Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

PCC's Nguyen named state scholar

Photos and story by James Hill

Thoai Nguyen of Southeast Portland has had quite a spring. She recently met Gov. Ted Kulongoski, who honored her for her academic success at Portland Community College.

Nguyen was one of seven Oregon Outstanding Community College Students from PCC honored by the governor in his ceremonial office at the state Capitol in April. The seven scholars from PCC were recognized for academic and personal accomplishment. Each scholar is eligible for a $1,000 scholarship from public and private Oregon universities and colleges. This is the 16th year of the event, which is sponsored by the Oregon Community College Association.

Nguyen, a native of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, is a 23-year-old pharmacy major, who carries a 3.85 grade-point average. She plans to transfer to Oregon State University.

Besides school work, she has volunteered time to help with student government activities. Nguyen has served as president and social director for the Oregon Community College Student Association and on the District Student Council. She is a member of Vanlang Vietnamese School, a teacher at Lavang Catholic Church, and has volunteered for the Multnomah County Library and Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI). Nguyen has made the President’s List and National Honor Roll and is a member of the two-year honors society – Phi Theta Kappa.

“Since the first day I came to the U.S, I set education as my top priority,” Nguyen said. “Coming from Vietnam, a very poor country, I know the importance of knowledge. I found myself very blessed to having a chance to come to the U.S, a place that we can get as much education as we want without worrying too much about finance.

“PCC is much nicer and closer than any other colleges, which made me choose PCC as a place to start my educational journey,” she added. “PCC has turned out to be the best school for me.”