Nguyễn Hoài Thương, Class of 2025, majoring in Art and Media Studies at Fulbright University Vietnam, once found herself “lost” on the journey of discovering her passions and career direction. Before finding the right fit, she tried out different environments and roles, and not all of which went smoothly but each experience became a valuable lesson in her personal growth.
From the end of her freshman year, Hoài Thương proactively sought internship opportunities, learning to balance academics and work. Through these experiences, she developed time management skills, learned how to perform under pressure, and, most importantly, discovered her own strengths and weaknesses.
A major turning point came when she interned at TikTok, a platform that blends entertainment and e-commerce. Although her internship lasted only six months, within just three months, Hoài Thương earned the trust to take on the role of Creator Manager, where she not only developed creative sales growth campaigns but also connected with and supported promising content creators to help them rise on the platform.
Working in a fast-paced, ever-evolving environment like TikTok gave Hoài Thương the chance to sharpen her analytical skills, optimize campaigns, manage stakeholders, and collaborate with multiple teams and partners. Above all, it was where she learned to embrace challenges, take on greater responsibilities, and stay focused on results.
It was a truly transformative experience, as Hoài Thương not only learned how to fulfill assigned tasks, but also dared to take on greater responsibilities, actively sought ways to improve processes, and focused on delivering tangible results. From these valuable hands-on experiences, she gradually discovered her own strengths: effective communication, a sharp sense of trends, and the ability to lead and inspire a team.
Hoài Thương was honored with the Fulbright Leadership Camp 2024 Award from the university.
Not stopping at professional experiences, she also challenged herself in academic competitions. Notably, Hoài Thương and her team won First Place at Marketing Arena 2025, a nationwide marketing competition for university students. For her, this was more than just an achievement; it was proof of her persistence, self-learning, and continuous growth, a foundation for her future career.
Today, Hoài Thương is a Marketing Assistant at Nestlé Vietnam, a position that allows her to apply everything she has learned and experienced.
Hoài Thương is currently a Marketing Assistant at Nestlé Vietnam
Looking back, she realizes that growth doesn’t always come from perfect steps but from moments of courage: daring to try, daring to fail, and daring to take responsibility. That spirit, she says, is exactly what Fulbright has instilled in her throughout her academic journey: the willingness to learn, to adapt, and to step boldly into challenges to become a better version of herself.
With the foundation of Fulbright’s interdisciplinary education, Hoài Thương had the opportunity to explore different disciplines before choosing Art and Media Studies, a major that perfectly aligns with her creative passion and career aspirations.
The interdisciplinary mindset and knowledge she gained, from media analysis and audience research to creative message design, have directly translated into her work, from campaign ideation and data analysis to cross-department collaboration in a dynamic corporate environment.
Uyên Minh
