Written by: Phan Thi Quynh Trang, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
"What do you want to be when you grow up?" is a question that many people remember most from childhood. The naive answer of a child when he is 5, or 8 is usually that he will be a doctor, engineer, teacher or singer... Parents often give these answers when asked about their future plans. Therefore, the child thinks he or she likes doing this or that job without really understanding what they want to do. For Nguyen The Bao (Henry Nguyen), a 9-year-old Vietnamese boy currently living in Canada, the answer is clear and unequivocal: "I want to be a politician one day."
Bao is an extremely special person. His interests include nature, history, and science. It has been clear to him from an early age what his "dream" is, and not just childish words, this little boy always wants to do what he dreams. Having been a vegetarian since he was two years old, and he always wanted to protect all the animals in the world, his mother said, "It was difficult for me to explain why my son became a vegetarian so soon." It has always been his goal to become a scientist or politician. He doesn't just read books and listen to history. He sometimes lies down at night, like an adult, placing his hand on his forehead to find an answer. There are always thousands of questions in his mind."
He once appeared on "For Vietnamese Strength" on the topic "Homeschool." The three-year-old boy told his mother in English that he didn't want to go to school. He wanted to read and explore the world out there. Bao became fluent in two languages at the same time (Vietnamese and English) when he was 1.5 years old. In spite of the fact that Bao was not literate at the time, he was able to retell every page of the story without missing a word at the age of 2. At the age of 3, his mother was surprised to discover that the boy spent two hours watching HBO's American immigration program. And he asked "When will we immigrate to Canada to live my dream?" his mother was shocked.
As a 4-year-old, Bao drew posters against marine pollution, wrote a letter to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), and received gifts and compliments. As a six-year-old, Bao was born into a climate change family and became a climate change ambassador for the "Learn-Think-Act for Climate Change and Biodiversity (2020)" project. ACCB is implementing the project, which is funded by the US Embassy's Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI).
At the end of 2022, Bao and his family moved to Canada. Even though his stay in Canada was not long enough, he left a lasting impression on friends, teachers, and city leaders.
As part of the Lunar New Year celebrations for 2023, he met The Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, and the Mayor of Riverview, Mr. Andrew J. LeBlanc. He received the City of Riverview badge from the Mayor himself, which made it even more special.
Bao and his family with The Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor
Taking a photo with Henry and talking with him, Minister Ginette was very excited to meet a young man who loves politics like he does. The Mayor of Riverview City shared that: "I met Henry, a 9-year-old boy tonight, a young man who wants to become a mayor in the future! He is also working on environmental issues at the moment. I told him politicians often wear a badge on their coat from the town or community they represent, so I gave him my badge until he became Mayor and got his own badge!"
Bao received the badge from The Mayor of River View
To prepare for the opportunity to meet politicians in Canada, Henry wrote down his plan and the stories he wanted to share. "My point of view was very briefly presented to the politicians, and I planned the project I would implement," he said.
After his first impressions of the foreign land, Bao was invited to visit Eco 360, the largest waste treatment company in the province and the country. Developing educational materials to influence my peers about protecting the environment is an honor for me. I hope to continue educating my peers about my food waste project. Bao's product and plan have been approved and shared in the project "Change Maker" by Macmillan publishing house (UK).
Bao has brought surprising and interesting things to his family and the Vietnamese community is that he received a letter of birthday greetings. This was accompanied by encouragement about his impact. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wrote a letter to Bao:
Wishing Nguyen The Bao a very healthy new year and success in achieving his dreams and ambitions.
Here are some information and projects that The Bao has done. This landing page is also made by himself.
Click here.
Phan Thi Quynh Trang, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Teaching and training ESL has always been my passion, and I am dedicated to contributing to the success of others. I am enthusiastic, creative and caring, proficient in theory and practical application, and always strive to provide quality lectures and provide quality care to my students.
During the Covid 19 pandemic, I realized I needed to adapt quickly to changing circumstances. The only option I had at that time was to either lose everything or to continue on the educational career path that I had chosen. However, I had to continue in a completely different direction. And I realized that Technology has made it possible for educators to connect with audiences and share their expertise in seemingly unlimited ways.
Since I have expertise in teaching, I can apply products to teaching and point out the weaknesses of manufacturers. Through my contribution to educational technology units in the country, I discovered that the educational entrepreneur creates positive value change using economic resources named "studying". A new challenge worth taking on is motivating educators to realize their value, stay current, and broaden their horizons for the sustainable development of the educational technology industry. "We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give."
