UVSA South is proud to present the second installment of Trở Về Việt Nam! Join us on March 13th, 2021 to take in the spectacle. Please register on this page to join us on Zoom for the event. Registration is free!
WHAT IS TRỞ VỀ VIỆT NAM?
Translated into English, it means “Return to Vietnam.” Each year, UVSA South hosts Trở Về Việt Nam to bring the members of our region together for a night that celebrates the Vietnamese-American culture and heritage. The night’s main focal point is a theatrical production that serves to tell a story about our experiences as Vietnamese-Americans. We will also be highlighting the incredible performance talents of our members with singing, dancing, acting, and many other art forms.
THIS YEAR’S THEME
This year’s theme is “Ai.” “Ai” is the Vietnamese term for “who.” Who are you? Who do you want to be? And how do you plan to get there? For a majority of our lives, we are trying to discover who we are as a person. So, how do we shape that identity? Explore how our identity is formed from our culture, the people we surround ourselves with, and the decisions that we make. This TVVN, we will embark on a journey on how each character finds their own definition of who they are.
HOW CAN WE ATTEND?
Trở Về Việt Nam this year will be a free online experience! Register to attend the live Zoom call below, it’s free! We will also be live-streaming to Facebook for those unable to join the Zoom. We encourage our attendees to dress in their finest cultural wear! Some elements of the show will be interactive, so have your phones ready!
SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
If you are interested in sponsoring this show, please contact Treasurer@UVSASouth.org! We have many packages available to advertise your business at our event! Your sponsorship dollars will go towards purchasing the licenses we need to stream this to our audience, props and sets for the show, as well as equipment to record and produce the show!
Stay tuned for the announced of performers!
College is a time for self-discovery, but what happens when you don’t like what you find? Nicole grew up sheltered by the expectations of her parents, but now with a fresh start at university, she has the power to reinvent herself. With the help of her brother, Philip, and friend Isaiah, the world is hers to claim. But amongst her newfound freedom, her past looms overhead with an iron grip. Philip has always been the brightest star, but what happens when the fire burns out? Isaiah is always ready to lend a helping hand, but things begin to burn out of control when he faces unintended consequences from his actions. Nicole, Philip, and Isaiah must balance the intricacies of social life, but things get complicated when they confront their inner demons. Although they each have their own path, they must learn to lean on each other in order to discover who they are. Will they be able to answer “Ai,” or will what’s inside consume them?
Michele Truong
Michele Truong was originally from the Northeast region, and a recent graduate from Rutgers University with a Bachelors of Science in Public Health and Political Science. She was the former Rutgers VSA President and has been an active member within Northeast and New England. From living in New Jersey all her life, she has moved to Dallas, Texas looking for her next career move, building new relationships and continuing to give back to the VSA community. In her spare time, you will find that she loves to travel, find new foods, sing, and spend quality time with her friends and family!
Adam Nguyen
Adam Việt Nguyễn is a senior at the University of Texas at Austin pursuing a BSA in Biochemistry. He was born and raised in Houston, Texas and hopes to return home to study medicine in the world’s largest medical center – the Texas Medical Center. Adam currently serves as Texas VSA’s Culture Chair and was one of TVVN Vol. 1’s Performance Co-Coordinator. His interests include gaming, music, and cooking – the three things he feel has allowed him to meet so many wonderful people in life. Vietnamese culture has always been an important aspect for Adam’s identity and he hopes to use his platform to not only share it with others, but also expand his only knowledge on the subject.
Em Nguyen
Hoàng Ân “Em” Nguyễn is a post-bacc junior at the University of St. Thomas pursuing a BSN. He hopes to create a career in the healthcare industry as a nurse. He has completed a BS is Biology at the University of Houston. He is currently serving as the President of UST VSA, CPP Campaign Committee Member ’19 -’21, and UNAVSA VE-2 Entertainment Co-Directors. Em has been heavily involved within the VSA space holding leadership positions for the past several years with UH VSA, UST VSA, UVSA South, and UNAVSA. Em is passionate about fostering the next generations of leaders of the VSA, and greater Vietnamese-American communities. On his free time, he enjoys cooking, baking, hiking, exploring the outdoors, and gaming with friends.
Julie Inpeng
Julie is currently a junior at the University of Texas at San Antonio studying Kinesiology, pre-PT. She is currently the Vice President of Operations within UTSA VSA, having formerly been the cultural chair. Julie most looks forward to seeing her’s, as well as her peers’, visions come alive during the making of this second volume of TVVN, as this is her first year as a UVSA South Staff Member. Her interests include dancing, cooking, and knitting.
Michelle Nguyen
Michelle Nguyen is currently a senior at the University of Houston pursuing a BS in Psychology. After graduating she hopes to gain more experience in the medical field to pursue her dream career of becoming a Clinical Psychologist. She is currently serving her second term as President for UH VSA , and served as a Co-Cultural chair the previous year. Her hobbies include mainly napping, playing League, and eating AYCE sashimi whenever she can!
Ryan Valdez
Ryan is a native Houstonian and Filipino-American. He joined University of Houston VSA as a sophomore, and later became involved with UVSA South and UNAVSA, taking several leadership roles in each organization. He is a former UVSA South President as well as a student at Texas Woman’s University pursuing a Master’s in Healthcare Administration. He also currently works at MD Anderson Cancer Center as an Administrative Assistant. Ryan’s hobbies include adventuring, board games, Steam games, videography, Disney-Pixar/Marvel movies, and being with friends no matter what the occasion.
