_Cela is a sophomore journalism major at MU. She is an opinion columnist who writes about daily life for The Maneater._
As a child, MU sophomore An Vu’s dream job was to be an artist, then a veterinarian and then an author. Eventually, she abandoned those aspirations and decided to study international business.
Vu’s interests lie in travel, building community and service, as she hopes to one day live and work in another country. She wants to work in a role allowing her to develop relationships in a community, such as international development or doing business work in a human resources role.
Making steps to achieve her professional goals, Vu was recently accepted into AmeriCorps, a voluntary service program dedicated to aiding communities in need. She would also like to work for the Peace Corps when she’s older.
Working three jobs as a desk attendant at Mark Twain Hall, front desk associate at a Marriott hotel and server at Love Sushi restaurant, Vu keeps busy. When she’s not working, she enjoys traveling, Netflix, hiking and spending time with friends. Aligning with her commitment to community, Vu is a member of several organizations on and off-campus.
How does one student balance all of these responsibilities and maintain a social life? The answer lies with a ferocious work ethic and passion for making connections with others. Although it’s not necessary to join various organizations and work long hours, at the core of this is the intent to spend her time wisely and not waste a moment on uninteresting activities.
Students would do well to use this time of transition to explore their interests and re-evaluate how they spend their time. However this manifests itself depends on the individual, ranging from establishing a self-care ritual to limiting screen time.
Spending more than 14 years of her life with the Vietnamese Eucharistic Youth Movement, the group holds a special place in Vu’s heart.
“I could talk about my church group, the Vietnamese Eucharistic Youth Movement, for hours because I grew up within that community and have a passion for that organization,” Vu said. “We are an organization that aims to develop youth into good people and Christians for society.”
VEYM holds weekly meetings and gatherings where they teach about the gospel, the church’s teachings, along with an emphasis in community, unity and service. During her freshman year, Vu drove to Kansas City every other weekend to lead her youth group, demonstrating her commitment to her faith and community back home.
Her youth group provided a basis for Vu to forge connections with which she maintains in her commitment to foster genuine and lasting relationships with others. Whether personal or professional, connections make humans who they are and influence their identities. An individual’s connections create an ecosystem around them, aiding them in flourishing and blooming under the right conditions.
Although not a human connection, Vu enjoys hiking — particularly in national parks — and connecting with nature. Her goal is to travel to all 63 of the U.S. national parks before she dies. Vu has already been to 16.
“The first national park that I went to was the Rocky Mountains,” Vu said. “I was introduced to that whole idea by my brother and I fell in love with the national parks after going to that first one and hiking through those mountains.”
Her favorite national parks she’s visited are Rocky Mountain, Yellowstone and the Great Sand Dunes. Each park is unique in what it has to offer, but the most memorable for Vu was the Great Sand Dunes due to the sloping dunes that give way to a breathtaking mountain view.
“What made that experience really special and one of my favorites is that the sunset there is one of the most beautiful ones I’ve ever seen,” Vu said. “Stargazing at night was the most beautiful night sky I’ve seen. [I] saw a shooting star there.”
As a seasoned hiker, Vu believes in packing light and preparing for the hike by researching the trails. Good traveling companions are essential as well, as the hike is a group effort.
“When you travel or hike at national parks, choose your traveling and hiking companions wisely and always prioritize the group morale over your desire to finish the hike because it’s more important,” Vu said. “Your relationships are more important than the hike itself. If people are not having a good time, if they’re miserable, then slow down, turn around.”
Vu learned this lesson over winter break when she and two friends went to Guadalupe Mountains National Park in Texas and embarked on an over eight-mile hike. With less than optimal hiking conditions of snow and cold, the hike did not go as Vu planned.
“I wanted to reach the top because it’s the highest point in Texas and that’s a big accomplishment, but probably two-thirds of the way there one of my hiking companions, one of my friends, her shoes were super wet and cold so she turned around,” Vu said. “Me and the other person made it to the top but after that hike, they said that it wasn’t worth it and I don’t think they had a good time.”
While imparting the joy of hiking on Vu, her brother Nam also taught her to think critically and constantly question why issues existed, looking to the systematic problems rather than blaming them on individuals.
“He excels in all aspects — academically, professionally, socially, athletically, religiously and intellectually, too,” Vu said. “He inspires me to be more empathetic every day and reach my goals and live to the fullest.”
Vu does just that. While the future remains uncertain, her allegiance to service and building relationships is unwavering. Whether she chooses to join AmeriCorps or devote her time to other worthy efforts, Vu will thrive. Any student who puts themself in a position to follow their interests stands to grow and find fulfillment in life.
Combining her passion for travel and community, Vu plans to live and work in another country in a capacity that allows her to develop relationships in a community.
“No matter where you are in life and what you’re doing right now and your plans for the future, always remember that the most important thing about life, what makes life meaningful, is people,” Vu said. “Relationships with people and the time and experiences we have with [our] friends or family, and just meeting new people. And listen to their perspectives, their experiences, because at the end of the day, really all we have is each other.”
_In pursuit of racial and social equity, The Maneater encourages its readers to donate to Transgender Gender-Variant & Intersex Justice Project. TGIJP works to “fight against human rights abuses, imprisonment, police violence, racism, poverty, and societal pressures” for Black and brown people. Donate at: http://www.tgijp.org/donate.html_
_Edited by Sydney Lewis | slewis@themaneater.com_