Today we’d like to introduce you to Tu (Tiffany) Dinh.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Tu (Tiffany). So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I’m 22 years old and I’m an international student from Vietnam. I came to Houston in the summer of 2017 to finish my bachelor’s degree in Corporate Communication. Living alone in a different country has been the greatest experience of my life. In just two years, I met the love of my life and visited six national parks in all over the United States. In 2019, I started my YouTube channel and became an Instagram influencer.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It was definitely not a smooth road. I had studied English before I came to Houston; however, talking to a native speaker still was very challenging. I used to feel embarrassed when someone did not understand what I was trying to say. I used to feel like I was wasting everyone’s time and I would rather be silent. Gradually, I became very shy. As a result, my grades were very poor. Moreover, my parents are living alone in Vietnam since my sister and I are studying abroad, sometimes I wish I could come back to take care of them, or at least, do something make them proud.
My journey was even more difficult since I don’t have a car and Uber is costly. I remembered some days I was almost out of food and there was no one to help me. I remembered those nights I cried because I felt so homesick and lonely. However, it’s all in the past now.
In 2019, I joined a big organization in University of Houston. I met many great friends and they really helped me to be more brave. Getting an internship was something very scary to me, but I got two internships in that year. Also, achieving straight A’s is no longer impossible for me.
The lessons I have learned in the years I have been in the US are more than the lessons I had learned in my 20 years in Vietnam. I believe being independent makes you more mature. The biggest thing I learned was everything you do counts! Even when you feel like all the things you do are useless or do not make any big changes, they do! You just have to be patient. That’s why I decided to start my YouTube and become an Instagram influencer. I want to share advices, lessons, and positive messages to young people who are suffering and wondering what they are doing, just like me two years ago.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I have been using Instagram for a long time but I had never taken it seriously. I love taking pictures and I am known for being a positive person who smiles a lot. My friends always ask why I look so happy all the time, and they wish they could be happy like that. Since then, I decided to use Instagram as a tool to share positive thoughts and encouraging messages to my followers; moreover, it seems like people really like what I wear, so I combine them in my Instagram posts. Basically, what I want is when people look at my post, they have the motivation to just stand up and do something; or just simply feel the positive energy I try to share. I hope I can help them find the little happiness in life.
It would be great to hear about any apps, books, podcasts or other resources that you’ve used and would recommend to others.
My favorite books are “The 5 second rule” by Mel Robbins; and “Men are from Mars, women are from Venus” by John Gray. I also refer to tips and advices from YouTube videos.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKaXzQaZ6CcAQEu0hrTDOmA
- Email: tudinh.work@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nhattud_/
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