Below is the English version of my message. The Vietnamese version is here: Capstone Sau 12 Năm Phát Triển: Vẫn Hướng Tới Những Tầm Cao Mới.

Warm greetings from Capstone Vietnam!

On Thursday, 16 September, we celebrate the latest milestone in Capstone’s distinguished and eventful history. It was the day in 2009 when a kernel of an idea became a Vietnamese company and a new chapter of our lives began.  

Our first office was in Hanoi, which is where both co-founders live. In 2012, we established a branch office in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC). In June 2020, we moved into a beautiful new state-of-the-art office in Hanoi’s Hai Ba Trung District, yet another exciting milestone in our 12-year journey. This was one of many accomplishments, great and small, since our modest beginnings in 2009. I can say in all sincerity that Capstone – through all of the ups and downs – has been a labor of love for its co-founders and key staff. 

I’m proud and pleased to say we’ve remained true to our original mission, which is: 

• To enable individuals to achieve their educational goals and career aspirations.
• To help institutions realize their international education-related plans in Vietnam and overseas.
• To make a meaningful and lasting difference in the lives of individuals, organizations, and society.

Quality and Innovation, Not Business as Usual

Capstone works exclusively with regionally accredited colleges and universities in the US, the gold standard of institutional accreditation, and officially accredited institutions in other countries. Why? Because quality and integrity are far more important than money. It is for this reason that our unofficial mantra is Success without integrity is failure.

Since 2009, Capstone has served thousands of individual and institutional clients, including students and their parents, along with colleges and universities, boarding and day schools, and non-profit organizations.

We have continued to adapt and innovate in an ever-changing world and highly competitive market – with the added challenges created by COVID-19. This includes introducing a variety of digital marketing packages and digital event options and moving our spring and fall education fairs to a hybrid format, in addition to launching a new Elite Scholars Program for high-achieving students. We have remained true to our original mission and our code of business conduct, which sets us apart from most of our competitors. 

In his Five Remembrances, the Buddha concluded by saying, My actions are my only true belongings. I cannot escape the consequences of my actions. My actions are the ground on which I stand. He was referring to people but this can also be applied to companies and other entities. I’m proud that Capstone continues to stand on very firm ground.  

We’re all excited about what the future holds in store for us and what we can do to better meet the education-related needs of the community and people we serve both here in Viet Nam and abroad. 

We look forward to expanding our CareerCoach counseling service, which is vitally important for young people and their parents, creating new websites and apps designed to help young people, including those who plan to study overseas and others who will remain in Viet Nam, and introducing blended courses for students, to mention just a few of our plans. 

Finally, a heartfelt thank you to those we have already served for placing your trust in us. To everyone else – I enthusiastically invite you to reach out and consider working with Capstone and our top-notch team of dedicated and caring professionals to help you achieve your personal and institutional goals. 

Happy 12th Birthday, Capstone! 

Take care and stay healthy,

Mark A. Ashwill, Ph.D.
Managing Director & Co-Founder

Here’s our 12th anniversary video with some words from me and our staff:

Shalom (שלום), MAA