Eleena Dinh practices the art of crochet

By Haley Vu '23

World traveler, linguist, basketball player, and crochet enthusiast, Eleena Dinh’ 23 is an interesting international student from Vietnam. 
She was born in Ho Chi Minh city, a very hustling and bustling city. However, she spent most of her time growing and learning in Hanoi which is the capital city of Vietnam. 
Because her grandparent still lives in Ho Chi Minh City, she often goes back there when she has free time to visit her family and also to visit the place where she was actually born. 
“I think it is such an opportunity for me to be born and raised in a different city”: Dinh said. “I have a lot of chances to experience the difference in culture and get to know the people more.”
 Dinh is a person who likes to discover new things through her real experiences. She has been to many places from different countries and continents such as Hong Kong, Japan, Thailand, England, America, Australia. 
She prefers to spend about two weeks and more while traveling to other countries each year because she thinks that is the suitable amount of time to visit a country that you have never been to. 
“Each country brings me an unparalleled experience,” Dinh said. 
She does not just enjoy traveling, she also spends her free time studying new languages. Because for her, learning about their language is also a way to understand a country better. 
“I feel language is something beautiful to blazon the uniqueness of the culture and the people,” she said.
Dinh can speak Chinese, English, Spanish and now she is taking French as her other language at school.
   Dinh is also an expert crocheter. She has been fascinated by crochet art since she was 10 years old. Dinh is self taught, she finds it more valuable to learn by herself than with others. 
Crocheting has become her favorite hobby of all the time, she can do it while reading books or even watching Netflix. Whenever she feels stressed, crocheting is the best way to ameliorate depression and it makes her feel relieved.
 Additionally, Dinh said that it is such a wonderful feeling to see the result after every process. It might not be a perfect end result, but for her, it is a blessing to be able to craft as often as she does. 
Dinh also crochets things like keychains, teddy bears, flowers, and hats as a gift to her friends. 
“If my cute little presents can bring happiness to everyone I love, it is also my happiness.”  With her passion to learn new things, she didn’t mind difficulty when choosing a sport that she has never played before. 
“ Even though sports were not my cup of tea, I have done swimming and badminton before,” Dinh said, “This time I am going to do something new and basketball will be a good option for me”.
 She has been feeling extremely excited about the basketball season. After every practice, she feels full of energy because the training helps her become healthier than ever. North Cross has been unlike other schools for Dinh.
 “I feel appreciated because North Cross school has sports practice every single day after school which improved my physical health and also mental health.”: she said.
 Not only practicing but also several basketball games have given her many new experiences. Watching her teammates play has helped her realize the importance of communication. Through each basketball game, she has improved her skill a lot and made her more interested in basketball.
Dinh has contributed to many activities at the school. She participated in the show A Midsummer Night’s Dream on January 31st. It was the first time she got to stand on the stage to perform a Shakespearean masterpiece.
 The play was a big success for her. Although she only took on a small role in the play, she has spent a significant amount of time practicing after school and even at the dormitory. 
Dinh is a highly disciplined person and very responsible for all the activities she has participated in. 
 “North Cross is such an amazing environment, it has been an opportunity to explore new things and activities I have never done before,” Dinh says, reflecting on her school year so far. “Especially to ameliorate myself.”