Đinh Quý Tấn Thành

From Canada Back to Vietnam: A Journey of Finding Connection

There were moments, in the middle of a foreign Canadian city, when I thought I had lost my way. Yet in those silences, I found my answer: I needed to return to live a life of greater meaning. And at BUV, I began again, not just to study, but to grow once more.

I grew up in a middle-class family in Hanoi, where both of my parents were public school teachers. They taught me to value integrity above all else - a simple lesson that became the moral compass guiding every step of my life.

At 17, I left Vietnam for Canada with a $3,000 loan from my aunt. To pay my tuition, I started washing dishes at The Rec Room Toronto, working in a hot, chaotic kitchen. Those early days abroad were marked by language barriers, harsh racial discrimination, and the loneliness of trying to belong in a complex multicultural society.

After years of effort, I was promoted at work and graduated with a degree in Event Management from Centennial College in 2019, opening the door to new opportunities.

But those years were not only physically demanding, they were also a mental battle. I struggled with depression and anxiety, living in isolation without family or close friends. Sleepless nights and the fear of failure constantly haunted me.

Still, I drew strength from willpower and quiet moments of self-reflection. Each small milestone became a silent victory.

As my days fell into a cycle of “working – spending – surviving,” a question began to echo within me: What is success if it doesn’t feel meaningful?

The mental struggles I thought I had overcome began to return. I withdrew from friends and social gatherings, not out of fear or sadness, but from a yearning for something greater: a journey with true purpose, one that could create value for others.

The pleasures that once energized me slowly became burdens, because they no longer helped me grow. I felt trapped within invisible boundaries. No one could pull me out, no matter how hard I tried. A series of failed business ventures, creative projects, and even a restaurant experiment left me drained and disheartened.

It was a deeply conflicted time. I thought about giving up everything to live quietly. Yet hitting rock bottom made me realize that what I truly needed was change - a purpose that transcended the material comfort Canada could offer.

That realization compelled me to return to Vietnam, not just to start over, but to contribute to the place where I was born. I wanted my experiences abroad to become something more than a personal story: to transform into value shared with my community.

Becoming a student of International Business Management Programme marked a major turning point after seven years of struggle. At first, I felt out of place among classmates younger than me, but the ‘Lionhearted’ spirit - resilience and perseverance - helped me push through.

I gradually became a “big brother” figure in my class - someone who listens, shares, and supports others in their studies. I was selected as a PSG Ambassador, took part in multiple student initiatives and extracurricular projects, and remained among the top three students academically, even while continuing to battle anxiety and depression.

At the same time, I founded RVC Media Group, a creative platform where my friends and I could experiment freely and turn small ideas into real projects. Our works quickly gained public attention and were featured on major outlets such as VnExpress and 24h.com.vn.

Looking back, my journey has been one of inner growth: learning to become a better version of myself. At 18, washing dishes in a cramped kitchen in Canada, I could never have imagined the knowledge and experiences I now possess. At 22, still searching for stability abroad, I once feared the idea of returning home. Yet those silent struggles gave me the strength to close the chapter of Canada and open a new one in Vietnam, where I finally discovered the true meaning of “success.”

My story is not one of privilege, but of perseverance. My family taught me integrity, my mental battles taught me resilience, and BUV became the launchpad that turned my aspiration to contribute to Vietnam into reality.

This is my ‘Lionhearted’ journey, the journey of a resilient heart, ever ready to write new chapters with faith and persistence.