Build Public Library

The program coordinator and local buddies were the best and they contributed greatly to the amazing experience of studying abroad. I loved how caring the program coordinator was, whenever I have slight health problems, she was always available to make everything okay. The local buddies were always readily available and eager to interact with us. The activities within the program were planned and well-coordinated. Activities were fun and informative and they were great opportunities to get to know the city and Vietnamese culture. They all contributed in a positive and supportive fashion to my overall study experience.

What I love about my host company is the awesome supervisor, Ms. Lieu, that cares about me as a person. She frequently helps and supports me a lot in my work. Besides, the workplace was super close to the studio I stayed and I could walk to the company every day. Though there weren’t any windows in my room, it was totally fine. After the internship here, I think my ability to cope with unexpected situations has leveled up and my interpersonal skills have been further developed. And most importantly, I could clarify my career and my educational goals for the future. Overall, I am satisfied with this internship as a whole!

The team working at ABROADER is beyond special. Each person was welcoming, friendly, and not at all judgmental when we spoke about our struggles and accomplishments. Julie was one of the most caring and supportive managers I have ever met. In addition, buddies like Lemon, Thu, and Kazue, made the experience oh-so-cherishing.
I think there could have been more activities for the interns/casual meet-ups. While the people within ABROADER make the program such a special place, I do wish there had been more opportunities and support to meet other Vietnamese students our age and various activities. At the beginning of the program, it felt as though we were on our own trying to figure out how to live here and I was unsure how to meet more people, especially those my age. I think it would be better if there could be a way to keep student interns busier and a larger sense of community that they would often interact with. In addition, giving students the opportunity to meet with their internship companies before the program would have been incredibly valuable. We were thrown into the company without much information and it took a long time for us to gain the resources and documents to fully understand the company and its mission. I think meeting beforehand would have given us a more productive start so we knew our roles and how to most effectively help the center.

The experience taught me much about flexibility, creative thinking, and collaboration within a nonprofit setting. That being said, I had gone in with the expectation that I would be gaining more exposure to the entrepreneurial/nonprofit world. The responsibilities assigned to us felt more that of an English teacher and activity planner. I very much loved working with the students and creating connections with them at the center, however, I do wish I had gained more exposure within an operation/marketing nonprofit side. It didn’t feel like there was much training. I understand the busyness of the staff at the center, but it was quite difficult to set up meetings or ask questions about our work. They were always supportive, compromised with us often, gave us lots of creative freedom within our lesson plans, and welcomed us into their team (through the yen bai trip, lunches with the team, etc.).

Thank you all so much for your kindness and welcoming spirits. Lemon and Thu, you will always be my first memory here in Vietnam. From the first time we came to meet you all and make spring rolls in the office, you all had this wonderful energy and allowed us to be ourselves unapologetically. You are all such interesting and different people, but I think what binds you is your kindness. I never realized how important being friendly to others and the impact that has is until meeting you all. I am beyond thankful for your help and the hard work you put into all of the activities for us. I will never forget any of you 🙂

It has been an awesome trip and experience for me. Thanks to the people that have provided help and support throughout the trip. During my 5 months here, I get to learn about this country’s culture, people, food, and work life. Comparing Vietnam and Singapore is a new experience for me and the other students too. So, if you get the chance to come here and learn/experience, go out and explore. Be adventurous, daring to try out new things/stuff. making friends with the locals, exploring different parts of the city, or maybe even traveling out of the city. It is worth spending your time to the fullest here!! “Don’t travel just to see. Travel to try, listen, feel, and taste. That way there won’t be any place you cannot find beauty.”

Being in Vietnam is the best experience in my life so far!!! I cannot believe 6 weeks have actually gone by. I love my internship at Siten. People in the company are really helpful and understanding. They are like a family. Like when I was sick and asked for a morning off, they told me to stay at home for the afternoon so that I can truly feel better. My Thuan – my supervisor has taught me so much. He actually encouraged me to go explore Vietnam – so different from other leaders I know. He let me do what I want to do. The largest problem was the language barrier but we managed to communicate with each other quite well. They said I inspire them to learn English. So yeah, everything is pretty perfect. The best experience in my life so far! At Siten I worked on a project for learning English in which I helped develop the website and prototyped games. The staff also me HTML which I really enjoyed learning. Besides going to work, I spent all of my weekends traveling to new places like Sapa, Hoian, Danang, and Ha Long Bay. I met with so many nice people who are so friendly and they really want you to immerse into the culture. If there is one thing I feel that I have grown, it must be my ability to talk with people and to be more open towards anything. Before coming here I knew pretty much nothing about Vietnam. Still, I managed to live here and was actually never lonely my whole time in Vietnam. I am glad that I came here. I cannot believe I am gonna leave this place so soon. Thank you all so much!

The three weeks that I spent in Vietnam gave me a unique insight and a greater appreciation of the world around me. Going to Vietnam has made me value the things I take for granted in Australia, such as just being able to drink clean water from the tap. I discovered that the people of Vietnam are so generous and forgiving. I made many new friends during the study tour and learned a course whilst touring a great country. The study tour was very enjoyable and I had lots of fun along the way with the activities planned by my local buddies. The course itself was interesting and I genuinely enjoyed the content, despite it being so condensed into a few weeks. My advice for students wanting to go on the ABROADER study tour would be to just enjoy the trip while it lasts and take as many photos as possible because the time goes so quickly. A huge thank you to all the organizers of the trip and to the local buddies for making this trip possible and the best it could have been.

The organization has helped me learn more about architecture in Vietnam. I think I am receiving good support. My work is very independent-based, but I do get good support from my co-workers. My supervisor left for Europe, so when I work I have to wait a bit before I can talk to him. I like my workplace facilities, they have air conditioning and a nice table to eat at. The other staff at the office often order lunch for me, so they have been very kind.
I am very satisfied with the activities ABROADER have set up for cultural immersion because they helped give me more opportunities to learn about Vietnam’s culture. I also appreciate the local buddies’ setup because they have helped guide the students through the city a lot. I would like to say thank you and I am grateful for the opportunities you all have provided. The cultural exchange sessions were great for helping me learn more about Vietnam and I hoped we helped you learn more about America too. I think we exchanged a lot more than culture, we exchanged friendship and memories that many of the interns could look back on when we think of Vietnam. Memories that are irreplaceable and part of our whole experience. Thank you all again and I hope to meet again one day!

The study tour was a fantastic program full of cultural and fun experiences in both Vietnam and Singapore. Before the trip both of these places had been on my travel list, so when the opportunity for this trip came up I couldn’t say no and I’m so glad that I did it. The buddies, the people I traveled with and the organizers made the trip even better. Industries in both countries were super helpful and our visits to these factories were one of the highlights. Networking with these companies, the food, cultural exposure, the people, and the organizers made it a beautiful way to study our university course!! The most unfamiliar food that I tried was definitely chicken feet! Sugar cane drinks were also unusual but they tasted awesome! Thank you!!!!