From being eliminated in the first round to performing on a stage in front of thousands of people.

At 22 years old, Nguyen Thuy Linh – a former student of the K15 class of the Communication Faculty at Dai Nam University – is simultaneously working three jobs: event MC, livestream host, and teacher for young MCs. Looking at Linh confidently standing in front of thousands of people today, few would imagine that her first steps with a microphone began with... early eliminations, criticism, and moments of questioning: "Maybe I don't have the talent?"

But the most remarkable thing about Linh's story isn't how many awards she's won or how many jobs she's doing, but how a young woman navigates doubt to gradually discover her abilities, identity, and her own path.

Nguyen Thuy Linh, a former student of the K15 class of the Communication Faculty, Dai Nam University, currently works as an event MC, livestream host, and teacher for young MCs.

"Failure does not mean defeat."

Winner of Speak Up Dai Nam 2023, National Champion of Drug-Free School 2024, Second Prize in School-level Scientific Research… Looking at these achievements, one might easily think that Thuy Linh is a girl with a talent for speaking and born to be on stage, but Linh's early years in university were a different story.

"I've stumbled in many MC competitions, some of them ending in the very first round," Nguyen Thuy Linh recounted.

Linh's immaturity and lack of experience led to criticism when she first started pursuing a career as an MC. What pressured her most was seeing her friends progress while she remained stagnant.

"I used to wonder why everyone else was progressing while I remained stagnant? There were times when I felt pressured because I didn't know where I stood and was disappointed in myself because of so many failures," a former student of Dai Nam University confided.

Linh recounted that at the time, she envisioned a caterpillar undergoing a molting process before it could transform into a butterfly. Perhaps it's the same with humans; maturity rarely comes easily, and Linh chose not to give up.

To mature quickly in her chosen path, Thùy Linh spends a lot of time practicing her voice, pronunciation, eye contact, posture, and situational handling skills to improve her professional competence.

"Failure doesn't mean you're defeated; those difficulties made me tougher and more resilient so I wouldn't have any regrets later."

The words "tough and resilient" sound very commonplace, but perhaps best describe the young woman's journey afterward.

If you can't stand on the stage, then stand below the stage and learn.

For a time, Linh frequently appeared at various events, big and small, but not as an MC. She volunteered to help with logistics, and sometimes simply sat in the audience, with the goal of… “learning by observation.”

“I observed how the MCs walked onto the stage, how they paused, held their breath, and especially how they handled emergencies when the show went wrong. There were times when the equipment malfunctioned or the program went off schedule, but they remained calm and handled it. I learned a lot from those situations.”

Without the opportunity to perform on stage, she learned from the audience. If she didn't know something, she observed those who did. If she wasn't good enough, she practiced. Every day, Linh spent hours in front of a mirror, recording herself speaking to listen back, correcting pronunciation errors, adjusting her regional accent, and practicing her eye contact, hand gestures, and posture.

The more work Linh did, the more she realized one thing: to go further in her career as an MC, just having a good voice and stage skills wasn't enough. One of the gaps she saw in herself was her foreign language skills.

"The market is expanding and becoming increasingly competitive. Without English, I know I would be limiting my own opportunities."

Even while still a student at Dai Nam University, Thuy Linh was given the opportunity to stand on stage, confidently assert herself, and not only that, she also transformed herself.

So, amidst her study schedule, event appearances, and live streams, Linh set herself a new exercise: English. She practiced shadowing – listening to and repeating the speech of international MCs; she focused on stress, intonation, expression, and language reflexes so that she could gradually handle bilingual communication situations.

In this way, professional skills were built up little by little: from voice, posture, eye contact, problem-solving abilities to foreign languages. Nothing comes naturally, and there was no magical moment that suddenly made Linh confident.

After a long period of hard work, Thùy Linh consistently achieved top honors, winning numerous prestigious awards such as the Speak Up Đại Nam 2023 champion and the National Drug-Free School 2024 champion.

