However, Nguyen’s road to leadership was not always smooth sailing.
“Prior to my presidential term, I worked as the Media Officer of the Student Council and I was quite a domineering leader. I was so hard-headed about getting things done my way that a team member once left the room during a meeting because they could not stand me,” Nguyen said.
“That was one of the hard lessons that I carried with me when I became President. I learned to engage my team in decision making, actively listen, and respect their opinions. By the end of my term, I had heard many members describing me as a good listener. Those moments made me think: ‘Wow, I have really grown!’”
Nguyen revealed one of her favourite sayings is “leadership is like love”.
“Just like how love is not about giving fancy presents, leadership is more than delivering speeches. When you love, you must show your love in everything you do, every single day. When you lead, from the smallest of things to the biggest of things, you must show you care,” she said.
“Stay true to your values every time and you will gain the trust and respect of others.”
Pursuing new endeavours
Nguyen is working on a research project she first started in university about the perceptions of masculinity among young Vietnamese men in Ho Chi Minh City, which aims to provide insights into how gender equality can be improved in the country.
She is looking forward to developing her expertise in the field of corporate shared value, working on how companies can be more diverse, inclusive and sustainable.
To achieve that goal, Nguyen is aiming for a scholarship from the Korean government next year to study for a Master of Social Welfare degree.