Ms. Nguyen Thanh Mai holds a Master’s degree in Educational Management and is currently a member of the Board of Directors and Principal of Vietnamese American School System (VASS). With nearly 30 years dedicated to education, including 21 years as Principal of a multi-level bilingual school, she is known as a dedicated administrator who always places the holistic development of her students at the center. Besides her administrative duties, she also directly teaches life skills and school psychology, paying particular attention to the mental health of her students. Global Women magazine introduces this remarkable woman.
Not only an educator, Thanh Mai is also a strong and capable single mother. She shares that she has been fulfilling this role well with resilience, optimism, and a positive outlook on life. Born and raised in an intellectual family with a three-generation tradition of “male medicine – female education,” family holds a special place in her heart. It’s where she learned her first life lessons about love, sharing, honesty, self-confidence, and preserving good traditional values. Her family is also a strong emotional support system, accepting her unconditionally, empowering her to overcome challenges, improve herself, and persistently pursue her dreams.
In her management work, Thanh Mai emphasizes core values such as honesty, integrity, responsibility, and unwavering trust with partners, colleagues, and subordinates. She focuses on clear planning, innovation, improving educational quality, longterm vision, and building team cohesion. For her, a positive work environment must be nurtured by encouragement, transparency, and unwavering determination in the face of challenges.
In education, Thanh Mai is dedicated to character development, focusing on students’ mental health and spreading a positive, humane philosophy. She firmly believes in the principle of “teaching people before teaching academics.” She particularly values character development, building a safe, nonviolent learning environment based on respect and understanding. The school environment should be green, quiet, and encourage reading and diverse extracurricular activities, helping students confidently explore themselves and develop holistically.
In life, Thanh Mai chooses to live true to her values: setting clear goals, cherishing the present, enjoying the journey, and turning difficulties into motivation. This philosophy helps her remain resilient in the face of failure and continuously strive to live better each day.
Her joy and peace come from very simple things: daily conversations with her son, who lives half a world away, or moments caring for two stray cats. For Thanh Mai, it was a profound healing experience, a warm source of energy to continue sowing the seeds of character for future generations.
