leadership. Also, I’m sure that there will be many Vietnamese aspects to the camp, as well, so I am also excited for that.

I would like for the chance to utilize my Vietnamese and also improve on it with my fellow peers. As seen in my expectations, I have high hopes for this camp, and I’m certain that it will not disappoint!”

Vietnam, from my perspective, is a source of cultural pride. I am happy to celebrate Vietnamese customs and traditions every year. I think the reason for my pride is mostly due to when I learn about the history of my family. With roots that dig deep into Vietnam’s past, I simply find it fascinating of all the things that they have been through so much. This includes learning about how my parents grew up in Vietnam: how their schools functioned, where they hung out with their friends, and overall just their daily lives. I find it so interesting because it is completely different from my own life now in America. Also, learning about how things were dealt with during the Vietnam War made me really appreciate that we do not live on war-ridden soil. Because of all this Vietnamese pride, I do not want to see its people suffer.

Growing up, I had always aspired to become a medical doctor. This partly spawned because many of my close family members work as physicians, and so being able to see the difference that they can make for families, made me want to have that ability, too. My dream to become a doctor solidified and became definite after my trip to Vietnam. I knew that there were many people, who could not even receive basic necessities, usually did not have the resources to have medical checkups. While many people in America dread going in to the doctor’s office, I believe we still go because deep down, we know that it is an important part of trying to maintain a healthy life.

Unfortunately, the homeless people in Vietnam do not get to even have the chance to see a doctor, and that is where I would like to step in and intervene. My goal is to become a doctor, not only because I want to help people that can pay for treatment and operations, but also to help those that cannot. In this regard, I very much respect programs like Doctors Without Borders, where doctors go and help out in third-world countries. I aspire to have the ability to give medical examinations and checkups to my fellow Vietnamese people, as I know that not everyone has had the opportunities as I did. Because I was so blessed with a caring family that lives in America, I would like to seize the opportunity and become a medical doctor, so I can help out those without the same chances.

Overall, my passion to help those in Vietnam is further fueled by my sense of pride in the country and culture of Vietnam. I did not get to choose my ethnicity and background, yet I feel as though I got lucky with such an extensive and beautiful culture. I get a sense that a difference can be made, and because I believe that I should return the favor to the Vietnamese people for giving me such a sense of pride in my culture, I hope to be able to assist as many people as I can. It is as if the Vietnamese people are my people and I plan to continue working towards my goal, so that I can help my fellow people.

LÊN ĐƯỜNG 2014 | EMBRACE YOUR CULTURE 69

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17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP Dennis Vu Scholarship Winner: Peter Vu (Houston, TX, USA)

I am a first-year, first-generation college student at the University of Houston majoring in Honors Biomedical Sciences. With this degree, I hope to pursue a career in medical research and public health. Currently, I am serving as treasurer for the University’s Global Medical Brigades chapter. As the treasurer, I am assigned the task of building our chapter’s financial foundation in order for us to provide health care services in third-world countries. As a freshman officer, I hope that my experience at Len Duong Camp 2014 can help me burgeon as a leader and as a person and help me make an impact in all the communities that I serve in, whether it be the Vietnamese community, the University of Houston, or even the City of Houston.

“My expectations for Camp Len Duong 2014 fall under two categories: growth in personal leadership capabilities and growth in community and personal community involvement. I come to Camp Len Duong hoping to exponentially grow as a leader. As a past leader in multiple organizations during high school and a current leader in an organization at the University of Houston, one of the most important lessons I have learned is that the role of leadership is constantly redefined in every stage of the journey towards the end goal. How your superiors and how your followers define you as a leader will always be based on your actions within and outside the organization. I am hoping that Camp Len Duong will help me grow as an efficient and innovative leader that can and will constantly provide the best for any organization that I am a part of, with or without a title. I also come to Camp Len Duong hoping to grow within this community and to increase personal community involvement. I was inducted in VCSA in Houston this past year and I honestly can say that I enjoyed the community. However, I have not had many interactions with this VCSA community (or any for that matter) and I want to change that by coming to Camp Len Duong. I also want to increase community involvement, especially in the Vietnamese community. I was raised by the Vietnamese community and I want to give back to it. Finding time to do so has been difficult but I’m hoping Camp Len Duong can help me increase my community involvement. My expectations for Camp Len Duong 2014 is for the camp to help me grow as a leader and a person and help me be more involved within the general community, the VCSA community, and the Vietnamese community.”

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Family

In my family, I was raised on the values and traditions of Vietnamese customs. I believe this is one of the most significant aspects of why Vietnam means family to me. These customs helped me identify myself as an individual and as a Vietnamese American, just like a family should. The first custom I ever learned was the value many Vietnamese Americans placed on the preservation of the Vietnamese language in America.

American English is a constantly shifting dialect. It is influenced by hundreds of languages spoken by immigrants who built this country. But just as English is constantly changing, so are the languages that are introduced to it. Born and raised in America by immigrant parents allowed me to be introduced to the Vietnamese language before it could be drastically influenced by English. Back then, the language spoken at home was Vietnamese and to be honest, I am glad that I was encouraged to speak Vietnamese at such an early age. I am a staunch believer that language is the primary transmitter of culture and if individuals lose their native tongue, they lose parts of their identity. If I had never learned Vietnamese, I would have never been able to address anyone properly with Bác, Cô, Chú, Thầy, or any other proper titles given to a person, nor would I understand the value we Vietnamese Americans place on such titles. If I had never learned Vietnamese, I would have never appreciated the countless Vietnamese fairy tales that I heard, learned, and remembered in my grandfather’s garden. I would never be able to recall stories like the story of Bánh Chưng, Bánh Giầy or the story of Sự Tích Trầu Cau. If I had never learned Vietnamese, I would never be able to understand these stories and the values and customs of unity, respect for tradition, and familial love that these stories shared and that we Vietnamese hold dear.

In an ever-changing American society, sometimes we must unify our respect for tradition and familial love in order to remain and understand ourselves as Vietnamese Americans. To me, in order to achieve that, I must uphold our custom of speaking Vietnamese to carry on our values and traditions so that like family, none of it is forgotten or left behind. In my family, I also grew in the love of Vietnam. To be exact, I grew in my love of Vietnamese culture. This is the other aspect of why Vietnam means family to me. The culture has enveloped me and represents who I am internally and externally, just as family should. I have come to understand and respect the significance we Vietnamese have for our foods. It is unparalleled. More importantly, I came to understand the value we placed on our meals. I remember when I was younger when my parents constantly reminded me that “trời đánh tránh bữa ăn” (even God would not dare disturb the Vietnamese during our meal). It stresses the value of family and unity that our culture emphasizes. Good foods may make good meals but great meals come from good foods and good company. The importance was not just the food, but having the family together for a meal.

In an ever-changing American society, individualism is stressed to be the most important aspect of any American. However, as Vietnamese Americans we live in the best of both worlds.

We can be individuals and follow our own path, but like any path, we all started from an origin. For me, that origin was good Vietnamese foods, good Vietnamese company, and good Vietnamese morals, and like family, I will never leave them behind or forget their origin; I would rather they accompany me on my path.

