Growing into leadership: Khoa’s story

Note: The article below is a program manager’s reflection on one of the fellows they mentored (Khoa). It is a testament to the program manager’s care and belief in their mentees who are diligent but still in the process of finding their voice.

As a program manager at Rise, I have the opportunity to walk alongside many young people who yearn to create positive change in Vietnamese society. Each person comes to Rise with a different story, starting point, and pace of growth. Among them, there is one individual who has left a particularly strong impression on me—Khoa (name changed).

I first met Khoa when he joined the training courses in Rise’s Social Movement Vocational School leadership training series in 2023. My initial impression of Khoa was that he was a very serious learner: always punctual, responsible, eager to learn, and well-prepared for each session. He had many thoughts and ideas, but was quite reserved when it came to sharing them in front of the class.

Over the course of the sessions, I gradually recognized the challenge Khoa was facing: he had ideas but did not yet know how to organize and present them in a clear, coherent, and accessible way. This sometimes made him hesitant to speak, afraid that his thoughts were not clear enough or that others would not understand him. This is a common barrier for young people working in the social sector today: they reflect deeply but but lack the language and confidence to voice their thoughts.

What made me believe in Khoa, however, was that he did not give up. Through each training course, each practice session, and every small piece of feedback, Khoa gradually became more confident. He began to try speaking, to re-articulate his ideas, and, more importantly, to dare to make mistakes for the sake of improvement. These changes did not happen overnight, but they were enough for me to see that Khoa was growing at his own pace.

Later, Khoa brought what he had learned back to his own group and applied it in practice. More than a year later, when Rise’s Season 1 Fellowship was launched, Khoa was one of the earliest applicants. 

Khoa entered the Fellowship with a very clear aspiration: to become a leader who empowers others, listens deeply, has the ability to train team members, and can connect with partners to expand the scale of his project. Throughout the Fellowship journey, I witnessed him gradually turn that aspiration into reality.

From someone who was used to working independently and making all decisions himself, Khoa learned how to listen, delegate, and lead a team. He no longer tried to do everything on his own but focused on guiding and supporting others. He listened and created space for team members to grow alongside him. Khoa also proactively connected with other groups and organizations, expanded his network, and sought additional resources for the project he was pursuing.

The path of living out the ideal of creating a better society has never been easy for anyone. Khoa faced many challenges, pressures, and periods of stagnation. Yet what stood out most clearly to me was his perseverance. Step by step—slow but steady—he continued forward with care and with faith in the goal he was pursuing: bringing greater fairness to the community he serves.

Looking back on that journey, I realize that the Fellowship not only helped Khoa develop skills, but also helped him build the inner strength needed to go the long distance. Khoa’s growth did not come from a single milestone, but was formed through years of learning, practice, and reflection alongside Rise.

I very much hope to meet Khoa again and invite him to become a speaker for Rise, to share his story of growing together with Rise—about the journey of cultivating inner strength, and about the movement he is leading today. Not to speak of success, but to say this: young people can grow, if they are given enough time, support, and belief to keep moving forward.

Team Rise