Nathan (My ambition journey)

Written by Nathan Nguyen

Hi my name is Nathan Nguyen, I’m 19 years old and I’m a passionate person who cares for the environment. I love being active, learning about culture and immersing myself in nature. When I travel around the world and Australia, I appreciate the natural beauty and the wide variety of flora and fauna that needs to be protected. I’ve been travelling to fascinating places and amazing natural locations and every time, I try to remember the moments with friends and family and even school excursions. I have this deep resonating connection with nature and exploration, it reduces stress in my mind, and I simply relax by taking a moment to enjoy being there. 

I am so fascinated by conservation because of the opportunity to travel to new locations and because conservationists feel a sense of pride in connecting with and helping the environment. Conservation is important to me because I love being amongst the forest or going for long walks in National Parks. These experiences have prompted me to continue exploring and learning. I have a heart for exploring nature and I have always shared my travelling adventures with my friends and family. This means that more people can see the importance of the environment and are more likely to take steps to protect it. 

I recognise all conservation efforts such as saving endangered species and valuing Indigenous peoples’ beliefs and their role in our community. My aim is to spend time learning more about conservation by reading articles, listening to speeches, and researching job opportunities. I have heard inspiring stories from conservationists and it motivates me to take action by learning techniques from them. I imagine that being a conservationist requires careful planning, developing a motive to help the environment and to engage in discussions with others passionate about nature. I see amazing photography on social media which inspired me to photograph animals too.  I have also seen documentaries, for example, Planet Earth, which is about the vulnerability of our planet and how we should uphold and value our wildlife all around us. 

I have made progress in my work at Deakin University. It taught me about the importance of protecting the environment and the initiatives and movements that are put in place to sustain our environment. I have also participated in activities such as monitoring flora and doing fieldwork for scientific research. I’m going in the direction that will hopefully help me become a conservationist. I will try to ask for advice from experts and keep travelling to engage in physical activities to enhance my love of the environment. This will hopefully prepare me for the world of conservation in the near future. 

I’m currently a volunteer at a retail store called Red Cross Shop, which shows that I want to improve my work ethic and transferable skills such as communication with team members and customer satisfaction. This will allow me to have environmental awareness. If I continue to build my current skills, I will be able to collaborate with other members or companies in the environmental field.  

I hope my story inspires other conservationists to continue pursuing their passion for wildlife and protecting the environment. I implore them to travel and appreciate the variety of national parks that need protecting. I will too try to follow my path to become a conservationist.

For more of Nathan, visit @nathans_travel_blog on Instagram