Concordia’s high school recently held a reading resume competition, for reading outside of class, judged on the depth and breadth of books read. 

Jinseo Park (G10) was the overall winner. “I focused entirely on the books I actually wanted to read rather than reading to write a resume,” said Jinseo. "I mostly focused my book selection on non-fictions related to neuroscience, because I find brains fascinating! I also tried to diversify my reading with other genres of books including classic novels, science fiction, memoir, business books, etc. instead of limiting it to one.” 

 
“I read a lot of books discussing topics regarding the intricacies of our brain and the common challenges that medical professions face when dealing with patients, and their difficult decisions in life or death situations. A lot of these books also explored psychological concepts from which I could gain valuable insights. It was tough to read through some of the books since they are quite dense and technical, but I tried to challenge myself, and I think it was a good decision,” Jinseo added.
 
Synthia (G12) took second prize. “When I was little, I used to read books just because they were fun. However, growing up, I realized that books had accumulated so much outside experiences that are beyond my reach or imagination. They have broadened my horizon, enlarged my capacity of thoughts, and became special teachers that taught me what school didn’t teach. I’m so grateful to all those amazing experiences books have brought me, and I’m still excited to read, learn more things and connect myself to unique/individual thoughts!” said Synthia.

“I’m not a bookworm, I can stop reading as soon as I finish one more chapter,” said Gia Minh, who took 3rd prize.

Individual grade winners included Andrew in G11, Chaewon in G10 and Preston in G9.
 
"Reading to the mind is the sunshine to all lives," said Andrew.
 
“The Reading Resume competition gave me a meaningful opportunity to write down my insights and opinions about the books I've read. This competition definitely motivated me to read a more diverse variety of books and to have deeper thoughts while reading, said Chaewon.

"The Reading Resume competition allowed me to better appreciate and expand my knowledge of books, and broaden the breadth of my reading. Some books that I read and summarized included: Fools Crow, about the famed Native American shaman; Yes Yes Y'all, on oral history of hip hop; and Catcher in the Rye; each book bettered my respect for and comprehension of literary works," said Preston.

The contest is part of Concordia’s commitment to encouraging students to read. 

“As your knowledge grows your depth and breadth of understanding also expands. I think reading a variety of in-depth books has been a great help in learning challenging classes and contributed to my improved writing skills, not to mention instilling in me a passionate learning attitude,” said Jinseo, adding that she intends to use her VND1.5 million prize money for service. 

“I'm also planning on working with a senior, Emma, to purchase copies of her recently published children's book, Be Monster, with the cash I have won. My hope is that these books will be donated to Vietnamese kids in the Dong Anh region who have lost learning opportunities during the pandemic," Jinseo added. Proceeds of Emma’s book are also going to an orphanage.