LÊN ĐƯỜNG 2014 | EMBRACE YOUR CULTURE 70

17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP Saigon Eggroll Scholarship Winner : Vincent Pham (Sugar Land, TX)

Vincent is currently a student at Houston Community College studying pre-requisite courses to transfer into a nursing program to obtain a B.S Degree in Nursing. He enjoys volunteering with groups such as VCSA and activities that help better himself and the community. Vincent is looking forward to his second Len Duong camp for new experiences and memories to hold with him for the times to come.

“This is my second Len Duong camp, so I know what it is like to a certain extent. And since I have worked with VCSA before, I know what goes on behind the scenes to a certain extent also. Of course, I am still expecting the staff to give 110% since LD camp has been in the work for almost a year. I am expecting the staff to enforce rules to have order. I am still expecting a lot of fun and memories to be made.”

The story of my outburst comes from my time at a Buddhist convention called “Dia Tang Sam”. Thay Hang Truong held a very emotional and heart-felt ceremony to commemorate the hard work of individuals through a simple hand washing. Hand-washing? Just hand-washing made you pour all of your tears out of your eyes and all the cries from your voice? Truthfully, washing the hands of my mother and other mothers pushed me over the edge. We wash our hands to clean ourselves of dirt and debris. Thay is paralleling washing the hands of others as cleansing them of the dirt and stains that life has given them. If you think the about the work of a mother: how she tolls in the kitchen to make your next breakfast, lunch, and dinner, while still going to work for at least six hours of the day, and still coming home to find work for herself to keep the house neat and proper. The mother has a lot on her hands, literally. The mother has to balance out fifty different chores, responsibilities, and burdens. Her hands become dirty from the excess work; the filth is endless.

In this ceremony, we take the hands of mothers, fathers, grandparents, professional workers, and wash away their dirt. By washing away their dirt, we free a bit of their spirit to uplift, so that they will continue to strive forward in their life. I washed the hands of a mother who came to this convention by herself. She recalled how she has three children, all of which are grown up, yet none of them could have gone with her because they were all busy. Since the mother’s children were not present, my friend and I filled the role of washing her hands for her. She continued to lament how thankful she was that my friend and I were able to do this for her. She still wanted her children to be here with her though, the bitterness brought her over the edge and she soon cried. I was not her child; I was but a simple volunteer who she consoled to. In my head, I could not believe that she was crying to complete strangers she had literally only met ten minutes ago, but I could say the same for myself. Who was I to cry with a stranger I just met too? Then I asked myself, why was I crying?

I answered myself: “You’re crying because it has been a very long week of working for these people and you are just tired. You are also crying because this woman resembles your mother.” My mother and this mother were exact copies. The qualities of being able to take on arduous labor and still be a loving mother were all within the same person. My mother and this mother I had just met instilled to me the passion to love to work for others and the compassion to love others.

LÊN ĐƯỜNG 2014 | EMBRACE YOUR CULTURE 71

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Path of the Bodhisattva

I fought back the tears as hard as I could. I thought to myself: “I am not going to cry. I am not going to cry. I am not going to cry.” Well, I ended up crying really hard. It started with tears trickling down my cheeks and then splashing onto the ground, but the welling began to overflow my being and I started outwardly sobbing. Time felt frozen and silent. I had thought I cried everything out in that brief moment and I can finally recover my body from its emotional instability, but the effort was in vain.

17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP Greatland Investment Scholarship Winner : NamPhuong Gigi Pham (Lewisville, TX, USA) NamPhuong Hoang Pham has earned her Doctorate Degree in Physical Therapy from Louisiana State University and is a practicing Physical Therapist, Specializing in Pediatrics, in Texas for over 2 years. In 2012, she joined VCSA-DFW through the first Dragons Summit event and she became the Dragons Summit Master in 2013. Dragons Summit is a one day youth summit event in Dallas Fort Worth that focuses on leadership & culture to give a taste of Len Duong Camp. NamPhuong is also the present Director for the Children Ministry at the Plano Vietnamese Baptist Church and is currently enrolled in Dallas Theological Seminary Lay Leader Institute. Her life mission is to be well equipped to serve in the Children & Woman Ministry by sharing the love and light of Jesus.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------“My expectations for Camp Len Duong 2014 would be to meet new people from all over the world with all ages. I hope to have the opportunity to meet people with similar passion and interest: to help Vietnam. I am looking forward to bond with new friends, and hopefully, to share the good news about my belief, my faith, my God. I want to see the administrative side. I want to see how the staff organize and work together. This is a leadership camp; I want to see more about leadership traits and how I can use that when I get back to Texas.

Very excited about this camp. ”

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What does Vietnam mean to you? How do you see yourself contributing to Vietnam in the future?

When I think of Vietnam, it brings sad emotion. But at the same time, the sadness is overwhelmed by the burden to want to make a change, to be the catalyst to bring on the reform. How can I make an impact? How can I contribute to Vietnam?

Do not stand still. Do not turn a blind eye because a million hearts together step forward will make a difference. We are the children of Mother Viet Nam. I cannot be satisfied as long as Vietnam is still under the communist ruling; I cannot be satisfied as long as our heroes are stripped of their rights and freedom to speak against the ignorant government and politicians.

A Vietnamese proverb: “Một cây làm chẳng nên non. Ba cây chụm lại nên hòn núi cao.”

It would be easy to break a single wooden chopstick. But with a combined three to four chopsticks, the work would not be so easily done. From small startups to large corporations, teamwork is a vital part of thriving work environments. From coming up with an idea for a product or service, to getting it into the hands of consumers, employees work together to accomplish day-to-day tasks. Teamwork helps employees build trusting relationships with their co-workers, reduces burnout and can increase a company’s overall productivity.

Teamwork has ingrained in the Vietnamese mindset. We see clear example in our ancestors with King Hung Vuong when he and his team fought the Chinese rulers out of the country; we see the unity when Vietnam stood up against the French rule. Vietnam has had great history and been through many tough obstacles but through each experience, it is clearly showed the bond and the teamwork. Together, Vietnamese people can overcome any challenge that may arise.

Therefore, stand with me, look toward our homeland. Let us be the wind of change.

LÊN ĐƯỜNG 2014 | EMBRACE YOUR CULTURE 72

17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP Dr. Tat Anh Nguyen Scholarship Winner : Yvette Luong (Arlington, TX)

Yvette Luong is a student at University of Arlington and majoring in Biology. Yvette is an active member in VCSA-DFW chapter and also a volunteer in more than 5 other organizations.

Over the years, she has been competing in many pageants such as in the Miss America Organization and Miss Texas international. She has won the title as Miss Asian American Princess 2013-2014 and Miss DFW 2014.Yvette has been using her titles to be active in her community and also wanting to be a good role model to the younger generation. Yvette looks forward to becoming a better leader in her community but also making long-lasting friendships in this year’s Len Duong Camp.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------“Last year was my first time at camp Len Duong and it has opened my eyes to many opportunities. Not only has it changed me mentally but I have been more involved in the Vietnamese community. Since last year’s camp experience and now I have joined many clubs and volunteered at many charity events. Last year camp Len Duong taught me how to become more of a leader, and appreciate the Vietnamese culture but it was also a fun experience that changed me for the better. For the 2014 Len Duong I want to improve on my leadership skills but as well increase my knowledge to see what else I can learn to improve my passion of my Vietnamese community and how I can make a impact in the community as well. I want to progress my skills so I can bring them back home and use them for VSA at my school and also hopefully being staff at Len Duong in the future.”

