Mizzou-What is in it for you

Quite often people asked me: “So what brings you to Mizzou, the middle of nowhere?” I honestly could not find a solid answer at the time I got accepted to the university. The only thing I knew, and fortunately I would find myself in love with, was the beauty of six columns, the symbol of the University, in a photograph.

However, after four years studying here, I never had a thought of regret about my choice. Mizzou is a wonderful place to study and to live. It has witnessed my growing, my failure and success, and my up and down moments during the last four years. I do not know what specifically brought me here, but I can list a numerous reasons why I am so in love with this place.

Among those reasons, having a strong Vietnamese community is the best thing. The Vietnamese Student Association at Mizzou currently has around 70 members. Having a supportive Vietnamese community here gives you the feelings of home-away-from-home. Here we celebrate almost every traditional Vietnamese holiday such as Mid-Autumn festival, Christmas, and New Year. As many other students, I am so thankful for the thoughtful guidance and great support from many Vietnamese people here.

At Mizzou, we not only help each other in life, but also do our best to introduce the beautiful and rich Vietnamese culture and history to international friends. The VSA has always actively participated in annual events such as the International Welcome party and International Night, making our community more visible on campus. There were awesome moments when I taught international friends how to pronounce some Vietnamese words, and when someone told me: “I love your group performances. They are so impressive, and the custom was so colorful.” Participating in those activities make me realized how beautiful my country is, and how much I am proud of being a Vietnamese.

In addition, Columbia is a peaceful, friendly, and safe town. It is not rare to receive smiles from strangers on the street. Columbia people are very kind and friendly. There are an exciting mix of local restaurants, coffee shops, and galleries. One more bonus point, the cost of living here is moderately low compared to the average United States’ living costs. This is an ideal town for me; however, if you love the atmosphere of big cities, then this may be a boring place.

Well, it seems like an advertising piece for Mizzou. But honestly I am totally in love with this place. The MIZ-ZOU spirit is in me, and being a part of the Mizzou family is awesome. I am going to graduate this May, and still have at least three more months to live here, but the idea of leaving Mizzou one day is so hard to accept.