I have two types of content: memories of students, and the success of NIIE. Both are merely a summary of a vast amount of memories collected over several years at NIIE.

Memories of Students

My first day teaching at NIIE was March 8, 2011. It also happened to be Women’s Day. As my students filed into the classroom, they called out, “Happy Women’s Day, Teacher.” One student, however, took a bold (and quite likely culturally ‘faux-pas’) step: he walked right up to me, wished me Happy Women’s Day, and gave me a big hug. It set the tone for my time at NIIE: my students will never cease to amaze and surprise me.

Students have tempted me to break the “No eating or drinking in the classroom” regulation, plying me with fresh, hot soy bean milk with pandan leaf in an early-morning English class, or sneaking in ‘banh ong la dua’ as an afternoon pick-me-up during break in Business class.

I’ve been blown away far more times than I could keep track of by levels of professionalism displayed by our students. Listening to students give convincing business presentations, preside over mock business meetings, submit reports demonstrating logical and skillful use of Excel, create original video surveys and commercials – the visible potential for these students to become, not simply managers, but CEOs of leading companies makes me pause in my mundane evaluation and marking process and just try to take it all in.

I’ve worked with students who had to overcome personal struggles and tragedies to be successful in the educational program. One student, from Hai Phong, financed her own way through the entire program. That was likely the easiest part; she went from starting with almost no English, to successfully completing the program, which in our final Business class included leading an all-male team in giving a group presentation in English. Not only did she succeed linguistically, but it was also evident that she had developed leadership qualities to the extent that the male students respected and cooperated well with her.

Another student’s family had suddenly broken up, leaving crushing debt and a void in the student’s life; during out 1.5-hour messaging conversation, he told me that he didn’t want to live anymore, his distraught was so great. Or the student, whose father was his friend, his mentor, his tutor, his guidance and career counselor, who found his father passed away from a sudden heart attack one Saturday morning. These students could have viewed their circumstances as a stumbling block, an excuse for not getting up after a fall. But instead, they turned their respective situations into stepping stones, a means to move forward. They developed resilience, inner strength, even fortitude, which enabled them to focus on their studies with their long-term goal clearly in mind and heart. Talking with these students, watching their struggles and triumphs, is truly an inspiration, and a success story in its own right.

In my room, on a shelf, is a bowl of instant noodles. It has been there, unopened, for a few years now, and it will remain as such. It was a spontaneous year-end gift from two Business students. The brand: “Nho mai mai” (Remember forever) speaks volumes about very mutual feelings between these two students and myself.

In my closet hangs several ao dais, given me students. Each one brings back memories of students who, despite a great disparity in personal ability, all share common denominators, such as integrity, perseverance and determination. Although I rarely have occasion to wear the ao dais, they are reminders of people whose life paths crossed mine, and left me with more than just tangible evidence of our relationship.

From that first day, the impulsive and very warm welcome by my student, I really feel blessed to have been able to get to know so many wonderful people, in the form of my students. Of course, it’s a challenge to really get to know students individually when class sizes are large, and we work with groups. So I once bent the rules so I could talk on a more personal level, one-on-one, with some students. I was doing a Speaking exam, which typically has very predictable questions, which students often memorize answers for, in hopes of getting a higher score. But rather than asking the usual questions, I asked open-ended questions, on a more personal note. As it was just myself and one student in the room, students really opened up about so much. I learned a lot more about them, which led me to understand their behavior better and to be more empathetic. And while they were at first taken quite by surprise by the unorthodox way I conducted the exam, they quickly felt more relaxed. And it certainly gave a good indication of their ability to speak spontaneously on a variety of topics.

The memories I have of my students help me to feel that my time working at NIIE has been meaningful and has brought a measure of accomplishment and success to students, myself and NIIE.

The success of NIIE

Wherever I work or live, one of the single most important elements to experiencing a feeling of accomplishment, meaning and success is the people I interact with. At NIIE, the hundreds of students who have passed through our programs, many of whom I have taught, have built their own record of achievement. As they do so, they have contributed to my own sense of meaning as well as to the success of NIIE.

As lecturers, we guide students through the learning process, share knowledge and experience, and give students freedom to apply what they’ve learned as well as to show their abilities through a variety of activities and projects. Over the years, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed watching as students use everything their disposal and express their creativity as they complete various assignments. Hospitality students have put on Food Festivals, which involved cooking and serving traditional foods from a variety of countries. They decorated their tables and wore the typical dress from their respective countries, which involved careful research as well as resourcefulness. Business Administration students have been involved in a number of activities: coming up with and implementing an innovation at NIIE; organizing and running a small business; creating a product/service and making an exhibition booth to display it. One Business class organized and managed a highly successful, formal Black & White Gala, which was perhaps the most memorable event for me, as they took the initiative to bring a simple teamwork project to a whole new level. They blew me away with the level of professionalism and teamwork they displayed. English students organized a Short Film Festival, featuring films they themselves had written and produced.

Our yearly Fashion for Professionals Fashion Show is the culmination of a foundation soft skills course. Watching students take their turn walking down the catwalk, in their professional dress, coiffed hair and careful makeup, giving a 1-2 minute speech in English, gives a glimpse of how far our students can go. Students have noted that after the event, their levels of confidence have increased measurably.

Through these and many other projects, NIIE and lecturers have supported students, by giving them chances for real-life learning. The lessons learned from these activities will stay in the minds of our students, long after exam answers, painfully memorized, have been forgotten. These are the lessons which they need to be successful, not just in school, but in the real world. By experiencing success in a controlled but realistic environment, students are better equipped to be successful in the less predictable working environment. Their successes both as students and as working adults contribute to my personal sense of accomplishment as well as to the continued realization of NIIE’s vision.

Ms Katrina Kirkpatrick- Instructor of Business Faculty at NIIE