Hoa Khoi Lien Truong
University of Washington, Seattle
In 2017, I joined a student club, Vietnamese Student Association at the University of Washington (VSAUW), as a part of my first year college experience. With VSA, I was able to make many friends despite being in my first year and studying out-of-state; the club further helped me reconnect with my root through various meetings and off-campus events.
As I continue my involvement, I wanted to play a bigger role in the club and eventually became a graphic designer. Throughout the semesters, I had designed many event banners, promotional materials, and merchandises — one of my biggest project was Hoa Khoi Lien Truong 2019.
Hoa Khoi Lien Truong (HKLT) is a beauty pageant show held biennially by the club where 16 students participate together to express the many aspects of Vietnamese traditions and cultural significance. The 3-hour show consisted from a series of dances, skits, runway fashion exhibit, and proverb speeches. Family, friends, and other student club associates counted for at least 300 members in the audience and the show was an amazing success.
As the designer, I wanted our theme to be elegant (the moon), colorful (the gradients) and, yet, powerful (the butterflies). With unsurmountable level of love and effort I had put into the show, HKLT had become my biggest project and the greatest pride, yet.