.png)
The flood that started it
I cannot forget the historic days of September 2024, when Vietnam had to brace itself against the ferocious Typhoon Yagi. Torrential rains battered the North, and the elements seemed to defy every human effort to hold them back; my hometown, too, lay within the danger zone.
I returned home with my family after the storms had passed, only to be met with a scene of unbelievable devastation. I could hardly fathom how much the landscape had changed in the mere span of a few weeks, from my previous visit during the National Day holiday to this moment. Homes, fields, and trees had all succumbed to the storm's fury; residents quietly salvaged what they could, leaving the rest to an uncertain future. One remark I heard then still fills me with a sense of heartache, yet it also ignited a drive within me - a drive that would eventually become the reason I pursued a career in science:
"Why bother fixing it? Next year, another storm will just come and sweep it all away."
That is why I am determined to learn and explore, using science to understand the root causes of natural disasters and to develop sustainable solutions, rather than relying solely on short-term aid. Behind every environmental problem are not only changes in nature, but also the lives, livelihoods, and futures of the people who face them. I haven't been able to solve the environmental problems that have been bothering me with just one study or experiment. But I have found what I want to pursue: using science to turn questions into solutions, and transforming seemingly discarded resources into opportunities for a more sustainable future.
