I loved my school. The days at school used to be the happiest days of my life until I went to high-school. Luckily, I was chosen to study in a selected class. People around me, they study so well that sometimes I think I can't keep up with them. But that's not the problem. The problem is, I am not pretty. I usually receive jokes from the boys, or even girls. They say that I have a giant face, a big nose and a lean body. At first, I felt really sad, then all that remained was disappointment. Why did my friends do that to me? I always tried my best to please people so I would not have to hear...

Hi, my name is Min Ho Kim and I am a Year 12 student studying at the British International School, Ho Chi Minh City. I have been debating in school MUN sessions for more than two years and took part in a few conferences. Last year, I was appointed as the school’s ambassador to the United Nations. Although I am from South Korea, I have lived in Vietnam for more than ten years and I have been reading the daily news in order to catch up with all the recent issues in Vietnam. This experience allowed me to build a deep understanding of the history, society and politics of Vietnam. Vietnam is...

My name is SoYoung Park and I am a 16-year-old South Korean student studying at the British International School Ho Chi Minh City. I have been living in Vietnam for nearly six years and have been involved in environmental projects and MUN in my school. In the future, I aspire to explore human behaviour through research and explore the ethical implications of artificial intelligence to make sure technological advances are beneficial to humanity. At the beginning of February, I was told that my school would be closed, and lessons would take place online. Despite my initial fears and concerns...

Have you ever heard a famous saying “A woman is like a tea bag; you never know how strong it is until it’s in hot water.”? If you guess right, then yes…that saying is from Eleanor Roosevelt, First Chair of the Presidential Commission on the Status of Women. Indeed, we have never known our true strength and determination until we face the toughest time in our life. At the age of 6, I was bullied by my classmates and suffered from the spiritual wounds. I became an easy target for bullying in class because I was so small for my age. I still remember all of my notebooks were stolen after the break...

Love Children like the Way You Want to be Loved. Let Our Children's Dream Fly High! - Le Thi Thach Thao, Vietnam -

Today a dove knocked on my window and sing, with the language of clouds A song about freedom. Some say birds have memories in their blood To guide them, when the sky carries silhouette of terrors But they know not the song of those in cages And so they are free. Decades ago, my people fight under a sky that was changing in season And saw warm hearts beating on top of arrowslit, soon to be stopped Green shadows with lunge mines charging into roaring beatles Their retina, a calm lake, reflected a single face We saw our hope melted into green leaves around Sai Gon The hope of coming home But the...