Newsletter 23: The Work We Cannot See
1 February, 2025
TL;DR
Musing from India: Reflections on trust, patience, and the unseen labor of building something meaningful—through the metaphor of cotton candy.
Education for Good’s Website is LIVE! 🎉 Visit www.forgood.education and share any feedback!
Meet the Co-Managers for this summer’s UWC Short Courses in Vietnam:
Chau Doan joins Doing Good as Co-Manager alongside Quang Le.
Will Shan & Tien Pham will co-lead Embodying Earth.
Applications for both Short Courses launch soon—stay tuned!
Support our work: Consider giving to Education for Good—help us nurture leadership, sustainability, and global citizenship.
Musing from India about Cotton Candy
Dear Friends,
Happy Lunar New Year!
I write to you with a poetic mood from India, where I have spent the past week traveling with my parents—Delhi, Agra, Jaipur—marking their seventieth year in the world. The days have been a blur of color and movement: the gold of marigold garlands strung across temple gates, the hush of dawn over the Taj Mahal, the sweet tang of masala chai sipped from clay cups. In the evenings, we weave through Delhi’s roads in auto-rickshaws, past crumbling Mughal archways and neon-lit storefronts, the cool evening wind carrying the scent of roasting corn.
Between these moments, I have found myself thinking about a dream I had a month or so ago—about cotton candy. I spoke to my parents about it beneath the ramparts of Amber Fort, where Jaipur sprawled below us in shades of sandstone and dust. And now, I share it with you:
There’s a quiet kind of magic in the making of cotton candy. A metal drum hums, centrifugal force whips sugar into the air, delicate, wispy strands too fine to see at first. The maker, steady-handed, turns a paper cone in slow circles, trusting the motion before there is proof.
For long moments, there is nothing. The stick swirls through empty space, gathering what appears to be little more than air. And then—almost imperceptibly at first—the threads begin to catch. A wisp. A veil. A gathering. With time and persistence, the spiderweb-thin sugar threads accumulate, until what once seemed invisible takes shape, weightless yet whole.
This is how I am thinking about what Education for Good is working on in the Year of the Snake. The quiet, unseen labor behind the scenes. The patience of the spinner who moves through the emptiness, trusting that something is forming even when it cannot yet be held. So much of the effort, in the beginning, feels like spinning sugar into nothing. The emails sent, the calls made, the plans laid out in careful lines. It is easy to wonder if the work matters when the form has not yet revealed itself.
But I remind myself: momentum is coming. The turning of the stick. The belief that what seems like air will coalesce into something real. If we keep showing up, keep moving through the motions with care, the strands will gather. The shape will come. And if it doesn’t look perfect, that’s okay, too. And one day, without quite knowing when the shift happened, I will look up and find the thing whole in my hands.
So I turn the stick. And I trust the spin.
In this year of the snake, may you, too, trust the spin.
Yours,
Sam
Education for Good’s Website is LIVE!
We’re thrilled to share that Education for Good now has an official home online! While we haven’t made a public announcement just yet, we wanted you, our readers, to be the first to know.
Visit www.forgood.education and take a look around! Since the site has just launched, we’d love your keen eyes—if you spot any typos or have suggestions for improving the layout, please let us know by commenting below or emailing us directly at educationforgood@uwc.vn.
A huge shout-out to Diep Hoang, our incredibly talented and dedicated designer, who not only built this website but also created our logo. Her attention to detail and creative vision have been invaluable, and we cannot recommend her highly enough!
We look forward to officially announcing the launch in the coming days—thank you for being part of this journey with us!
Introducing the Co-Managers for the Two UWC Short Courses in Vietnam
As I shared in the last newsletter, we are thrilled to be offering two UWC Short Courses in Vietnam this summer: UWC Short Course: Doing Good and Embodying Earth: A UWC Short Course. While applications and program details will be launched later this month, I am beyond grateful to introduce the dedicated leaders who will be stewarding these programs as Co-Managers.
First, we welcome Chau Doan, who will be joining the inimitable Quang Le as Co-Manager of Doing Good. Chau was a facilitator for the inaugural program last year, and her return—this time in a leadership role—feels both natural and well-deserved. Working with her has been an absolute joy for both Quang and me. Her warmth, dedication, and genuine care for students make her an invaluable addition to the leadership team. We are so lucky to have her.
Next, we have Will Shan, an extraordinary educator who has been instrumental in co-designing Embodying Earth from the ground up. I first met Will in October 2023 during my trip to Shanghai, where I gave a speech for a Life Design course at NYU Shanghai—where Will was a Teaching Assistant. That chance encounter led to Will facilitating Doing Good last year, and by September, we were already deep in conversation about bringing Embodying Earth to Vietnam. The rest, as they say, is history. It is an honor to work alongside him to bring this vision to life.