Even though I have never been to this wonderful country, my family has taught me how to speak the language, many different types of traditions and my favorite part, taught me how to cook all of the unique dishes of Vietnam. I always keep in mind all of the things my grandparents and parents have suffered and went though, like the horrific boat rides and war times. They just wanted to ensure that we are given the chance to live a free and more prosperous life in the United States. Every time my Ong Noi would tell me his stories about his past, it just makes me sit back and think of how scary it must have been to have their whole world turned upside down. My families amazing stories have shown me that hard work and dedication really do pay off. Also it helps me realize that I am very lucky to live in a country where I am safe and can even have the opportunity to follow my hopes and dreams. Their sacrifice is something that I hope to never take for granted, since this is what has given me the many opportunities that I have earned and will later earn in life. Being Vietnamese and representing who I am is very important and I want to learn as much as I can from my parents and grandparents. One day I want to visit the amazing country and give back to the people of Vietnam. What Vietnam means to me is that it not only gives me a distinctive background of who I am, but it also exemplifies beauty and grace of the people of Vietnam.

Personally, one of the wonderful opportunities that I get to experience is doing worldwide beauty pageants, such as Miss America and Miss International. I decided to do American pageants because I wanted to speak to not in only my community, but to the whole state as well. Both pageants required a platform in which I decided to make it about culture awareness. I have noticed that since the modern generation of new technology, freedom of education, and safety, we sometimes take what our ancestors have fought for in the past for granted. Our generation has lost the curiosity of learning our past traditions and cultural backgrounds. Recently I have done many pageants not just because it benefited me and my own self-esteem goals, but I also wanted to use this title to help spread the word about culture awareness. Furthermore, in the pageant for the optional wear portion, I decided to wear traditional Ao Dai because I wanted to represent my culture. In addition, I wanted to show the entire community what best described me was my Vietnamese background. Doing pageants, I wanted to show people who don’t know our culture that being aware and open to the uniqueness, you can see the great quality and value that the Vietnamese community has to offer. It was an honor to win Miss Asian American Texas Princess and got to represent as Miss DFW in the Miss Texas International pageants. But best of all, I had the opportunity to represent myself as a proud Vietnamese American. With these titles, I made countless appearances to many cultural events and educated the community on focusing more on the Vietnamese culture and why it is so important. Not only that, but I also raised more funds to help the people back in Vietnam, which is probably the best reward of all during all of my appearances By using my pageant titles, my goal is to be able to help, educate and give back to not only the local community but also the people back in my family’s motherland.

LÊN ĐƯỜNG 2014 | EMBRACE YOUR CULTURE 73

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Your True Self

17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP Hoa Nguyen Scholarship Winner : Jennifer Nguyen (Little Canada, MN, USA) Jennifer Nguyen is going into her senior year of college at the University of Minnesota; pursuing a B.S. in Psychology and a B.A. in Communication. Her passion is people. She hopes to find a career in either Industrial Organization Psychology or Counseling Psychology.

Jennifer attended her first Len Duong Camp in 2012; continuously falling in love with the messages and the members of the camp thereafter. Currently she is head of the childhood department in her Vietnamese Eucharistic Youth Society at church, and entering her school year as Education Chair for VSA Minnesota. Jennifer is looking forward to refreshing that fire in her heart. For this Len Duong 2014, she will learn and continue to wield herself to become a stronger leader; coming home from Texas with a bigger stomach from delicious food and serving as an accountable and passionate leader to her community.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------“This is my third year as a camper (I know I am pushing the limit… but it’s Texas! I promise to volunteer as staff the next few years to make it up). And since this is my third time, you already know Len Duong has exceeded my expectation each and every time.. If I have to choose some expectations; friendships that will last a lifetime (this can be helped with an awesome icebreaker-team games), skills of leadership that I can obtain to bring back to my community, and to have my expectation be blown out of proportions. ”

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My Mother’s Hands

What does Vietnam mean? Dive into any American history textbook; our country equates to three pages of war. Go into a kitchen and ask any chef; our country is a bowl of steamy beef noodle. Go up to a male stranger; our country is beautiful long haired girls in Ao Dai. Approach any college students on a Thursday; our people can hold down their alcohol. Since birth, my ideology of Vietnam was manifested by people’s description of its history; a country fabricated in both the bloodshed of war, and the beauty of its shoreline.

Yet, here I sit contemplating this very question for weeks— what does Vietnam mean to me? To provide one sentence is injustice, and to call it home is too typical. I finally came to a conclusion; Vietnam— a country of 128,565 square miles nurturing over 89 million people— equates to two hands. Not just any hands. If you look pass the fragile skin, shriveled fingers, and tender touches, these hands wield power. Chemically damaged and severely scarred these hands hold the power to strike fear into my heart, yet mold me and nurture me. To me, my country equates to my mother’s hands.

Take away the war, take away its people; you are left with its tradition and history. You are left with blood. It was a new beginning for these warriors. Once they step foot on this land they were given hope and freedom, those ideologies however could go so far when empty handed. They have nothing but the very label of being a Vietnamese refuge; no money, no job, no home, no language. With two words of English, one warrior went door to door offering to iron clothing each day, every day. That $20 she brought home was the sole source of survival for her husband and their one year old daughter. Twenty years later, my mother is still working. Hands, beaten and battered, the blood that keeps her hand working is the exact blood that symbolizes my origin. The blood that fed three and loved four. When my mother is gone, I no longer have that physical safe haven of her hands to nurture and protect me. When she leaves this world my mom left behind three things: charitable acts of love, great nails, and her kids. For the same blood that runs through her hands, are running through mine. In the end, my country is me. I reflect my country, I mirror it, and I demonstrate it. I am Vietnam. It is my responsibility to utilize my two hands to pass on her teachings.

What does my country mean to me; it means my mother’s hands. Hands that persevered in the face of suffering, hands that anchored me and kept me sane when I was weak, hands that raised three infants and purged them into young ladies; one that will one day help mothers deliver babies, another that will counsel the mentally-ill, and one that will build the imagination of others through her words. If a woman that came to America with nothing but her bare hands can do that, what is my excuse? To the best of my ability I will utilize these two hands palms up to teach sixty bright Vietnamese kids every Sunday about the power of love, that in the face of failure they will have the endurance to keep going, and most importantly bring the culture and beauty of Vietnam closer to their heart; even when its 6500 miles away. My mother was a product of war, I am a product of warriors, and my kids will be the products of its teachings. So when people ask my youth kids what Vietnam means to them? They won’t need to say anything but show you the beauty of my country through their hands; they will be an image Vietnam; they will mirror it and demonstrate it.