In 2023, Thùy Linh won the Speak Up Đại Nam competition, marking a turning point after previous failures in MC competitions.

That confidence was built up from hundreds of times standing in front of the mirror, listening to recordings over and over again, observing others from the audience, hours of self-studying English, and even from making mistakes and then correcting them at home.

"Many people think charisma is something you're born with, or that dressing well and applying makeup will boost your confidence. But for me, charisma comes from thorough preparation. When you're confident in your script, have practiced enough, and know what you're doing, confidence will naturally radiate through your eyes and smile."

In 2023, winning the Speak Up Dai Nam championship trophy became a special milestone. The girl who had been eliminated in the first round finally stood at the top for once.

22 years old and three very different jobs.

Today, a typical workday for Thùy Linh can unfold in three completely different settings. On the event stage, Linh is the MC, standing before hundreds, even thousands, of spectators. Behind those few hours of polished appearances lies a night spent up until 2 or 3 in the morning reading and refining the script.

Offstage, Linh became a teacher for young MCs, a job that wasn't always filled with bright lights and applause. Sometimes it was a little girl crying because she was afraid of crowds, other times it was a hyperactive student who wouldn't sit still. Linh had to learn to lower her voice, be patient, soothe them, and find ways to encourage each child to dare to speak their mind.

Then, when the class is over, she can jump into another livestream session. There, the pace is measured in seconds: eyes reading comments, brain processing information, mouth still having to speak, and energy levels barely allowed to drop even when her body is tired.

Three jobs, three different situations: one requires the ability to command a crowd, another demands patience with young children, and the third requires almost instantaneous reaction speed.

Besides her work as an MC and livestream host, Thùy Linh is also a teacher for young MCs, where she hones her patience and skills in working with children.

Thùy Linh started working in her first year at Đại Nam University. For her, there's no need to wait until graduation to start a career. What she learned in the classroom was put to the test in real work; the challenges she faced in practice showed her what she needed to learn and improve upon.

"I had the opportunity to gain experience in a professional environment, applying the knowledge I learned in the classroom to real-world situations. More importantly, starting work early helped me build relationships and learn a great deal from senior colleagues."

According to Associate Professor Ngo Thi Hong Hanh, Deputy Head of the Communication Department at Dai Nam University, Linh's admirable qualities lie not only in her talent but also in her proactive spirit.

According to Ms. Hanh, the school and faculty can create opportunities for practical training, connect with businesses, and allow students to gain early exposure to the profession; however, it is the students themselves who must step forward and seize those opportunities.

Thùy Linh chose to start very early. Every competition, every program, every failure or recognition became part of the process of accumulating real skills for her chosen career.

From "toughness" to creating one's own unique identity.

Interestingly, amidst her hectic schedule, this stage-loving girl says there are moments that make her happy that have nothing to do with the lights or applause.

Linh still dedicates time to participating in Youth Union activities, clubs, and charitable programs, especially those for children with disabilities.

"Participating in community activities brings me a very genuine sense of happiness. I've always believed that the greatest happiness comes from being able to give back to the community the values I've created."

At 22, Thùy Linh continues her journey of self-improvement by learning, working professionally, and participating in community activities, gradually building her own unique identity.

Perhaps at some point, maturity is no longer just about how talented you are, where you stand, or how many people know you, but also about what value the things you learn and accomplish can ultimately bring to others.

At 22, it's not yet the age to talk about a successful journey, and Thùy Linh isn't a perfect version of herself. But from a student who failed in the first round, who was criticized, and who looked at her friends and doubted herself, Linh has learned a valuable lesson: You don't need to wait until you're really good to start; just step out, try, and do. If you make mistakes, correct them; if you don't know something, learn it; if you fall, get back up.

Because identity is perhaps not something we suddenly discover one day. Identity is created from the times we dare to step outside the boundaries of yesterday.

And when a young person dares to embrace their own identity , that's when they begin to illuminate the journey of their own choosing.