Tran Dinh Hanh Quyen is 21, currently living in Tampa, Florida. Originally from Da Nang, Vietnam, Quyen just graduated from the University of South Florida with a Bachelor’s degree in Integrated Public Relations and Advertising.
Starting in August, she will be attending the prestigious Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland to pursue a Master of Science degree in Marketing.
Beyond her academic pursuits, Quyen is an active participant in student life, from being the Editor-in-Chief of a student magazine to a USF Ambassador.
A Gifted Student
Prior to university, Quyen was a student at Le Quy Don high school for the gifted in Danang city, Vietnam. She participated in an English-language specialization program. On top of this, since Quyen’s mother is an English teacher, Quyen grew up speaking both English and Vietnamese.
She credits her unique upbringing for her impressive mastery of the English language which benefitted her preparedness for entry exams like the SAT and English language certifications like the IELTS. “I also tried to gain a better grasp of the American culture by watching a lot of movies, keeping up with the news and reading books, to try and prepare myself for the culture shock experienced in college”.
Quyen stressed the importance of keeping her Vietnamese name. While many who study abroad choose to adopt a Westernized name to better fit in, in Quyen’s own words, “I couldn’t find anything that really resonates with me compared to the name I grew up with.”
Through her academic brilliance, Quyen was awarded a scholarship from USF that covered the majority of her tuition. She also applied to and was accepted by external scholarships like the PRSA (Public Relations Society of America) that covered the rest of her tuition, and worked part-time jobs and internships during her undergraduate degree to finance her living expenses.
She was awarded the highest scholarship by Johns Hopkins, which along with her savings and family support, allowed her to fund her upcoming postgraduate studies.
Exploring And Storytelling
Quyen’s desire to study abroad stemmed from a curiosity and desire for exploration. As she explains it, “I want to broaden my mind, discover what’s happening in the world, and meet people from diverse backgrounds."
"I was intrigued to explore what life is like outside of Vietnam, and to figure out how to navigate my own life without support from my parents and the community I grew up in. I also wanted to try something far outside my comfort zone and really challenge myself so I can grow and become more resilient in the future”.
As for her choice of degree, she explained : “I did public relations and advertising in undergrad, and I’m planning to do marketing postgrad. I really enjoy writing and storytelling. I’m always interested in people's different perspectives and stories.Highlighting the voices and stories of those that are usually under-represented in the media truly inspires me.”
Quyen explained her interest in data-driven analysis and how it can help inform business decisions, as well as its applications in the fields of PR and Advertising. She shared : “With my marketing degree, I hope to provide a data-driven angle to these impactful stories.”
Finding Space for Connections
For Quyen, staying in touch with her family was a relatively seamless process despite the distance and difference in time zones. “I call my mom and dad almost every day.”
Regarding her friends from school years, she explained that while social media and technology make it easy to occasionally chat and keep up with each other, most of her relationships in Vietnam have quietly faded away.
“It was really rough in my freshman year. In high school, I just made friends naturally from always being around the same people. But when I got to USF, there’s 50,000 students here.” Quyen explains her first year was the most difficult for her, but she quickly started participating in clubs and student associations, opening her up to a new community.
From being an isolated freshman, Quyen became an active participant in Sparks Magazine, a student-run publication that aims to provide a media platform for AAPI (Asian-American and Pacific Islander) students.
She was also part of the USF Ambassador program, a group of student representatives who work to bridge the gap between school administration, alumni and students.