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17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP VCSA-DC Chapter Scholarship Winner : Jessica Tuong Vy Tran (Gainesville, VA, USA)

Jessica Tuong Vy Tran is a senior high school student at Patriot High School, Gainesville, Virginia. She has volunteered since a very young age. She is currently the news section editor for the school newspaper, “The Charge” and she also was the fundraising coordinator for the INOVA Hospital Medical Explorers Club. The fundraising events include bake sales, March of Dimes, and the Autism Walk.

“Her expectation for camp Len Duong “Throughout my life, I was always taught to have sympathy for others so I can express compassion and kindness. At Camp Len Duong, I plan to express what I have learned and be able to share it with others. I will use my unique skill and talents to make the community a better place. I expect to develop my leadership skills through critical thinking, problem solving, decision-making, and conflict resolution. I also expect to gain friendships with other Vietnamese-Americans in the community and across the nation through community projects and activities. Furthermore, I expect to have a heightened awareness of my roots of the Vietnamese culture. Above all, I expect to have fun and leave Houston, Texas as a leader.”

“…I also realize that in our society, people put an incredible amount of emphasis on money, social status, and power. This focus is not entirely bad in that it has been the driving force behind the creation of my generation. Our ancestors fought and struggled to have a better life and to be happier, and the only way to accomplish this then – and even now – was to acquire enough money to have power to have respect. As society has continued advancing, it has developed a world in which competition is present in all things at all times in a struggle for the “best”.

While living in this “dog-eat-dog world”, I see that many people forget to give back to the community as well. We have become selfish in part because of the inherently competitive nature of the society. People are always fighting with one another for the “better”, therefore neglecting the true goal of life: to be happy and to make the other people in our lives happy. Constantly trying to be “better” and degrading others will not making one a better person or happier at all, but only bitter and despondent.

In my opinion, the only way to resolve the competitive hatred in this world is to help and be compassionate to others in our community. We should think of our society as our own body. Each part of our body is important to our daily function, just like how everyone in our society is important to our daily lives. For example, if you scraped your knee when you fall, you would clean and care for the wound to ensure the overall health of your body. As such, when part of our society is in trouble, we have to tend to it for the community to function correctly.

A simple, yet powerful way to give back to the community is through volunteering. To me, volunteering means taking time out of your own life to help others and make them feel happier or at least more comfortable. Being a part of the cycle of giving and receiving balances out my life mentally and physically and helps to give it meaning. Volunteering is an act of selflessness which forms the heart of human experience in relationships. I have done so by becoming a volunteer at various organizations. From tutoring students that struggle in certain subjects in my school to assisting nurses with patients at my local hospital every week, each time that I volunteer, I get the opportunity to brighten the day of someone who needs it…”

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SCHOLARSHIPS

“One Step at a Time”

17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP IN MEMORIAM OF VERA TRAN TƯỞNG NIỆM TRẦN PHẠM NGUYỄN ÁNH 11th Anniversary (1982-2003)

Vera Tran was born on April 22, 1982 in McKinney, Texas to Mr. and Mrs. Lam Tran. She was a role-model, an inspiration, and a friend to all who met her. She fearlessly took on life armed with only love and compassion. Vera greeted everyone she met with a smile – a smile that could light up an entire room. She had an immaculate soul and a song in her heart. This is how Vera will be remembered by her family and friends, as well as the Vietnamese community at large.

Among her peers and friends, Vera was the shining star. Her future was beautiful and bright. She was on the fast-track to becoming a skilled and caring doctor, having already been accepted into the UH-Baylor Medical program. Yet, this was not enough. It was not enough that Vera toiled to secure her future and her personal dreams.

In whatever little time Vera could call her own, after completing her studies and fulfilling her role as a dutiful daughter, granddaughter, and sister, Vera fought for the rights and future of others. She relentlessly gave of herself and encouraged her friends and peers to do the same. Vera raised funds for disaster victims, fed the homeless at soup kitchens, and worked to benefit her community.

SCHOLARSHIPS

Vera graduated as Salutatorian from Michael in 2000. She was honored at the VCSA Youth joined VCSA soon afterwards. Vera came back and became an active young member of VCSA, Duong Camp.

DeBakey High School for Health Professions Excellence Recognition Luncheon and to organize the following year’s luncheon helping organize charitable events and Len

Unfortunately, her life ended all too early. On tragic accident and left this world for a better Even in death, Vera continues to inspire future compassion. In her memory, VCSA recognizes winner who, like Vera, demonstrates exemplary volunteerism and leadership.

April 15, 2003, Vera was involved in a place. However, her legacy lives on. generations with her undying love and the Vera Tran Community Service Award

Trần Phạm Nguyễn Ánh Vera sinh ngày 22 tháng tư năm 1982 tại McKinney, Texas, con ông Trần Lâm và bà Phạm Anh Đào.

Cô tốt nghiệp á khoa trường Michael DeBakey, High School for Health Professions năm 2000 và được đại học y khoa Baylor (Baylor College of Medicine) cấp học bổng toàn phần để theo học 8 năm ngành y khoa. Là một sinh viên xuất sắc, cô sẽ tốt nghiệp chương trình dự bị y khoa vào tháng 12 năm 2003 và nhập học trường y khoa Baylor vào năm sau đó. Tổng số tiền học bổng dành cho cô trong 8 năm đại học lên đến 422.000 mỹ kim.

Kể từ những năm đầu tiên ở bậc trung học, dù bận bịu với việc học, Vera luôn luôn dành ra một thời lượng đáng kể để tham gia vào các sinh hoạt thiện nguyện tại các nhà thương, thư viện, và các chương trình giúp đỡ người vô gia cư. Khi lên đại học Vera dành nhiều thì giờ hơn nữa cho các công tác từ thiện, không những trong cộng đồng Việt Nam mà còn trong cộng đồng bản xứ.

Cô đã tích cực hoạt động với tổ chức Salvation Army để giúp đỡ các nạn nhân của cơn lụt Allison vào tháng 6 năm 2001. Cô cũng là một thành viên trong ban tổ chức cuộc đi bộ Walk-for-America để gây quỹ giúp các nạn nhân trong biến cố 9/11 tại New York. Ngoài ra Vera cũng từng tham gia công tác thiện nguyện gây quỹ “Komen Race for the Cure for Breast Cancer”. Từ tháng 11 năm 2002 cho đến nay, cô là City Director cho Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric FoundationStudent Global AIDS Walk, một chương trình gây quỹ giúp cho các bệnh viện tại Phi châu, Á châu, và Châu Mỹ La-tinh phòng chống bệnh AIDS. Cô cũng tham gia trong các chương trình văn nghệ Liên Trường của các trường đại học tại Houston. Cô là thành viên trẻ nhất trong Ban Chấp Hành hội Văn Hóa Khoa Học Việt Nam kể từ năm 2001, và trở thành tấm gương sáng cho những bạn trẻ trong hội. Ngày 15 tháng 4 năm 2003, Vera đột ngột từ trần qua một tai nạn xe và cô ra đi trong sự tiếc thương vô vàn của gia đình, bạn bè và cộng đồng.

