Nu Huynh

Nu Huynh’s Virginia Tech journey started even before she was a student here. During her senior year in high school, Nu attended the Virginia Tech Vietnamese Student Association’s culture show, to support friends who were performing.

“Through this experience,” Nu said, “my passion for Vietnamese culture was reignited. There were more than 200 people around me who showed a love for my culture. Among these people, I found a welcoming community that accepted me even though I had not yet even planned on becoming a student at Virginia Tech.”

In joining the Virginia Tech Vietnamese Student Association as a first year student, Nu not only discovered her passion for her culture. She also grew as a leader to her present position of president.

Nu said, “Growing up, you’re in the high school mentality that being anything outside the norm makes you an outcast or weird. So you try your best to fit in with the crowd. I learned that life is too short to be anything other than the real version of yourself, so you should embrace what makes you unique and be proud of it. I am most proud of being Vietnamese. I love my culture and I hope that others come to appreciate it as much as I have.”

Her nominator said, “Nu recognizes her values and cultural roots – she lives these daily while encouraging others to more deeply know themselves as well. After exploring the culture and her own strengths within the community, she has blossomed into a fantastic and impactful leader.”

Nu said, “Since I was a child, my most important values have been honesty and integrity. I used to think about these values in simple terms, like no stealing or lying. But as I have gotten older, my interpretation of them has changed. When I think about honesty, I think of it as how true you are to your genuine self in your actions and thoughts. When it comes to integrity, I think of it as what you do when no one is looking. I believe one should always uphold those standards of self-responsibility.”

Nu is a junior majoring in Business Information Technology, with a concentration in Cybersecurity Management and Analytics. She hopes to continue to give back to the Vietnamese community after college by becoming involved with the alumni program of the Mid-Atlantic Union of Vietnamese Student Associations.

Nu said, “To me, self-understanding and integrity means the journey that it takes to understand yourself, your identity, and what purpose or role you serve in your environment. It took a lot of work for me to get to the point where I am today in self-understanding, and I continue to learn more about myself every day. I strive to help others on their own journey.”

Nu, for following your calling and thereby learning about yourself, and for giving others the chance they need to understand themselves, I am pleased to present to the Aspire! Award for SELF-UNDERSTANDING AND INTEGRITY to Nu Huynh.