| For many years, people have had to choose | | | | complement his scientific and computer |
| between living in a lovely place near their family | | | | knowledge. After searching around and considering |
| and being able to interact with more people in less | | | | the choices, he decided it would be good to add a |
| attractive, more crowded places to gain new | | | | Western perspective through this education. |
| understanding and accomplish more. Those who | | | | Many schools, however, only wanted to develop |
| live in an idyllic place blessed with flowers, music, | | | | his analytical skills through traditional tests. Mr. |
| and good weather find considering the alternative | | | | Dung was also interested in developing his |
| is painful and unattractive despite the apparent | | | | creative and practical intelligence. As a result, he |
| advantages. | | | | was delighted to find that Rushmore University, |
| I've traveled to some of the most beautiful | | | | an online graduate school, uses the Oxford tutorial |
| places in the world and have been thrilled to enjoy | | | | method of learning which emphasizes students |
| those lovely spots. After a few days, however, | | | | writing practical papers to solve practical problems |
| I've usually felt a little isolated as I've looked in | | | | by using what they have learned from reading, |
| vain for an interesting book store, a mind-opening | | | | investigation, and analysis. |
| lecture, or an engaging concert. By the end of the | | | | The initial MBA program assignments to set life |
| trip, I'm delighted to be going back to the | | | | goals and to establish a curriculum plan were quite |
| challenges I love so much in my more stimulating, | | | | a shock, but Mr. Dung quickly adjusted to these |
| but less attractive, home grounds. | | | | new ways of thinking that call for taking more |
| As a result, the choice of living in an idyllic place | | | | control over your direction in life. Reading and |
| has often seemed less appealing to many than | | | | writing in English further stretched his mind and |
| living in the more stimulating places. That | | | | talents. |
| preference may shift in the future. | | | | Benefiting from lots of interaction with his advisor, |
| With modern technology, stimulating choices are | | | | Professor Alan Guinn, to collaborate in building |
| increasingly available no matter where you are. | | | | knowledge and communications about writing with |
| You can watch events live on the Internet from | | | | his editor, Ms. Laurel Barley, to build cultural |
| a remote location that would be impossible to see | | | | bridges, Mr. Dung was soon expressing himself in |
| live if you were present there. For example, the | | | | remarkable ways. For instance, he added a unique |
| Metropolitan Opera in New York now provides | | | | creative touch to papers about how to succeed in |
| theaters around the world with live telecasts in a | | | | e-commerce through offering out-of-season |
| high definition video format of its sold-out | | | | flowers from Dalat City to Europe by writing |
| performances. | | | | charming explanations for a fictional, modern-day |
| Millions are taking courses online from high school | | | | Adam and Eve. |
| through graduate school and are learning from | | | | Since four months into his MBA studies, Mr. Dung |
| world-class professors and teachers. With more | | | | has applied new creative and practical intelligence |
| and more material being provided in digital form, | | | | to his daily work by using the marketing, human |
| many distance learners don't ever have to visit a | | | | resources management, accounting, organizational |
| local library to do their research. | | | | behavior, and e-commerce knowledge and skills |
| Having the best of the whole world at your | | | | that he developed through writing practical papers |
| fingertips will increasingly make the choice of living | | | | during his MBA studies. Previously, most of his |
| someplace great more attractive than living in a | | | | attention had been taken up with IT issues, but |
| more crowded, bustling place where more people | | | | today those concerns occupy only 20 percent of |
| meet face to face. Just as beautiful sunsets | | | | his time. |
| create a perfect bridge between bustling days | | | | Since graduating with an MBA, Mr. Dung finds that |
| and more quiet nights, a balance between | | | | he continues to benefit from these new disciplines. |
| accessing the world and enjoying the best of | | | | He changed employers and now has three jobs: |
| where you are will provide a more beautiful and | | | | One position is as a human resources project |
| satisfying life. | | | | manager for a recruitment firm; another job is as |
| Okay, some people have always found that they | | | | an ERP consultant for an IT firm; and the third |
| could engage in a career that could be performed | | | | employment is an on-line language lead in |
