From Arizona to Vietnam, Kelly Nguyen’s path leads to graduation at Tulane

Kelly Nguyen's journey to Tulane University was anything but straightforward - taking her from a Vietnamese-speaking household in Arizona to a community college honors program and, eventually, a semester sailing around the world before landing in New Orleans.

Nguyen, who will graduate in May from the School of Professional Advancement with a degree in digital media and marketing, grew up in a home where English was rarely spoken. Her parents had emigrated from Vietnam, and her grandmother was her primary caregiver while her parents worked.

Her parents taught her about perseverance and hard work at an early age. Nguyen remembers staying up with her father until 3 a.m. when she was in third grade, as they tried to find the English word to accompany a picture for her homework assignment.

"It was a wig," she said. Three simple letters that took hours to decode.

"That just shows the dedication he and my mother put in," she said.

After high school, Nguyen enrolled at Pima Community College in Tucson, where she joined the honors program and began saving money for something bigger. She later took a gap year to sail with Semester at Sea, a floating university program, sponsored by Colorado State University, that took her through Europe, Africa and Asia - including Vietnam.

The experience pushed her out of her comfort zone and helped clarify what she wanted next. One friend's question helped her take her next step as she weighed whether she would complete her bachelor's degree at Arizona State University or Tulane.

"Do you want an experience where you know in your heart it is right? Or do you want an experience where you'll save money but always question yourself?" she recalls him asking.

She chose Tulane.

"I can confidently say… I never asked myself 'what if' ever in this experience," she said.

Nguyen was drawn to Tulane by its culture of service. Once on campus, she immersed herself in student life - joining and eventually helping lead the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Mentorship, an organization open to all students that partners with local high schools in New Orleans. Through the program, Tulane students assist high school students with the college application process while encouraging them to pursue their dreams, Nguyen said.

"Our mission is to help AAPI high school students take pride in their backgrounds and highlight that identity as a strength in their applications," she said.

She is also part of the Public Relations Student Society of America and serves on the student advisory board for the New Orleans Book Festival at Tulane University. This past year, she was working at the festival when she received a welcome surprise. She had been chosen to receive the Tulane 34 Award - given to Tulane's seniors who exemplify leadership, service and academic excellence.

In addition to her academic and service commitments, Nguyen has consistently held a job on campus. For the last year, she has been working in university housing as an office assistant, where she said she has enjoyed being an integral part of campus life.

As a student in the School of Professional Advancement, Nguyen has had exceptional experiences, including valuable one-on-one instruction.

After graduation, Nguyen plans to return to Arizona, where she will work in marketing for an accounting firm that serves the Vietnamese community - a role that brings her journey full circle.