“Hello everyone, my name is Tran Quynh Anh. I am 18 years old. I am a girl who wants to set my career in business.” This might be a frequent introducing sample for the girls in Sauder, but if this is what I say in my hometown, it would become an annoying joke. In my culture, people do look down on women in business. They do not respect the women who are the breadwinner. Most people born with a set in mind that women are supposed to be in the kitchen and do the household, and raise kids and take well care of her husband.

Growing as the eldest daughter of a traditional Vietnamese family, I deeply resented the outworn concept of men’s superiority to women. My grandmother taught me about Three Obediences and Four Virtues since I was 10. My grandfather, who used to be a high school math teacher, always praises his grandsons while my sister and I got better grades in all subjects at school, including Math. My father wanted me to become a Literature teacher just because in his view; teaching Literature is the most suitable job for a girl. He thought that I should have been a high school teacher at 22, then get married and have children at the age of 28. He also insisted that a woman could not or shouldn’t be a manager if she hopes for happiness.

I felt sensible, even radical, to think that those statements were self-imposed. My mind became obsessed with the idea of breaking free from the gender-based constraints. So, when I turned 18 and became an adult by law, I wanted to celebrate my next step as the inverse element of my life. Also, fortunately, after many family talks (included argument, objecting, crying, persuading, negotiation) my parents agreed to support me in whatever I would want to do in the future.

Thus, I chose commerce for my higher education. It was a tough choice for me at first. Six months ago, I could not imagine that I would be in a business school. I did think about studying business and wearing suits before, but I had never take it seriously cause all I had studied for 12 years in school were about literature, languages, and arts; in other words, which people usually considered “girly things”. I applied for both Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Commerce and decided at last minute, right before accepting offer due time.

I opted to do things which my father and other people thought that I could not do just because I was born a girl. I wanted to prove that young women could do as well as men on every subject, whether it was business, technology, science or leadership, as long as we work hard. I would love to be a role model for my sister, my girl-cousins, and other little girls who were raised in the same background to me, support and let them know that they have the right to chase their dreams and become whatever they want to be without any gendered relevant limitations.

My name is Rosalie Quynh Anh Tran. I am an 18-year-old Vietnamese girl, and I am a student in Sauder School of Business – Bachelor of Commerce candidate 2021.