"I feel like I'm a fairly ordinary person. I've always thought that way. Most people around me probably see me that way too. But in the end, I realized that even ordinary people can win scholarships."

These were Trà My's words when we discussed her journey of applying to study in the U.S. Despite receiving a full tuition and stipend scholarship worth over $289,000 from Gettysburg College, My doesn’t want her story to be sensationalized as “a girl from Hà Tĩnh wins a billion-dollar scholarship.” For her, this isn’t a tale of standout academic achievements or exceptional extracurricular activities but rather one of piecing together experiences to understand her goals and relentlessly pursuing them.

Experiencing to Discover One’s True Calling

Before deciding that communications was her passion, My explored various roles in social projects. "The fact that all my experience in my application seems related to communications is because I wanted to present myself that way (laughs). In reality, I tried many things."

The gifted high school in Hà Tĩnh offered My numerous opportunities to engage in extracurricular activities. Initially, she joined the Finance and External Relations team of a school volunteer club. However, after a while, she realized this role wasn’t a good fit. By the end of grade 10, she decided not to continue.

During this time, she also worked in the Communications team of an environmental organization. While it was a small initiative, this was where My began to grow, learning basic tools like Google Docs and crafting her first articles. My vividly remembers her initial draft covered in edits and comments. Yet, creating content and feeling readers’ support and empathy gave her immense joy. From there, she chose communications roles in every subsequent organization she joined, eventually becoming Head of Communications at Zodiac CHT Debate Club and President of Vang Academy.

In this field, My often pondered: “How can we communicate in a way that truly connects our ideas to the audience?”

From her own shortcomings and experiences, My aspires to create projects that convey messages of self-acceptance—embracing both strengths and weaknesses, the praiseworthy and the mundane. However, she acknowledges that achieving this level of impactful storytelling requires more learning and creativity on her part.

When compiling her Common App, My had to quantify her projects’ media impact. Yet, she emphasized that metrics like clicks and comments don’t fully reflect true influence. “An article I wrote for an environmental project reached 2,000 people, but that doesn’t mean they all changed their consumption habits to live greener. If people just scroll past and leave a reaction without altering their behavior, then my message hasn’t truly gotten through.”

Despite her concerns, My values the social projects that shaped her journey. They expanded her understanding of herself and helped her identify her future path. "Knowing what I want to do during the final years of high school is a blessing."

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Sacrificing Social Time for Deadlines

"When I started, I only had an IELTS score of 7.5 and a few academic awards. From August to December, my SAT exams kept getting canceled. At the time, I only had five extracurricular activities, whereas the Common App allows up to ten."

Academically, My worked hard to maintain a high GPA: 9.0 in grade 10, 9.2 in grade 11, and 9.5 in the first semester of grade 12. She earned third and second prizes in the provincial English competitions in grades 11 and 12, respectively, and her essay earned her a scholarship to a summer camp at Oxford/Cambridge through the Immerse Essay Competition. However, compared to profiles of other scholarship recipients with similar financial needs, My felt her achievements weren’t particularly outstanding.

Determined to complete her application, My pushed herself 200%. Reflecting on that period, she described it as "terrifying." Club meetings and essay writing consumed most of her time. Previously, she often hung out with close friends, but during the application process, social outings became rare. Late nights became routine, partly due to working with mentors in different time zones. Dormmates often wondered why My rarely slept before 3 a.m.

Admittedly, My struggled with task management. Without a to-do list, she relied on mental notes, which sometimes delayed her progress. Toward the end, she scrambled to finish supplemental essays for submission.

Occasionally, My allowed herself moments of leisure, only to face sleepless nights catching up on deadlines afterward. “But looking back, I think I gave it my all,” she said.

During the early application round, three out of four universities rejected My. One rejection cited her financial need, an area beyond her control. These results disheartened her, and she prepared for the possibility of a gap year to reapply.

However, encouragement from her family, friends, mentors, and alumni she was fortunate to know motivated her to persevere. Their support pushed her forward.

In the regular application round, Gettysburg College became the first to accept My, offering a scholarship and substantial financial aid. While she isn’t certain it’s the ultimate choice, she feels it’s a fitting environment for her growth in the coming years.

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Reflecting on Her Uniqueness

From the start, My faced existential questions: Who am I? What makes me special?

"I know my strengths, weaknesses, and the future path I want to take, but I don’t think of myself as particularly special." Stories of students overcoming adversity to win billion-dollar scholarships made My feel inadequate.

To gain perspective, she “surveyed” friends, revisiting their shared memories. Through questions like "Do you remember when…?" My rediscovered experiences she had overlooked. Mentors guided her to delve deeper into these memories, and she realized her life contained meaningful stories worth sharing.

For her main essay, My chose the theme of learning to say no. "I’m a socially driven person who values relationships. I’ve always agreed to every request, fearing rejection might harm those relationships. Initially, I felt noble for sacrificing my needs. But over time, I realized this wasn’t sustainable. Learning to say no helped me show others a more authentic side of myself."

While she continues searching for her uniqueness, My has learned to appreciate her journey and reflect deeply on her story. Completing her application was not the end of her quest to answer "Who am I?" but rather the beginning of proving she’s capable of more than she or others initially believed.

"I think being an ordinary person, with unique experiences and stories, is already extraordinary."

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