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I used to think happiness was a personal journey, until I joined Operation Smile and discovered the joy of helping someone smile again.

OPERATION SMILE VIETNAM

EMPOWERING CONFIDENCE RESTORING HOPE

Opportunities are not created by education alone; they are built on self-belief. Since 2019, as a Youth Ambassador for Operation Smile Vietnam, I have led and coordinated fundraising campaigns to provide free surgeries for children with facial deformities, especially in remote and marginalized highland communities.

I work directly with pediatric patients from provinces such as Dien Bien, Ha Giang, and Son La. I connect them with Operation Smile’s medical network and help them access safe surgical care.

Beyond fundraising, I also participate in pre-operative and post-operative medical support through mobile medical missions organized with the Vietnam Dental Association. We have supported over 100 children from rural areas on their journey to recovery.

One of the most meaningful experiences in my journey was providing long-term follow-up care for a H’Mong child in Dien Bien. I supported not only his recovery after surgery but also helped his family reconnect with local healthcare services.

International Student Leadership Conference (ISLC)

For two consecutive years, I was honored to be chosen as one of just 40 student representatives from Vietnam to attend the International Student Leadership Conference (ISLC), which is Operation Smile's global youth leadership summit. This event brings together over 300 student leaders from more than 40 countries.

At ISLC, I had the chance to share the story of Vietnamese culture and resilience with international peers through music, public speaking, and cultural exchange. I delivered a keynote speech titled “The Power of Culture in Healing.” In it, I explored how the Vietnamese people have preserved hope through folk arts, poetry, and traditions of compassion, even during times of war, loss, and hardship. I also performed traditional instruments and introduced the heritage of H’Mong hemp weaving. This showed that culture should not be stored in museums; it must be lived, shared, and passed on.

In addition to cultural exchange, I took part in workshops on leadership and global health equity. I worked with delegates from Kenya, the Philippines, the United States, Guatemala, and other countries to develop youth-led initiatives that support children with cleft conditions in underserved communities.

ISLC taught me that leadership is not about how well you speak but how responsibly you act. Identity is not defined by what we wear but by the values we uphold and the impact we choose to create every day.