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Vi Mai '12 was born and raised in Vietnam. |
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Vi Mai '12, born and raised in Vietnam, came to Randolph-Macon in 2008. “I thought the campus was so lovely,” she says, recalling her first impression of the college. “I had heard about R-MC through a friend who attended the college, and he spoke very highly about his Randolph-Macon education.”
From Vietnam to Ashland, Virginia Mai grew up in Ho Chi Minh, the biggest city in Vietnam. “We encounter people from all over the world in Ho Chi Minh,” says Mai. “I met a lot of foreigners in my hometown and learned so much about different cultures.” Mai spent her first and second years of high school in Viet Nam before heading to the United States. “During my second year of high school—we only have three years of high school instead of four—I took an International Student Exchange (ISE) exam, and as a result I received a full scholarship to come to the United States and finish my high school education at Elmwood High School in Elmwood, Illinois.”
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A Major Decision Mai is an
international studies major with minors in
economics and political science. “I’ve always been good at
mathematics,
physics,
chemistry and
biology,” she says. “I thought I would pursue a career in those fields, but when I came to R-MC, I took classes in social sciences to fulfill the college’s general requirements. It was then that I realized my passion for political science and economics.”
International Flair Mai is the secretary of R-MC’s International Interests Group (IIG). “The IIG is an organization that promotes cultural integration on campus,” says Mai. “We are a group of international students and American students who meet weekly to discuss upcoming events and organize trips. Our ultimate goal is to promote international awareness on global issues.”
Mai considers her decision to become an International Assistant (IA) one of the best decisions she has ever made. “I’ve met wonderful people from Germany, France, El Salvador, Northern Ireland, Barbados and other countries,” she says. “I think the program is so meaningful. As IAs, we contact new international students during the summer. Our job is to make sure they feel at home and really enjoy the R-MC experience. The Office of International Education (OIE) and IAs helped me a lot when I arrived at R-MC last year.”
Traveling and Learning Mai is also a member of R-MC’s Franklin Debating Society. “As an ESL (English as a Second Language) speaker, I had a lot of problems at the beginning of my participation in the group,” she says. “Not only did we have to debate, but all members had to participate in at least two other forensics events; I chose informative and persuasive speaking. With the help of my coaches, Dr. Ted Sheckels and Professor John Mingus, I really improved my speaking skills. At the end of the fall semester of my freshman year, I was awarded first place in informative speaking for a speech I wrote about the Sudanese Civil War and its aftermath.” As part of the debate team, Mai has the opportunity to travel. “I’ve been to so many places: Morgan State University, Bloomsburg University and even Montreal, Canada. The college provides us funds to make these trips possible and I am thankful for this great opportunity to travel and learn.”
Helping Others In 2009, Mai and her First-Year Experience (
FYE) classmates participated in
Macon a Difference Day, an annual event held in conjunction with Earth Day and designed to spruce up the community. “My group cleaned up trash in the Ashland area,” says Mai. “It was a great way to work together for a common goal.”
Mai also works in the college’s Higgins Academic Center (
HAC) as a speaking consultant and
economics/political science tutor. “As a tutor I get to help students on my favorite subjects, so I enjoy my work a lot,” she says. “With the help of my debate team experience, I also got the job as a speaking consultant. I especially like this job because public speaking is my hobby and I enjoy helping people improve their communication skills.”
Making Plans Mai’s post-R-MC plans are not finalized, but she has a few ideas simmering. “Law school is a dream of mine,” she says. “And I think the U.S. has some of the finest law institutions in the world. So maybe I’ll pursue a law degree…I have a while to think about it!”
For information on R-MC’s international studies program, visit
http://www.rmc.edu/landing/international-studies.aspx
For more information about the breadth of programs and opportunities available at Randolph-Macon or to schedule a campus visit, contact our Admissions Office at (800) 888-1762 or at admissions@rmc.edu