Tuy sống một cuộc đời ngắn ngủi, Vera đã có nhiều đóng góp đáng kể cho cộng đồng, cho xã hội, và luôn luôn cố gắng mang niềm vui đến những người chung quanh. Sự ra đi đột ngột của Vera là một mất mát lớn lao cho chúng ta, và sẽ để lại cho chúng ta nỗi tiếc thương không bao giờ phai nhạt. Trại Lên Đường 2014 muốn kỷ niệm 11 năm ngày Vera ra đi với giải thưởng Vera Trần dành cho các trại sinh để khuyến khích các bạn đóng góp tích cực hơn nữa cho cộng đồng Việt Nam nơi bạn cư ngụ. Giải thưởng Thiện Nguyện Vera Trần sẽ được công bố tại trại Lên Đường 2014 tại Huntsvilles, Texas và giải thưởng trị giá $1000 Mỹ kim dành cho trại sinh nào chứng tỏ được tinh thần thiện nguyện xây dựng và đóng góp hữu hiệu nhất cho cộng đồng người Việt tại địa phương.

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17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP Vera Tran Scholarship Winner : David Lam (Arlington, TX, USA)

David Lam currently a student at Rice University pursuing a B.A. in Health Sciences with a minor in Sociology, and plans on working in public health. He served in the past as secretary of his Rice VSA chapter, and is currently the external vice president for the Rice Vietnamese Student Association. He looks forward to experiencing his first Camp Len Duong and hearing the stories of other young Vietnamese American leaders from across the nation, and being inspired by them to effect change in his own community.

My Service Experience – Community and Passion

The service that I have done towards the Vietnamese and Asian American community at my school and in the greater Houston community has made a strong impression on me. Volunteer service is not just something that you do to add value to a resume. It is an act of passion that is out of love, respect, and community. To me, volunteering brings people together in a way that creates and fosters genuine, organic relationships. It is a way to learn about yourself and your passions, and facilitates self-improvement and growth. Finally, service is an opportunity for me to make a difference beyond the narrow scope of my own life.

Through the Rice Vietnamese Student Association, I helped to organize the College Leadership Workshop, which brings together undergraduate students to facilitate local high school students navigate the complicated college admissions process. Most students who attended this workshop were first or second-generation Vietnamese from a refugee family background. The workshop’s design is to promote greater educational attainment among a marginalized population with historically low rates of educational achievement. My involvement in the College Leadership Workshop has allowed me to help underserved youth from a community that I consider my own. I particularly value this experience, because it has created a link between myself and others in the Vietnamese American community. I was able to create relationships with student volunteers from several different local Houston universities, community leaders who perform selfless service for a living, and high school students that demonstrate overwhelming potential to be future leaders.

I look forward to continuing my service towards projects that serve overlooked populations. I helped to found the Rice chapter of Camp Kesem, a free, weeklong summer camp for children affected by a parent’s cancer. As an organization, we recognize the often-overlooked needs of more than three million kids in the United States. As a counselor and public relationships coordinator, I find myself making a direct difference in the lives of our campers. It is tremendously rewarding to create a safe environment for these children whose lives have been torn apart by cancer, and to let them have a second chance at experiencing the wonders of childhood. While this experience is not specifically directed at the Vietnamese American community, I still feel that it is a worthy cause that allows me to broaden the scope of what and who I consider my community.

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INTRODUCTION SCHOLARSHIPS

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------“At Camp Len Duong 2014, I look forward to hearing the stories of Vietnamese Americans who grew up in environments both similar and different from my own upbringing. I hope that listening to these stories will help me to define my own self-identity as a Vietnamese American. I am guilty of taking for granted many of the things that make me Vietnamese, and I look forward to having many of my assumptions shattered.

I also anticipate growth in my capabilities to be a leader among my peers. From reading the testimonials of and talking to past participants in Camp Len Duong, I grow excited at the prospect of being able to foster my abilities. I hope to become inspired by other Vietnamese youth and young adults, and to translate that positive energy into action towards the betterment of my community.”

17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP 2013 Mona Foundation Scholarship Report: Steven Hung Vo

MONA FOUNDATION 1

The Vietnamese Youth Summit was held on August 24, 2013 in Augburg Park, Richfield, Minnesota with 60 youths of age range from 8 to 16. The Summit was a one day program that taught the youths about Vietnamese heritage culture through team activities and outdoor games. Team work was also applied and taught to the participants. The summit was very well received by the parents of these youths. The Mona Foundation scholarship received after the event date and hence it will be used for the Vietnamese Heritage Summit for 2014.

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17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP

In my eyes, the community as an open canvas that is painted with strokes of change, My project began as a collaborative mural piece that would promote Vietnamese culture in Houston, Texas. I had intended creating an art piece that depicted Vietnam to the public sphere in terms of language, history, tradition, art, cuisine, etc. The community initiative expanded when I was able to partner with the International Management District of Houston, another nonprofit what promotes diversity in Houston. They asked me to design a series of murals that would depict city highlights in addition to my Vietnamese mural.

I was able to work with local artists, including Len Duong alum Vinh Ngo, in organizing a live painting session with members of our community.

With the Mona Foundation Civic Leadership Scholarship, I was able to facilitate a project that celebrated Houston’s “palette of diversity” while giving a visual representation of Vietnam’s beauty. The family-filled event took place on May 18, 2014 and drew in a myriad of ethnic groups. Color Your Community brought people from different backgrounds together through its aims of creativity and service.

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MONA FOUNDATION 2

2013 Mona Foundation Scholarship Report: Jaclyn Nguyen

17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP OVERVIEW OF VIETNAMESE CULTURE AND SCIENCE ASSOCIATION Introduction The Vietnamese Culture and Science Association is a 501-c(3) non-profit Vietnamese American organization founded in 1990. It has over 600 members which consist of a majority of young Vietnamese American professionals in Houston and in other states of the US and Canada. The VCSA is based in Houston, Texas. Beside the Headquarter office in Houston, VCSA has eight other chapters located in Dallas, Austin, Texas; San Diego, California; Washington DC, Twin cities, Minnesota; Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Mission Statement Vietnamese Culture and Science Association promotes excellence in education, leadership and skills development through culture and science. Our organization encourages multi-generational and cross-cultural collaborations. We foster civic participation in the mainstream and Vietnamese America.

VCSA INTRODUCTION

Objectives • Preserve and develop Vietnamese heritage and culture for the Vietnamese American young adults and Vietnamese descendants by establishing various programs and activities.

• Promote cooperation among Vietnamese American professionals in exchanging their skills, participating in the programs and activities to build a strong Vietnamese community in North America in general, and in Texas and other states of U.S. in particular.

• Encourage participation in community programs and activities and build a strong sense of civic responsibility among Vietnamese Americans.

• Collaborate with other Asian communities and the mainstream society.

Activities and Programs: • Organize quarterly general meeting to obtain inputs and ideas from members regarding programs and activities of the VCSA. • Organize regular Vietnamese Literature, History classes for young Vietnamese Americans to learn more about the heritage language and Computer classes for the Vietnamese community.

• Organize monthly Toastmaster program to improve communication skills for members.

