“Giving up is definitely not an option. So do not let a single misfortune determine your future.”
— Cuong Huynh, Akamai Technologies Creative Resume Action-Based Scholarship Winner
I had the pleasure of interviewing Cuong Huynh, the winner of the Akamai Creative Resume Challenge.
The challenge was to create a non-traditional resume showcasing yourself in a way outside of a regular one-page resume.
Cuong created a dance music video at his workplace that was able to show text in a resume style. He won a $3,000 scholarship.
The scholarship was sponsored by Akamai Technologies.
“In a faster forward world, innovation doesn’t wait for technology.”
Akamai is the global leader in Content Delivery Network (CDN) services, making the Internet fast, reliable and secure for its customers. The company’s advanced web performance, mobile performance, cloud security and media delivery solutions are revolutionizing how businesses optimize consumer, enterprise and entertainment experiences for any device, anywhere.”
Tuan: Thank you so much for doing this with us! What is your “backstory”?
My name is Cuong Huynh and I am a senior at John D O’Bryant High School. I was born in Vietnam and migrated to Boston, MA when I was 8 years old. I am currently in the process of applying for colleges and hoping to go to Boston University. I have an interest in computer science and engineering. However, I would love to explore different fields of study during my first year in college. I also love dancing during my leisure time and I am looking forward to meet new people in college through dance as well.
Tuan: Can you share the feeling that you have when you know that you were the winner of the challenge?
I have to say, it was a blissful moment of my life knowing that I was the winner of the Akamai challenge. Thanks to this great opportunity that ScholarJet and Akamai has offered, I was able to put my passion, hip-hop dancing, into this challenge, which has helped me win this scholarship. Ultimately, all that practice for many years has not gone to waste. This is the first scholarship that I have won so far and it makes me feel like I can accomplish anything in this world.
Tuan: Did you happen to be good at video making, dancing or science before you participated in the challenge?
I am still a novice at video making, but shout out to one of my close friends, Tri Tran for helping me with filming and editing the video. Dancing is my biggest passion and it plays an essential role in my life. I have been dancing for three years now. To me, dancing is a form of self expression that physically links your emotions to a piece of music. It has a huge influence in my everyday life because I basically dance everywhere I go — whether it is on the train, bus, at work, in bed, or even in class — and yes, I’ve got detention for this a few times. Wherever there is music playing, my body naturally flows with the rhythm of the song. I think most dancers can agree that dance is an addiction. Speaking of science, I wouldn’t say I am good at this subject but I do have an interest in computer science and engineering.
Tuan: Did you happen to learn anything along the process?
Along the process, I learned that it doesn’t matter if I win or not, what really matters is having fun and be able to express myself through dancing. With the help of my friend, I learned new video editing skills that I can use in my future videos!
I believe that this makes the best video representation of myself while incorporating my passion of dance and my favorite workplace in the submission.
Tuan: Did you learn anything about company Akamai Technologies who created the scholarship or the meaning behind the scholarship itself?
I learned that Akamai Technologies is an American content delivery network who works behind the scenes of many popular company such as Netflix, Hulu, or even Amazon to make sure that their website service is running fast and smooth. One shocking fact I learned is that Akamai is the largest distributed computing platforms in the world. They are also responsible for providing between 15% and 30% of all web traffic. So if my Netflix ever buffers frequently, I might have to give their customer service team a call.
Check out his winning submission!
Tuan: What do you think makes your submission stand out? Can you share what went through your mind as you worked on the submission?
I think what makes my submission stand out is the originality of it. I am just being myself, a regular high school student who loves to dance. When I first heard about this showcasing your talents challenge, the first thing that popped up in my head was dancing. In my mind, I know that I have to include dance as a theme because it defines who I am and what I do. I, myself, dislikes writing essays and creating resumes. When I heard about this challenge of creating a “creative” resume without the need of writing, I decided to be myself and do what I love most — dancing. I believe that the originality of my submission makes it stands out. By dancing, I was able to fully express who I am, rather than just plainly writing it on a resume template.
Tuan: Why do you think it is important to have alternative scholarships like action-based scholarships in the community?
It is extremely important to have an alternative scholarship like this because not everybody is good at one thing. Most scholarships nowadays require participants to write essays. The students are judged based on their writing style or the proficiency of their writing. However, not everybody is good at essay writing, including myself, which puts us at a disadvantage to showcase ourselves to the committee. Those who have a hard time with this traditional process could struggle financially due to the scholarships that they have missed. ScholarJet gives us an opportunity to be innovative and creative, and do something different, rather than writing extensive essays. I believe that this will definitely give high school students a chance to participate and push their creativity to the next level. Once again, action for education!
Tuan: With your hard work, talents and skills how are you looking to create a better future?
I am looking forward to be a better person than I was yesterday. This is the first step I am taking to be an independent person and take initiative for my own education. From my perspective, a better future means being able to go to college without the financial stress and giving back to my parents. I am determined to apply for more scholarships like these, continue working, and be more involved in the community to learn different skills to improve myself.
Tuan: Do you have any tips for future scholars who are looking to participate in an action-based scholarship?
I would definitely encourage students to apply for ScholarJet and not be intimidated by the challenges. Like Nike would say, “Just Do It”. Have fun, be humble, and be yourself! Even if you don’t win, just be happy that you had learned something along the way. Learn from your mistake and improve on it. Giving up is definitely not an option. So do not let a single misfortune determine your future. Oprah was publicly fired on her first television job as an anchor but look at where she is now. An inspirational quote from her is, “When you undervalue what you do, the world will undervalue who you are.”
Tuan: If you could have lunch with any person in this world, who would it be and why?
I would love to have lunch with Bill Gates so that I can ask him about advice on his brilliant business ideas and how to be a billionaire.
Tuan: Thank you so much for participating in our scholarship and congratulation once again.
Thank you so much for having me. Most important of all, thank you for giving students like me an opportunity to express ourselves and making scholarships fun to do! It is truly a blessing doing what you love and earning an honorable prize for your hard work. Special thanks to ScholarJet and Akamai Technologies once again for making this happen.