| in isolation. With that flexibility, living in a better | | | | customizing an ERP solution from English into |
| place becomes possible. A painter could move | | | | Vietnamese. |
| from say crowded New York City to say lovely, | | | | The MBA learning enabled him to be effective in |
| uncrowded Taos, New Mexico and still be | | | | this broader span of work and helped him develop |
| internationally successful because so many art | | | | a taste for continually learning new things about |
| lovers visit Taos. | | | | business. The human resources job is the hub of |
| What do the choices look like if you live in a more | | | | these activities and provides a link to many |
| remote location? I think they are very good right | | | | industries and jobs. The ERP consulting work helps |
| now . . . and getting better. | | | | him organize the information he develops in |
| Let's consider the encouraging example of Mr. | | | | business and is a complement to his human |
| Truong Chi Dung (whose name means "a | | | | resources position. The language-related |
| heroic-willed person" in his native language) who | | | | employment allows him to learn about many |
| lives in Dalat City, Vietnam. This beautiful town of | | | | other industries and countries through reviewing |
| 200,000 overlooks a lovely hilly region and is filled | | | | drafts written by translators. |
| with flowers and wooded parks that are favored | | | | The change in his working focus was even more |
| by the perpetual fall-like chill from a mild | | | | dramatic than that shift suggests. Here is what |
| year-round temperature of 18 degrees Celsius. | | | | Mr. Dung had to say about the new direction for |
| Tourists from around the world flock to Dalat | | | | his work: "My daily life changed 180 degrees as |
| City to enjoy its beauties and mild weather. While | | | | result of my studies. Now I have become a |
| his three sisters and brother moved to the United | | | | professional problem solver and help many local |
| States, Mr. Dung was happy to stay in Dalat City. | | | | companies to overcome their problems." |
| By studying at the town's fine university, he was | | | | Naturally, he gets to enjoy these changes in |
| able to complete his undergraduate education in | | | | lovely Dalat City. The only change he sees in that |
| physics. While learning about physics, he also | | | | regard is that he would like to travel a bit more |
| studied painting, drawing on a love that he | | | | with his wife to see other countries in Asia and to |
| inherited from his mother. Dalat City provides | | | | visit his siblings in the United States. With three |
| many beautiful subjects for his paintings and short | | | | jobs, such travel should become more affordable. |
| stories, activities that bring blessed balance to his | | | | How has his personal life changed? The most |
| life. | | | | significant shift is that his personal vision, mission, |
| After graduating from college, he taught high | | | | and core values have shifted. There is also a |
| school physics. Later, he taught elementary school | | | | generational impact as his sons follow him in |
| teachers how to be effective with students. | | | | studying business (one is an MBA and the other is |
| Discovering computers some years later, Mr. | | | | working on a BBA degree) much as he followed |
| Dung became fascinated by what computing could | | | | his mother in studying painting. Will painting be in |
| do and the role that database designers play in | | | | the next generation's future, as well? No one |
| making computers more effective. He progressed | | | | knows, but I wouldn't count it out. |
| rapidly in this field which he found to be quite | | | | What are his educational plans for the future? In |
| compatible with his interest in creative writing. To | | | | his words, here's the answer: "I will return again to |
| Mr. Dung's mind, writing a software program for a | | | | learn at Rushmore. I cannot predict the exact |
| database is an interesting challenge not too | | | | time but I will return one day." |
| dissimilar in difficulty from developing an interesting | | | | In the meantime, Mr. Dung shows us that East |
| short story, one of his favorite pastimes. | | | | can meet West in new ways over the Internet |
| Because he was good at programming | | | | that enrich through global e-commerce and |
| computers, Mr. Dung was soon aware that he | | | | education. When that happens, a new balance |
| might be able to learn more via computer | | | | occurs that permits a whole person and a whole |
| connections than he could locally. Those ambitions | | | | world. |
| had to wait for the development of a robust | | | | What new dimensions can you add to your life by |
| Internet structure in Vietnam. | | | | expanding your access to more parts of the |
| When the right time came, he began looking for a | | | | world while you live where you are? |
| distance learning MBA program that would | | | | |