Growing Up With Books – And a World of Whys

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❓ What is a sofa made of?
❓ Why do whales and dolphins resemble sharks but aren’t classified as fish? How has nature influenced their evolution?
❓ How did scientists in the past measure the size of the Earth?

From a young age, Cát Nhi grew up surrounded by books—and an endless stream of “whys.” As she learned to read, her height increased a few inches each year, and so did the thickness of her books (and the prescription of her glasses).

A little explorer in a world brimming with colors and complexity, Nhi’s thirst for knowledge spanned many subjects. From spirited conversations with teachers and friends to long days poring over scientific research on her laptop, her worldview expanded rapidly. But at the age of 15, she began to encounter questions that had no clear answers in textbooks:

❓ Why can’t we strike a balance between socio-economic development and environmental protection?
❓ Why do most social enterprises fail within their first two years, and what solutions exist?

The Little Explorer in a World of Complexity

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Faced with these unanswered questions, Nhi made a bold decision:

"I’ll go to the United States and work with top professors to create new knowledge."

As a science enthusiast, she embraced the principle: “If you want to go far, go together; if you want to see further, stand on the shoulders of giants.”

At 15, she reached out to MiYork and quickly became the youngest member of the community, soon standing out as one of its most dynamic contributors.

Together with her mentors at MiYork, Nhi spent weeks exploring her career aspirations and social concerns, crafting a compelling narrative for her college applications:

"A young economist driving a global green economic revolution."

With MiYork’s guidance, she founded the Vietnam Project Database, a platform connecting students to social impact opportunities, amassing over 6,000 followers. She also led GlobEcom, where she managed 70 members sharing insights about economics, translating economic Wikipedia pages from Vietnamese to English, and preparing for A-Level, IB, AP, and International Economics Olympiad exams.

As head of a career webinar series, she attracted over 1,000 registrants and secured speakers from top universities like Stanford, Harvard, and Duke. The project was even featured in Thanh Niên newspaper as a standout initiative positively impacting students nationwide.

To move closer to her dreams, Nhi self-studied for the SAT, advanced economics, math, and statistics while still in high school. Her independent learning skills impressed everyone: a 1590 SAT score, a second-place finish at the Vietnam Economics Olympiad, and numerous national and international awards.

"If the World Lacks Answers, Let’s Create Knowledge"

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Knowing Nhi aspired to be an economist and had a solid foundation in economics and statistics, MiYork’s mentors involved her in research. She became a research assistant for a project on building a social entrepreneurship ecosystem at Peking University and assisted a New York University professor with global COVID-19 policy research.

Thanks to her diligence, she contributed significantly to both studies, earning recommendation letters for her applications. One of these projects was later presented at international scientific conferences in Portugal, France, and Australia, laying a robust groundwork for Nhi’s future research roles.

A College Essay Inspired by a Sofa That Won Over the University of Chicago

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The University of Chicago, renowned for its leading economics program and famously challenging essay prompts, seeks students with creative and unique perspectives. Past questions include:

• “Find x.”
• “What can divide by zero?”

So, what was the “x” that Cát Nhi found?

In her essay, Nhi began with a Vietnamese proverb: “Hearing a hundred times is not as good as seeing once, and touching once surpasses even seeing a hundred times.” It emphasizes the importance of firsthand experience over secondhand information.

However, Nhi took it further: even seeing and touching something doesn’t guarantee truth. Only through exploring a problem from multiple angles can we approach reality.

Her essay opened with her childhood fascination, taking a photo of her family’s sofa with her grandfather’s phone and questioning its construction. Zooming in, she saw pixels and assumed they composed the sofa. Later, she learned the pixels formed the image, while the real sofa consisted of material particles.

As she grew, she realized that her initial perspective wasn’t wrong—it was simply incomplete. True understanding, she argued, lies in valuing different perspectives and the insights they offer. This standout essay captured Nhi’s essence and left a lasting impression on UChicago’s admissions team.

The Power of Curiosity and Perseverance

Nhi’s story is a testament to the transformative power of curiosity and relentless effort in pursuit of a dream. As one of her inspirations once said: “If you truly want something, you must claim it for yourself.”

With a full-ride scholarship worth nearly 10 billion VND to study at UChicago, Nhi continues to pursue her research projects. From being the youngest in MiYork’s community, she’s now a trusted mentor, always ready to guide younger students through academic and extracurricular challenges.

Thank you, Cát Nhi, for joining MiYork. We hope you continue to achieve incredible success on your journey.

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