• Organize regular cultural events and participate in annual cultural events such as the American Asian Festival and the Mardi Gras Festival.

• Organize regular professional development workshops to discuss on Science and Technology topics and to share ideas and skills among the professionals.

• Organize Annual National Youth Leadership Development Camp “Len Duong”.

• Organize Annual Youth Excellence Recognition Luncheon.

• Participate in all community related activities such as charitable fund raising events, the Vietnamese New Year Festival, the Asian American Festival and other Asian communities’ events.

Contact Information Vietnamese Culture and Science Association 4615 Belle Park - Houston, Texas 77072 – (281) 933-8118 (phone) – (281) 933-8187 (fax) Email: vcsa@vcsa.org - Web page: http://www.vcsa.org Phone: (972) 539-3394 (Dallas-FW) - (703) 598-9676 (Washington DC) – (512) 288-7931 (Austin) - (619) 293-3273 (San Diego) – Toronto, Canada (416) 697-1472 - (763) 843-4472 (Minnesota)

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17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP GIỚI THIỆU VỀ HỘI VĂN HÓA KHOA HỌC VIỆT NAM Hội Văn Hóa Khoa Học Việt Nam (VHKHVN) là một tổ chức bất vụ lợi được thành lập từ năm 1990 tại Houston. Hiện nay HVHKHVN có hơn 600 hội viên, đa số là các chuyên viên trẻ cư ngụ tại thành phố Houston, Texas và tại các tiểu bang khác trên toàn Hoa Kỳ. Ngoài trung tâm sinh hoạt tại thành phố Houston, Hội còn có phân hội tại các thành phố Dallas/Fort Worth, Austin, San Diego, Washington DC, Minnesota, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Để đạt được các mục đích nêu trên, Hội VHKHVN đề ra các mục tiêu sau: • Khuyến khích sự hợp tác và trao đổi khả năng, kinh nghiệm giữa các chuyên viên Mỹ gốc Việt, qua sự tham gia vào các chương trình và sinh hoạt xây dựng cộng đồng VN vững mạnh tại Hoa Kỳ nói chung và tại Houston nói riêng.

• Bảo tồn và phát huy văn hóa Việt Nam trong các chương trình và sinh hoạt định kỳ.

• Khuyến khích sự tham gia vào các chương trình sinh hoạt cộng đồng, phát huy tinh thần trách nhiệm của giới trẻ đối với xã hội, cộng đồng và tổ quốc.

• Tham dự hoặc hỗ trợ những sinh hoạt nhằm đòi hỏi một nền tự do và dân chủ chân chính cho Việt Nam. • Tham dự vào các sinh hoạt chung với cộng đồng bản xứ hoặc với các cộng đồng Á Châu hay sắc tộc khác.

• Những mục tiêu trên đã và đang được thực hiện qua các chương trình sinh hoạt sau: • Tổ chức các phiên họp khoáng đại định kỳ mỗi tam cá nguyệt để các hội viên đóng góp ý kiến, hoặc đề nghị về các chương trình hay sinh hoạt của Hội.

• Tham dự các chương trình, sinh hoạt về văn hóa thường niên như Asian American Festival và Mardi Gras Festival, hội chợ Tết Việt Nam. • Tổ chức các buổi hội thảo về các đề tài khoa học, kỹ thuật để chia sẻ kinh nghiệm giữa các hội viên • Tham dự vào các sinh hoạt cộng đồng khác như các chương trình gây quỹ từ thiện, hội chợ Tết Việt Nam, và các chương trình khác, như các lớp điện toán và văn chương, lịch sử.

• Tổ chức các sinh hoạt nhằm phát triển khả năng sinh hoạt và tổ chức của hội viên như các chương trình của Nhóm Hùng Biện Việt Nam (Toastmaster group), chương trình Đêm Cà Phê, chương trình tổ chức trại hè phát triển kỹ năng về lãnh đạo toàn Bắc Mỹ “trại Lên Đường”.

• Tổ chức Buổi tiệc tuyên dương học sinh xuất sắc mỗi năm qua chương trình Ngày Truyền Thống Hội VHKHVN. Muốn biết thêm chi tiết xin vui lòng liên lạc: Hội Văn Hóa Khoa Học Việt Nam 4615 Belle Park Dr. - Houston, Texas 77072 ĐT: (281) 933-8118 (Houston) -- (972) 539-3394 (Dallas) -- (512) 288-7931 (Austin) (619) 293-3273 (San Diego) -- DC (703) 598-9676 -Toronto (416) 697-1472 - (763) 843-4472 (Minnesota)

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VCSA INTRODUCTION

Hội VHKHVN được thành lập nhằm các mục đích sau: • Tạo sự thông cảm và hợp tác trong cộng đồng người Mỹ gốc Việt, đặc biệt trong hai phương diện văn hóa và khoa học.

• Cung cấp một môi trường đa diện nơi các chuyên viên trẻ trao đổi ý kiến, chia sẻ kinh nghiệm, và tham dự vào việc xây dựng một cộng đồng Việt Nam vững mạnh tại hải ngoại.

• Góp phần vào công cuộc tái thiết xứ sở sau khi các cơ chế dân chủ, tự do đã được bảo đảm và thực thi tại Việt Nam.

17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP

OPERATION CIRCLE 100

After each Len Duong Camp, our alumni continue to hold a piece, small or large, of our camp close by – through continued friendships, engagement in the community, application of lessons learned, or cherished memories of a weekend not long ago. In the spirit of reflecting upon the impact of Len Duong Camp, Operation Circle 100 began.

The purpose of Circle 100 was to unite alumni to reflect upon our Len Duong experience(s) and to pay it forward for future campers by committing to fundraising $100+ for Len Duong Camp.

In 2014, Len Duong Circle 100 was able to fundraise $8140 for Len Duong Camp!

VCSA would like to recognize the Circle 100 Agents and acknowledge the donors whose efforts and supports contributed to making Len Duong Camp possible.

We invite all campers to join us for Len Duong Circle 100 – 2015.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------CIRCLE 100 AGENTS

Thien An Dao ‡ Tina Au ‡‡

LD CIRCLE 100

Anh Nguyen Anhlan Nguyen Baotran Huynh Boon Tran Chris Dao Jaclyn Nguyen Jamie Diep Kim Nguyen Kim Yen Vu Michelle Tran Shaley Trang Le Tue Si Nguyen Uyen Vy Tran Vanessa Nguyen ‡‡Top Recruiter (Most Donors) ‡Top Fundraiser

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LD CIRCLE 100

17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP

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17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The Vietnamese Culture and Science Association would like to recognize the contribution of the following corporations, businesses, and individuals for their generous sponsorship of the Youth Leadership Development Camp Len Duong 2014:

UNDERWRITERS GRACE Education Fund Shell Oil Company Thoi Bao Inc. V247 and VietTV WinMagic ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

BENEFACTORS Alfalfa Nail Supply & Regal Nail Salon Inc. CenterPoint Energy Dr. Charles C. Nguyen & Catholic University of America Kim Son restaurant Leadership Education for Asian Pacific (LEAP) Texas Instruments & VNTI

