12 years at Olympia – Nguyễn Trí Nghĩa takes flight to a top 50 U.S. university

“To me, Olympia is truly a home - a place where every member learns and grows in a warm, nurturing environment, with teachers who walk alongside us with understanding, trust, and genuine care. Here, I have not only built a strong academic foundation, but also developed resilience, critical thinking, kindness, and the confidence to step into the world.”

Over 12 years at Olympia, Nghĩa explored many different versions of himself: performing on stage, speaking before an audience, and stepping into the roles of an entrepreneur, a lawyer, or a United Nations delegate through academic and simulation activities. Each role pushed him beyond his comfort zone, helping him overcome initial shyness and learn to express his ideas with clarity and confidence.

“These experiences became important ‘breaking-the-cocoon’ moments,” Nghĩa reflects, “shaping my mindset and inner strength, preparing me for an international environment while allowing me to proudly carry the Vietnamese identity that Olympia has patiently nurtured and preserved.”

That reflection comes from Nguyễn Trí Nghĩa, an Olympian who spent 12 formative years at the “Purple School” and has just concluded the 2025 application season with impressive results. He was admitted through Early Decision (ED1) to Northeastern University, ranked among the Top 50 universities in the United States, and also received offers from Penn State - Smeal College of Business and Suffolk University, with total scholarships exceeding 2.3 billion VND.

Choosing to pursue Business Administration, Nghĩa shares that his inspiration came largely from his parents, through everyday conversations about running a business and the challenges behind success. A defining influence was his hands-on experience helping operate his family’s café - a small-scale but very real business environment. By applying simple technological solutions to enhance customer connection there, Nghĩa gradually shaped his vision of pursuing business intertwined with technology, while always keeping people at the center and aiming for sustainable value for the community.

At Olympia, this passion was further cultivated through career-oriented activities, in-depth workshops, and elective courses - especially Entrepreneurship. From developing ideas and building business models to understanding operations, with close guidance from teachers, Nghĩa became increasingly confident in his choice and committed to his path.

According to Nghĩa, the most compelling element of his application was not GPA alone, but a sustained journey of extracurricular engagement and leadership. Serving as K12 Head, leading multiple projects, and participating in volunteer activities demonstrated his sense of responsibility, ability to connect people, and desire to create positive community impact - qualities that earned the trust of peers, teachers, and admissions committees alike.

“After 12 years at Olympia, I am deeply grateful to the school and my teachers - not only for the knowledge they gave me, but for helping shape who I am and preparing me with a solid foundation for the future. I truly cherish the safe, warm, and healthy learning environment Olympia offers - where every student is heard, respected, and encouraged to grow as their authentic self. These values will stay with me for the long journey ahead. Olympia will always be a very special part of me,” Nguyễn Trí Nghĩa shares.

May this young Olympian continue to move forward with confidence on the path ahead, carrying with him the love, kindness, and inner strength nurtured in his purple “home,” and boldly leaving his own mark beneath the wide open sky.