Tuong Minh Trinh (Eric)

In an academic environment, a student is expected to be structural and follow orders. Tuong Minh Trinh, or Eric, stands alone as his priority isn’t textbooks. Instead his mind is hooked by the world of entrepreneurship, which he hopes to use as a platform to tackle global issues such as climate change, healthcare and financial mismanagement. Eric is also the Youth Representative of Young Pioneers Forum in Vietnam, in charge of community outreach and partnerships development.

 

When asked about his upbringing, Eric often points to the story of him and his best friend. When he was in 7th grade, due to personal reasons he had to transfer schools. He was an introverted child and no one seemed to pay any attention to him until his friend “M” approached him. Now, to put things into context, M was one of the ‘cool kids’. He was initially skeptical of anything he said or did, and Eric always viewed M as him bullying or teasing him. Later, M asked him to hang out with his friend, and Eric was scared that they might use him for entertainment so he declined. Not taking no for an answer, M insisted and then Eric eventually accepted. They ended up having a good time, contrary to what he expected, and eventually, Eric and M became best friends, still to this very day. He has realized that life is better than how we can often view it, and that it is always worth it to seize the opportunity in front of one. This has changed Eric forever, as it has helped him escape hims comfort zone and reveal his true potential

 

Aiming to pursue an interdisciplinary curriculum, Eric is committed to a wide range of subjects out of business and entrepreneurship. He is hitting 4.0 in Grade 11 due to this consistent commitment to reviews. Outside of academics, he was a debate club member 10th grade, member of the high school basketball team and also completed a work experience program with Uber.

 

Looking ahead, Eric hopes to gain the necessary skills to pursue his dream of creating his own unique business. Attending a world class university is a crucial step to achieving this dream. He believes in the power of collaborative action to drive systems level change, and he seeks to build up a strong network to realize his entrepreneurial ambitions.