Vivian Nguyen

Vivian Nguyen is a 2023 intern supporting ESG’s Postsecondary Transitions portfolio. A Rackham Merit Fellow at the University of Michigan, Vivian is pursuing a master’s degree in Higher Education with a concentration in Public Policy. In addition to her graduate studies, she is a Research Assistant in the Master’s Research Opportunity Program. In this role, she assists in the coding of state WIOA plans to catalog mechanisms of education and workforce development. In addition, Vivian works as a Research Assistant at the Campus Abolition Research Lab, where she employs qualitative methods to understand LGBTQIA+ students of color’s perspectives on campus safety.

Prior to attending graduate school, Vivian dedicated her skills to language instruction, cross-cultural mentorship, and community outreach. Her experiences include teaching trauma-informed English as a Foreign Language (EFL) lessons and providing college preparation support to Syrian refugees; coordinating DEI programming focused on refugee and APIDA communities; and, most recently, serving as an inaugural Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in Saudi Arabia.

Vivian graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Smith College in 2020 with a bachelor’s double degree in Government and Middle Eastern Studies.

Why are you in this work?

My experience navigating college as a low-income student of color from rural Kentucky motivates me to address and challenge the systemic barriers that exist within postsecondary education.

Why ESG?

ESG is committed to advancing equity through transformative education policy. I look forward to joining a team that not just addresses but also centers the education needs of underserved students and communities.