I was a child without dreams. Moving to America helped me become a scientist

Today, I am living and studying in the U.S. Looking back, my journey to discover my passion for science has been neither short nor easy, but deeply meaningful. I want to share this story for young people who feel just as I once did: unsure where to begin, not knowing what they truly love.

When I was in 5th grade, I was a child without dreams. My friends chased their hobbies with determination, while I remained clueless about what excited me. That sense of aimlessness weighed on me, making me feel lonely in my own mind.

Then one day in Physics class, my teacher told us about a method to turn human bones into artificial diamonds by grinding them into powder and heating them at extremely high temperatures. It was such a strange story, but it sparked a curiosity in me that I had never felt before. I started researching and discovered crystallography. That was my first bridge to Chemistry, a subject I had never even touched before.

I began teaching myself. I bought old books, watched YouTube videos and grew crystals at home. I learned how to make complex solutions from international science websites. Studying alone was tough, but it strengthened my practical skills and independence.

Later, I met Chemical Engineering students from Phenikaa University. Together, we set up a small shop selling crystals and founded Vietnam's largest crystallography community.

But passion has its risks. Once, sulfuric acid splashed into my eye during an experiment. I was terrified but kept silent, fearing my family would ban me from Chemistry. I spent half an hour rinsing my eye in the bathroom, tears mixed with pain and fear. Luckily, I escaped with only a minor burn on my eyelid. That day, I realized my passion could be dangerous, but it made me cherish my path even more.

I began entering crystallography competitions at the University of Science in Hanoi and won a few small prizes. Those early achievements gave me confidence that I was on the right path.

In 2022, my family moved to America. The early days were the hardest. I couldn't speak English and felt trapped in silence. Loneliness and insecurity suffocated me. But I refused to give up. I emailed university labs asking for internships. Almost all rejected me for being too young.

Then a professor at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) replied. He said he had never met someone so young who loved Chemistry that much. He gave me an internship at his lab every Friday. Today, I am part of a research team studying antibiotic-resistant bacteria at UCI.

My high school days were long. I would go to school from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., then take university courses from 4:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. I finished my first- and second-year university Chemistry courses while still in 10th grade.

I remember falling asleep on the bus after evening class and waking up an hour past my stop. I had no idea where I was and had to figure out my way home alone. I didn't tell my family, not wanting them to worry. But deep down, I felt happy, because each struggle brought me closer to my dream of becoming a scientist.

Earlier this year, I published my first book with my UCI professor's guidance: "The Evolution and Consequences of Antibiotic Resistance." I wrote it to share my knowledge with young science enthusiasts, hoping to make this difficult topic easier to understand.

If you are reading this and feel lost, know this: it's okay not to have dreams yet. But don't stop exploring. Keep learning, keep trying, keep failing. Someday, curiosity will ignite your passion, and that passion will become your purpose.