“Working for a tech company in the US is my dream: the US is like the Disney World of Technology. It is my American dream.” -Viet Do
Photo source: Viet Do
Last weekend, I had the chance to talk with Viet, one of the Vietnamese international students who are graduating this year, about his insights of Clark and his life, and the conversation is interesting so I hope to share. It was a coincidence when we first met, because we had a big gap in our year: I was a freshman just coming to Clark, when he was a junior having had many memories with this place. However, we found one common interest – tennis - which brought us closer to get to know each other more. Later on, we ran into each other more as we both play with a group of Vietnamese friends. Viet majors in Computer Science, and it is very exciting for him to share that he has received a full offer to work at Amazon after his internship last summer. This was our conversation:
A: How has your senior year been so far?
V: A little regret that I am leaving Clark in a year. As a senior, I cherish every moment I am having. I want to enjoy myself more before moving on to the next chapter.
A: What classes do you take this year?
V: I am taking all the necessary classes to graduate in time for next summer. I am finishing my major with Computer Networking and a math class: Linear Algebra. With Business Ethics and Laws along with Computer Music, I am learning four different classes this semester.
A: How do you remember your past three years? If you can go back, do you hope to change anything or make anything different?
V: I love any challenge that I have encountered. I rarely want to change any thing that I have been through. But if there must be one thing that I can make it different, I would like myself to be stronger and more determined to overcome any obstacles, and enjoy more the moments.
A: How did you find yourself immersed in your major?
V: I have to say, I believe I am born for Computer Science. I love problem solving and it is what Computer Science is all about. I think because of my passion, I can keep moving forward and work hard for it.
A: What do you like to do besides “hanging out” with computers?
V: -laughs- I also like to hang out with people. To me, each individual has quite a unique characteristic and it is interesting to understand more about them. I want to make the best out of my living days so I want to experience as much as I can.
A: How did you know of the internship at Amazon to apply for?
V: When I was looking for internship opportunities, I dreamt big. I wanted to work for big companies, so I also searched for job postings available for top companies such as Facebook and Amazon. Therefore, I came across the opportunity to intern for a summer, and also got some inputs from my friend who had interned at Amazon before.
A: What did you do in your summer internship?
V: For my internship last summer, I had the chance to work in Seattle, Amazon headquarters. There are dozens of Amazon buildings in downtown Seattle, and I got to work in the latest building called Doppler. At Doppler, I joined and became a part of my team. I participated in all team activities like a true team member. I actually worked on a real world project that Amazon assigned to me. I worked on my project with the help of my team, especially my manager and my mentor.
A: How did the internship work out? How do you compare interning between America and Vietnam?
V: The internship was very exciting and challenging. I tried very hard and dedicated myself to the job. Amazon has given me freedom for being to be creative and independent; I was given a project to explore freely, under the instructions of my mentor, and I am free to choose my own approach to the problem. They are wonderful sources for me to learn. Back then when I had my internships, I would not have such opportunity. I once interned for Ho Chi Minh Television Station as a technician and I could only do as commanded. I had less room for creativity and exploring.
A: As an international student, how was it like staying over the summer here? Did you miss home? Were visa things hard to figure out?
V: -laughs- I was so focusing on my internship so I did not really pay attention to how the summer was. I did miss home, but my dream is to enter the industry and learn from the best so I stayed concentrated to achieve it. After the internship, I missed home so much that I decided to buy a ticket back to Vietnam. I got to say, nowhere is as great as home: I got to see my family and my friends, and got to eat my favorite food. After my short visit, I flew back to the US for school. It was ambiguous when I needed to apply for work authorization (CPT) but there was no major change in my visa status so everything worked out. Getting the CPT approved for internship is not too difficult because I just needed to fill in the form for internship approval, and then send it to ISSO office.
A: Do you have any advice for Clarkies who are majoring in Computer Science?
V: My friends majoring in Computer Science are all hard working and I think that is the key to earn any internship. It is how you would overcome obstacles and be a better version of yourself.
A: How do you describe Clark?
V: Clark to me is like the platform that launch me into success. From Clark, I have learnt lots of new things that prepare myself for my future. Clark is better every day, and I am so happy about that.
A: How do you imagine your life after Clark?
V: I envision myself going to work every day for the job that I love-smile. For me, it will be a great time learning lots of new things and immerse myself in the field. My internship last summer gave me huge insight of the industry and I will prepare the best I can to have a good start.
A: Are you thinking of staying in the US?
V: Of course, I will work here. Working for a tech company in the US is my dream: the U.S is like the Disney World of Technology. I can find all my fantasy in my dream. I once dreamed to visit and can actually work in Silicon Valley, where everything begun. In the U.S, I can learn from the best with decent compensation - It is my American dream.