PATRONS Catherine Tran Humanitarian Relief Helene Cafe Hoa D. Nguyen Kevin Duc Nguyen & Share Realty Inc. Mr. & Mrs. Stephen Le & Greatland Investment Mr. & Mrs. Truong Nong Vera Tran Scholarship Fund

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17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP

FRIENDS Dr. Mai Tram Nguyen Dr. Tram Ho & Bellaire Medical Center Dr. Robert Quang Le Mrs. Ngo Quy Linh

SUPPORTERS Mr. & Mrs. Do, Ky Anh Mr. & Mrs. Vo, Thanh Tan Saigon Houston Radio 900AM SBTN Washington DC SBTN Toronto Thoi Bao US and Canada VAN Television Vietlife & Viet TV Vietface TV

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

SPONSORS Dennis Vu Dr. Rick Ngô Dr. Tat Anh Nguyen Dr. & Mrs. Hung Q. Tran Dr. Danh Le & Ms. Thanh Luu Le Hoang Nguyen & Winning Agency Saigon Eggroll Tue-Si Nguyen Tony Toàn Nguyễn Memorial Scholarship Fund

17TH ANNUAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT CAMP Lên Đường Camp 2014 Staff – Ban Quản Trại CAMP COORDINATOR – Nguyễn Quỳnh Anh ASSISTANT CAMP COORDINATORS – Cao Minh Thiện, Trần Ngọc Trâm Michelle PROGRAM MANAGERS – Cao Minh Thiện, Trần Ngọc Trâm Michelle, Huỳnh Bảo Trân PROGRAM TEAM – Lưu Bảo Việt (Lead), Trần Boon (CoLead), Nguyễn Quỳnh Anh, Huỳnh Bảo Trân, Nguyễn Phúc Anh Lan, Lê Leah, Nguyễn Jaclyn, Phạm Viên, Phạm Mai Quyên, Trần Jack FUNDRAISING AND SCHOLARSHIP TEAM – Nguyễn Phúc Anh Lan (Lead), Trần Ngọc Trâm Michelle (Len Duong Circle 100 Lead), Đỗ Brian (Scholarship Lead) MARKETING TEAM – Trần Uyên Vi (Lead), Nhân Kalvin (CoLead), Cao Minh Thiện, Vũ Dennis, Phạm Mai Quyên, Phạm Tuyền, Ngô Vinh, Huỳnh Bảo Trân

ORGANIZING COMMITTEE

REGISTRATION AND FINANCE TEAM – Văn Hoàng Gia (Registration Lead), Nguyễn Hoài Nam (Financial Officer), Mã Jessica, Nguyễn Gia Hội, Ngô Vinh WORKSHOP AND SPEAKERS COORDINATOR – Nguyễn Jaclyn (Lead), Nguyễn Phúc Anh Lan, Nguyễn Như Nhất, Nguyễn Vanessa PUBLISHING & WEBSITE – Đào Christopher (Lead), Trương Duy Anh (Webmaster), Nông Duy Trường, Nguyễn Phúc Anh Lan, Nguyễn Quỳnh Anh FOOD TEAM – Trịnh Thị Báu (Lead), Phan Anh Thư (CoLead), Nguyễn Văn Bút, Nguyễn Charlie, Nguyễn Như Ý, Nguyễn Kiều Mỹ, Nguyễn Thanh Thảo JUDGING AND EVALUATION – Nguyễn Kim (Lead), Nguyễn Phúc Anh Lan TRANSPORTATION TEAM – Phạm Vân Anh (Lead), Phạm Viên (CoLead), Cao Minh Thiện, Nguyễn Hoà, Trương Nhật, Nguyễn Charlie, Nguyễn Jonathan TECHNICAL AND LOGISTIC TEAM – Trịnh Tiến Trinh (Technical Lead), Trần Jack (Logistic Lead), Trương Duy Anh, Cao Minh Thiện, Đào Christopher, Định Huy, Lê Du, Lê Thắng, Nguyễn Stephen, Võ Văn Hoài GAMES AND ENTERTAINMENT – Nguyễn Hoàng Đức (Big Game Lead), Nguyễn Hoài Nam (Small Game Lead), Trần Quốc Tuấn (Ice Breaker Activities & Bonfire Activities), Lê Leah, Lương Yvonne, Mã Bảo, Mã Bảo Trân, Nhân Kalvin, Nguyễn Tuệ Sĩ, Phạm Trai COUNSELORS – Nguyễn Cẩm Vân (Lead), Trần Thanh Boon (Assistant Lead), Đào Thiên Ân, Huỳnh Jodie, Ngô Chính, Nguyễn Tiến, Nguyễn Linh, Nguyễn Julian, Nguyễn Xuân Thảo Anh, Phạm Kim, Phạm Mai Quyên, Phạm Viên, Trương Paul, Vũ Dennis SECURITY AND SAFETY – Lưu Bảo Việt (Lead), Âu Tina (Lead), Đỗ Brian, Johnson Renwick, Nguyễn Như Ý, Nguyễn Công David, Phạm Tuyền, Trần Steven, Văn Hoàng Gia MEDICAL TEAM – Lưu Trang, Bác Sĩ Nguyễn Ý Đức, Bác Sĩ Trần Văn Thuần VIDEO AND PHOTOGRAPHY – Bùi Khánh, Lê Hoàng Nguyên, Nguyễn Tengah

LÊN ĐƯỜNG 2014 | EMBRACE YOUR CULTURE 86

www.V247.com/scholarships *

THE RIGHT CHOICE

Học bổng V247 được thành lập để giúp đỡ và khuyến khích các sinh viên gốc Việt đang học lớp 12 và đại học. Sinh viên phải đạt các tiêu chuẩn: gia đình có thu nhập thấp, học giỏi, có tham gia hoạt động xã hội. điỀu Kiện Chung: • Phải là sinh viên lớp 12 hoặc sinh viên đại học.

• Phải đang học năm học 2013 - 2014.

• Chương trình chỉ dành cho các công dân Hoa Kỳ và thường trú nhân hợp pháp của Hoa Kỳ, có gốc Việt.

• Các học bổng được trao dựa trên nhu cầu tài chánh, thành tích học tập, các đóng góp cho cộng đồng, bài viết essay và thư giới thiệu.

CáCh tính điểm để tRao hỌC BỔng: Chúng tôi sẽ chấm điểm trên từng tiêu chí và cộng lại để có tổng số điểm cho mỗi sinh viên, sau đó chọn ra các sinh viên với tổng số điểm cao nhất để trao học bổng. tiêu Chí

số điểm tối đa

gpa

20

tÌnh tRạng tài Chánh CáC đóng góp Cho Cộng đồng hay hoạt động từ thiện Bài essay thư giới thiệu và hÌnh ảnh hoạt động Cộng đồng/từ thiện

*

20 ** 20 20 *** 20

Trang web này sẽ được mở khoảng cuối tháng 5 năm 2014.

** Theo số liệu poverty line của U.S Census, phải có bảng khai thuế của năm 2013 để chứng minh. Nếu là independent resident thì cần khai thu nhập của cá nhân. Nếu là dependent resident thì khai thu nhập của cả gia đình.

