Tracy Dao Envisions a Future Senior-Living Career in Vietnam
By Scott Jackson
Since attending international school as a child in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Tracy Dao (’24 Intl. Busi., Finance) experienced firsthand the advantages of a diverse educational environment.
From a young age, Dao says she became fluent in three languages—Vietnamese, English, and Chinese—and had friends from a range of different cultural backgrounds. She says this experience cemented the value of inclusion and helped prepare her to study international business in the US.
Fostering success for international students
In her time at Carson College, Dao felt consistently encouraged to share her cultural perspective both in class and during group projects. Just as she shared her own perspective, Dao says she also benefited from the viewpoints her classmates brought to the table. She believes these experiences are invaluable for students preparing to enter an increasingly globalized, professional landscape.
“It’s not rare for you to work with people from other countries in your company,” she says. “Understanding different points of view will help you extend your empathy to other people and make it easier for you to collaborate with them.”
Dao was impressed by the drive of her business school peers and says the college constantly coaxed them to try out new programs and projects. For example, Dao said she had originally hoped to study abroad in China, because she speaks fluent Chinese. But when plans changed and China was no longer an option, the study abroad program encouraged her to travel to Italy instead and even helped her obtain a scholarship so she could afford the trip.
“That opportunity helped me gain that European cultural point of view, which is completely different from the US and Vietnam,” Dao says. “One of the biggest lessons I have learned is how to listen to people’s views and understand how culture impacts their thinking.”
She says other resources like the Carson Center for Student Success are particularly helpful for international students, guiding them through US industrial norms and helping them to access internships and other opportunities. This was part of the reason she engaged with the Granger Cobb Institute for Senior Living, where she participated in the Corporate Scholars program and gained valuable experience and insights in the senior-living industry.
Challenges and opportunity in senior care
Significant barriers to the establishment of senior-living communities in Vietnam are linked to the region’s custom of seniors being cared for by their children in multigenerational households. However, as industrialization progresses and younger generations move to cities for work and pursue more independent lifestyles, traditional family support systems are weakening. Many seniors are left without the same level of familial care. People are also choosing to have fewer children in response to a rising cost of living, meaning as generations age, there will be fewer relatives to help care for them.
While Vietnam’s population at present is relatively young, demographic experts warn the country will soon face a sharp rise in its senior population.
By the year 2036, forecasts predict Vietnam will transition from an “aging society,” where 7 percent or more of the population is 65 or older, to an “aged society,” where that number is 14 percent or greater.
Now that she’s graduated, Dao is preparing for career in investment finance that will position her to support the development of the senior-living industry in Vietnam. She says the demographic shift also represents growth opportunity for industries like health care and technologies that support older adults.
“Senior living is something I didn’t expect for my bachelor’s degree at WSU because it was totally a new concept at that time,” she says. “What I found so exciting was the idea of building up communities that support an aging population.”