To teachers and friends, Ngọc Linh (12Denver) is known as a talented dancesport performer with confident movements and captivating stage presence. Perhaps because of this, many people expected that Linh would pursue a path related to art and creativity. However, what makes her journey truly remarkable is her decision to follow a completely different direction: her passion for biological research and nutritional science.
Throughout seven years of practicing dancesport, Linh realized that maintaining a strong, flexible body, sustaining endurance, and recovering after high-intensity training are not determined solely by technique or effort. They are also deeply influenced by how the body is cared for and nourished every day. She wanted to gain a deeper understanding of how food affects energy levels, recovery ability, athletic performance, and long-term health. This curiosity became the motivation behind her decision to pursue Diet and Exercise at Iowa State University (USA) — a program that integrates nutritional science, physiology, and exercise science.
While her experience in dancesport helped Linh recognize the critical role of nutrition in athletic performance, her learning journey at Dewey empowered her to develop independent research skills, critical thinking, and the ability to connect knowledge across different disciplines. Through subjects such as Biology and Physics, Linh came to understand that every athlete has a unique body with different needs. Variations in hormones, bone structure, muscle mass, and physical conditions require personalized nutrition strategies tailored to each individual.
Linh’s choice of major also represents an important milestone in her personal growth and maturity. She shared that teachers at Dewey inspired her with the spirit of lifelong learning and the confidence to believe in herself. Instead of choosing a “popular” major based on trends, Linh chose a field she believes holds strong potential after researching global developments and future opportunities. She was also the one who convinced her family to trust her decision, rather than following the initial direction toward finance and business.
Looking back on her journey of earning more than VND 12 billion in scholarships from prestigious universities in the United States, Linh believes that what sets her apart is her willingness to embrace differences and courageously pursue her own path — a valuable mindset she developed during her years at Dewey. Here, she discovered many colorful versions of herself: a passionate dancer giving her all on the stage of D-Show 25, a smart and charismatic MC in W-News, and an enthusiastic “teacher” supporting students in mountainous areas through the “Nâng bước em tới trường” project. As she once wrote in her personal essay: “The freedom to explore, even with doubts and uncertainties along the way, is the greatest gift that youth can bring.”
In the future, Ngọc Linh hopes to become a sports nutrition specialist or personal nutrition consultant, helping Vietnamese athletes develop appropriate strategies throughout different stages of training, recovery, and competition. Beyond that, she hopes to bring nutritional knowledge closer to the community, especially to young people who are on their own journeys of self-discovery and growth.