*** Điểm trung bình được đánh giá bởi ban giám khảo, là những người có chuyên môn và nhiều năm kinh nghiệm trong lĩnh vực văn chương như: nhà văn, nhà báo, giáo sư đại học, ...

Ghi chú: sinh viên khuyết tật (có giấy chứng nhận chính thức của chính phủ) sẽ được cộng thêm điểm.

THE RIGHT CHOICE

CáC mỨC hỌC BỔng:

Một giải nhất cho sinh viên có tổng số điểm cao nhất

$10,000

Một giải nhì cho sinh viên có tổng số điểm cao thứ nhì

$6,000

Một giải ba cho sinh viên có tổng số điểm cao thứ ba

$4,000

ghi Chú: 1. Trong trường hợp có nhiều hơn 1 sinh viên đạt cùng số điểm trong 1 nhóm, V247 sẽ có ban giám khảo quyết định cho thêm bài kiểm tra phụ để quyết định danh sách sinh viên được trao học bổng.

2. Nộp hồ sơ hoàn tất cho V247 tại: www.V247.com/scholarships 3. Toàn bộ hồ sơ phải được nộp online trên website www.V247.com/scholarships, kể cả các bài essay.

Hồ sơ được gởi về e-mail của V247 sẽ không được xem xét.

4. Thời hạn nhận hồ sơ hoàn tất từ ngày 1 tháng 6 năm 2014 đến ngày 30 tháng 6 năm 2014.

Tất cả hồ sơ nộp trước và sau thời gian này sẽ không được xem xét.

5. Các câu hỏi liên quan đến chương trình học bổng V247 xin gởi e-mail: scholarships@V247llc.com

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE V247 SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM V247 Enterprise recently announced they will present a Scholarship Program for students of Vietnamese descent.

VietLife magazine spoke with V247 representative, to learn more about this special program and how students can apply.

VietLife: Please tell us more about this exciting V247 Scholarship Program.

V247: V247 is proud to introduce a new program to support and encourage education excellence. This program is presented and organized by V247 company. Students who are in grade 12th and those currently enrolled in college (or university) may apply for the V247 Scholarships.

Applicants are not required to be a customer of V247 Telecom or V247 Power to be eligible. The total value of the 3 scholarships is $20,000.00.

The awards will be presented in the fall to 3 students with the highest total scores.

VL: What are the criteria to select the 3 scholarship recipients? And how will the scholarships be awarded?

V247: V247 has 5 main criteria to select the 3 exceptional students. The required information are: student’s GPA; financial hardship status; essays in English and Vietnamese; participation in volunteer work or charitable activities; and letters of recommendation from a teacher or counselor in charge of the volunteer work, along with photos to prove the student’s involvement.

The V247 Scholarship Committee will grade on each of the 5 categories, with a maximum of 20 points for each topic. The highest total score is 100 points.

For example, students with a 4.00 GPA would receive the maximum 20 points for the “GPA” category.

Applicants with a lower GPA would receive a lesser score. Three students with the highest total points will be awarded the V247 Scholarships. The cash prize amounts are: $10,000.00, $6,000.00, and $4,000.00.

VL: You’ve mentioned the 5 main criteria, are there any other requirements?

V247: The V247 Scholarship Program is only available to students of Vietnamese descent in the United States. That is, the applicant must be a legal permanent resident or a U.S. citizen. We’ve received many questions asking if Vietnamese international students could apply. Unfortunately, the answer is no since these students have proven to the U.S. government their financial capability before being granted a student visa. The V247 Scholarship Program was created to help students with financial hardships.

VL: So, in addition to the residency status, applicants must show that they need financial support. How severe must their financial status be to qualify for the V247 Scholarship?

V247: The V247 Scholarship Committee will assess the student’s financial status based on the Poverty Guidelines standards, provided by the U.S. Census. We require each person’s 2013 tax return to review and verify in accordance with those standards.

VL: That’s wonderful. The V247 Scholarship Committee works with clear guidelines for assessing the student’s application. Could you tell us more about the GPA requirements?

V247: We require official transcripts from the school that students are currently enrolled during the 20132014 school year. The higher the GPA, the more points they will receive for this category. However, the minimum is 3.50 GPA. If the GPA is lower than 3.50, the applicant will not be considered for this scholarship program. Additionally, applicants must be in their final year of high school, or are attending college or university. We consider students in the 12th grade because they are in the stage of preparing for college and have many expenses ahead. Younger students are not faced with additional tuition fees.

VL: The qualifications for the V247 Scholarship Program are very reasonable. Please tell us about the essays in English and Vietnamese.

How can the students get the highest scores?

V247: This particular standard requires exceptional judges who are serious

and committed to the goal of the Scholarship Program. The V247 Scholarship judges are Vietnamese and American professionals who have extensive writing and literary background. They are experienced journalists, lawyers, professional writers, and university professors.

Thus, students can feel assured in the quality and professionalism of these distinguished graders and their results.

Additionally, all the judges will grade each essay. The writing cannot exceed 2,000 words. V247 Scholarship Committee will calculate the average scores submitted by the judges. Thus, the author doesn’t have to worry that one grader did not approve his/her essays. The average score is derived from the entire group so that the result can be as fair and objective as possible.

VL: What about the criteria for community work and charitable activities as well as photos of the activities?

V247: Students need to show proof that they did participate in the volunteer activities that they list on the application.

There are many ways to verify: photos, certificates, awards, or appreciation letters from the organizers.

We also request recommendation letters from those who truly know the student and could speak about his/her academic qualifications, his/her commitment to education and making positive contributions to society. Based on the letters we receive, the V247

Scholarship Committee will determine whether the applicant is serious in his/her academic pursuits.

VL: What is the method for students to submit their official GPA records, 2013 tax return, the essays, the recommendation letters, and photos of their volunteer work?

V247: Students must submit all the scholarship materials through the V247 website at: www.V247.com/scholarships.

Please note that V247 does not accept any materials sent by email or postal mail. All applications must be received via the V247 Scholarship website to be valid.

The website system will organize the information and carefully calculate each application based on the programmed formulas. As for the essays, the system will send them directly to the judges. They will receive only the essay content, with no other identifications about the student. We believe this method of grading would be fair to all the applicants.

If you have any questions about the V247 Scholarship Program, please email to: scholarships@v247llc.com VL: There's one very important detail, the date that students can start applying for the scholarships.

Please let readers know about the application period.

V247: The V247 Scholarship Program starts June 1st through June 30th, 2014.

The website will receive application materials only during this period: www.V247.com/scholarships. We will open the website one week before the start date so that students can view and become familiar with the information requested for the V247 Scholarship Program.

Please do not submit any materials before June 1st. The website will only accept materials during the application period, and will stop receiving information at midnight July 1st.

VL: Thank you for taking the time to speak with us and introduce the V247 Scholarship Program to our readers.

We hope that the Vietnamese family with college-bound children will find the information useful.

V247: Thank you VietLife for helping to introduce this scholarship program to students of Vietnamese descent.

V247 is very honored to help our youths pursue their academic dreams.

2014