Finally, I am delighted to introduce Tien Pham, whose expertise and passion for education and sustainability could not have arrived at a more perfect time. Tien was introduced to me by Sam Lien Nguyen, our former teammate who now serves as an advisor for Education for Good. With over a decade of experience in education, Tien is currently pursuing her PhD in Educational Policy and Leadership, specializing in Environmental and Sustainability Education. Her leadership comes at a pivotal moment as Embodying Earth takes shape, and I could not be more excited to collaborate with her.
Please keep tuned for further updates and opportunities in the near future regarding the two UWC Short Courses.
Now, in the Co-Managers’ own words!
Chau was born and raised in Ho Chi Minh City and brings a wealth of experience and passion to her role as Co-Manager of the UWC Short Course: Doing Good.
Last year, she joined the program as a facilitator, inspired by its powerful message and meaningful impact. Her experience was so transformative that she returned this year in a leadership role, embracing the challenge and joy of co-creating the course’s second iteration as the program Co-Manager.
With a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management from RMIT University, Chau’s professional journey has always been shaped by her deep commitment to education. Whether working with youth organizations or teaching ESL, she has consistently sought to support others in their growth and development.
In recent years, Chau has also emerged as an active community builder, dedicating herself to creating spaces where people can connect and explore themselves. She believes this inner work is vital to the mission of Doing Good and hopes to inspire others to make a lasting impact.
Chau is excited to continue this journey, and she looks forward to welcoming others to the UWC Short Course: Doing Good to share in its magic and purpose.
Growing up in California, Will Shan was captivated by the wild beauty of mountains, forests, and oceans. Back then, “nature” felt like a place to visit—weekend hikes, camping trips, and beach outings. It wasn’t until college, as a Dalai Lama Fellow at Stanford University, that his perspective shifted. Thanks to mentors like Dr. Katia Sol, Will realized that nature isn’t just “out there.” Nature is everywhere—and we are inextricably part of it.
This realization changed everything. He saw how modern cultures obscure our deep interdependence with the natural world. Worse, this disconnection fuels the climate and biodiversity crises.
Moved to act, Will became an environmental educator, weaving together his academic training in psychology and education with the living wisdom of ecocentric pedagogies and embodied contemplative practices.
His teaching and facilitation is guided by this question: How might we create learning spaces that foster deep regeneration for both people and planet?
To answer this, Will has:
Designed and taught Embodied Earth, a course on ecocentric learning at New York University Shanghai (which inspired Embodying Earth: a UWC Short Course)
Led Life Design courses at NYU Shanghai and Stanford University
Facilitated retreats and workshops for schools and social impact organizations in Vietnam, China, the US, Italy, and the UK
Now, Will is honored to help bring Embodying Earth: A UWC Short Course to life.
Tien Pham is an advocate for education, equity, and resilience in the face of climate change. Her passion lies in collaborating with students and communities to create meaningful pathways for growth and empowerment, particularly in regions heavily impacted by environmental challenges. For Tien, education is more than knowledge - it is a catalyst for fostering hope, adaptability, and long-term resilience.
Currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Educational Policy and Leadership at the University of Toronto, Tien combines her academic journey with extensive experience as a lecturer, administrator, and nonprofit leader. Her mission is to bridge the gap between education and action, ensuring no one is left behind in navigating the challenges of a rapidly changing world. From supporting students in the Mekong Delta to mentoring youth in diverse contexts, Tien is driven by the vision of a more sustainable and equitable future.
Engaging in projects that integrate education, climate action, and social justice has been a cornerstone of Tien’s career. She remains committed to building inclusive communities where individuals are equipped with the tools to thrive.
In her free time, Tien enjoys exploring new cuisines, indulging in K-dramas, and immersing herself in nature's tranquility.
Please Consider Giving
Readers and Friends,
We couldn’t do this work without your generous support. Please consider investing in education that goes beyond the classroom—nurturing leadership, sustainability, and global citizenship. Your generosity helps provide the resources and opportunities these talented students need to thrive.
Vietnam Bank Details:
Account Name: Education for Good Co. Ltd
Bank: MB Bank
Account Number: 318684746
Friends, thank you for being part of this journey. The threads are spinning, the shape is forming, and I have faith that in the months ahead, we will begin to see the bloom of our efforts. There is much to come—momentum building, ideas taking flight—and I can’t wait to share in what unfolds with you.
Until then, may this new year bring you patience in the unseen, joy in the unfolding, and trust in the spin.
Happy New Year once more.
Yours,
Sam Jeong
Happy Lunar New Year to you Sam and your family - your writing sometimes remind me of blue cotton candy at Disneyland. I never thought much of how they come to be, I just know they're so sweet and full of delight!
It's so pleasant to see your endeavor being joined with more capable, passionate teammates. I'd like to say I'm witnessing the mesmerizing explosion of something great, but I know you've been hard at work for many years prior.
Look forward to your next letter.