Kim Le – Miss Vietnam 2018

Vietnam is a long, thin country in Southeast Asia. Its neighbouring countries are China to the north, Laos and Cambodia to the west.

Once a lesser-known destination, Vietnam has become widely popular in recent years. With Hanoi consistently ranked among the world’s top 10 destinations by TripAdvisor, one can now find European tourists as far as in Ha Giang, one of the most remote mountainous provinces.

It is an extremely diverse country, with vast differences in geography, climate, culture, language and ethnicity across its expanse, and prides itself on being the largest democracy on Earth and a hub of trade in Southeast Asia.

GET TO KNOW MISS VIETNAM

Kim Le was – Currently pursuing a double major in Business and Communications. I’m a pretty humorous and awkward person. Making people laugh makes me happy because laughter is such a beautiful way to connect! Creativity has my heart. My mom is my hero. I admire her creativity and resourcefulness. There was a time when I was 5, she told me she’d keep my baby blanket safe if I handed it over to her. I handed it over. It was never seen again. When we bring that story, we can’t help but laugh. She’s my biggest support and I love my her very much.

Platform Title: “The ‘S’ Word – Suicide Contagion Education

Suicide contagion is a process in which the suicide of one person or multiple people can contribute to a rise in suicidal behaviors among others, especially those who already have suicidal thoughts or a known risk factor for suicide. (Also known as “Copy Cat Suicide.”) We often see spikes in suicides following reports of a high-profile suicide. Robbin Williams death in 2014 was a great loss. During his life, he connected with millions through comedy and laughter. I shared the feelings of sadness with many fans the day he died. According to the National Crisis Hotline, shortly after Robbin’s death, they received the highest volume of requesting services. In the following four months, an addition 1,841 deaths were reported. Suicide contagion contributes negatively to our communities as well as increases the number of deaths by suicide each year. However, it is avoidable with proper education and a strong set of tools. Through my platform, I would like to provide education on how to avoid suicide contagion by raising awareness on how media sensationalizes suicide as well as providing appropriate lingo for speaking about the topic publicaly.