Staff Profiles:
Name: Thuy Huynh
Position: President
What I do: To protect and promote the interests of all Vietnamese students on campus. To connect and liaison with outside entities that benefit from or contribute to the
greater mission of the organization. To maintain and sustain a growing body of student leaders for the current and future of VSU. To advocate on behalf of the larger constituency to various
stakeholders. Nice and short, I do what is needed and asked of me in order to meet our mission and vision as a student organization.
Contact:thuythihuynh[at]gmail[dot]com
Name:Myca Tran
Position: Internal Vice-President
What I do:To assess and maintain the wellness of the VSU staff. To create awareness of current issues and encourage advocacy through instilling social responsibility in
Vietnamese students on campus. To facilitate the personal and critical development of potential leaders through VSU's mission.
Contact:Mycatran[at]gmail[dot]com
Name:Brian Ly
Position: External Vice-President
What I do:To be the liaison with other organizations on and off campus. Maintaining alumni network and existing relationships with external organizations. Supporting staff
and VSU's projects whenever possible to help carry out VSU's vision and mission. Being a friend and family
Contact: falcon1ps2[at]yahoo[dot]com
Name: Tuyen Bui
Position: VSU Administrative Coordinator
What I do: Yes, my position does transcend beyond the uber fast 80-words-per-minute that I document for VSU staff meetings. I do the archiving of the notes and the nitty
gritty organizing of all the mass emails sent. This way, future generations of VSU members can access the notes and understand the nature of VSU's struggles, success, and consider the
progress of the organization. I also assist the rest of staff because I am a user friendly resource :]
Tid Bits: I am a third year American Literature and Culture major and an Education minor (It's really not as scary as it sounds). I used to be the
reject-my-culture-im-too-cool-for-this in high school until I got to UCLA and really evaluated how I not only identified myself but how that connects to who I am. Being
completely bored in college, I wanted to work on my leadership skills and networking skills too.
Contact:mstuyenbui[at]hotmail[dot]com
Name: John Tran aka J. Fiscal, JT, Fiscal Warlord, John Legend, J. Fis, and J. Diddy
Position: Fiscal Coordinator
What I do: Educate, Advocate, and Allocate money to VSU and its projects: HOPE and SEA CLEAR. To promote cultural awareness for the Vietnamese community through a variety of
events on campus and off. To ensure academic retention for the Vietnamese community at UCLA. To support my fellow staff members in carrying out our vision and to make sure we move in a
direction that will better our organization. Being on Executive Board and Advisory Board, I want to help shape and mold VSU into an organization that we can all be proud to be a part. In the
long run, I want to come back as an alumni and see what VSU has become and feel proud that I was able to be a part of history. Lastly, to RADIATE LOVE!!!!
Contact: Johntran8822[at]ucla[dot]edu
Name: Lisa Nguyen
Position: Social Affairs Coordinator
What I do:To create a home away from home for general members through the coordination of the family system in which they will be able to build life long relationships. To
organize events that will bring the general body closer together through common interests. To ensure that general members as well as the larger Vietnamese community on campus has a place
where they can voice their concerns and engage in dialogue on issues pertaining to the community within the general meetings. To equip general members with the tools and resources to take a
more active role within the org.
Contact: lisanguyen[at]ucla[dot]edu
Name: Dan Nguyen
Position: Political Advocacy Coordinator
What I do: To promote awareness and advocate action on issues that affect Vietnamese students on campus. To educate, challenge, and build interest in Vietnamese students on
campus to feel invested in their community. To progress the Vietnamese community while preserving the Vietnamese Student Union's stances and values.
Contact: dannynguyenad[at]gmail[dot]com
Name: Bich Pham
Position: College Coordinator
What I do: Traditionally, the job of the College Coordinator includes organizing and taking charge of 2 major events. One is VSU HOPE High School Conference, where many
students from different areas in Southern California are invited to attend a day of workshops, tours, and networking that are meant to give them a better idea of what college and college life entails. Vietnamese graduation, the second major event, is a smaller graduation organized for Vietnamese and South East Asian students so that they can share a more intimate and personal
celebration.
Random stuff: I grew up in Orange County and attended Santiago High School. Now, I'm a 3rd year physiological science major and I'm pre-health, not pre-med =P. I'm an easy
going person =) so contact me if you have any questions or comments.
Contact: bich.pham.n[at]gmail[dot]com
Name: Lucy Vo
Position: Public Relations and Alumni Coordinator
What I do: My staff position allows me to meet many cool people every day. My job is to outreach to students, retain membership, create fliers and I also promote VSU's
programs to the public (i.e students, alumni, etc). Throughout the year I also plan out tabling and flyering times while maintaining the VSU table. In addition, I keep in contact with alumni
and get them to get involved with VSU events. One of my main projects for the year is the VSU yearbook which is compiled towards spring quarter.
About Me:I am a fourth year psychology student from Riverside. I love food and am deathly afraid of birds. I enjoy the beach and anything that is relaxing. I am pretty
open-minded person and easy to approach so don't be scared to talk to me =)
Contact: Ltv151[at]gmail[dot]com
Name:Phillipp Nham
Position: VSU Webmaster
What I do:As webmaster, I am pretty much in charge of updating you with news about our wonderful events and programs. I do this through our e-mails, our VSU website, and
Facebook as well. In addition, I organize photos and link you up to pictures depicting our various events. You may even find yourself in one of them! While this covers the “web” of
webhistorian, the historian portion involves more as well. I also document and catalogue information and photos from our long and rich history so that future generations can learn and
remember the past.
Contact:phillipp.nham[at]ucla[dot]edu
Name: Alex Banh
Position: HOPE Project Director
What I do: I manage a project that goes out to empower our youth. Day to day and week to week, I gotta attend hella meetings, from the Student Initiated Access Committee that oversees HOPE to VSU stuff to ensure that HOPE is doing what it's supposed to. I develop my admin staff to be the
best in the world and try to bring out the best in all our volunteer staffers. I go to our three sites (Westminster, Chinatown, and San Gabriel) to cut deals with teachers and administration, and I also have my own students at the sites that I work with.
Tid Bits: I am a UCLA alum who has been working as HOPE's director for the past two years. I'm someone that's pretty much interested in everything, from economics to politics to engineering to sports to art, you name it. If I could be anywhere in the world right now, I'd be at the Shaolin Temple sparring monks and saying prayers.
Contact:absolut928[at]gmail[dot]com
Name: Vicky Chan
Position: HOPE Peer Advising Coordinator
What I do: I challenge each peer advisor to facilitate the growth of multiple at-risk or academic action students at a time. I develop peer advisors and better prepare them
for facing the challenges of high school students.
Contact:vchan729[at]ucla[dot]edu
Name: Kevin Nguyen
Position: HOPE Westminster Site Coordinator
What I do: To provide the resources for Westminster high school students to excel in academics, social, and community life. To monitor and coordinate the empowerment
services at Westminster high school designed by a volunteer staff of UCLA students. To make sure the students at Westminster high school experience a motivational environment, intellectual
challenge, and empowerment through communal exchange with UCLA students.
Contact: Kevinvnguyen[at]ucla[dot]edu
Name: Van Huynh
Position: HOPE Administrative Assistant
What I do: As Admin Assistant, I work closely with the Administrative Staff as well as our volunteer staff. I support the staff in many ways--through up-to-date tracking,
recording and bookkeeping minutes, keeping staff accountable through several accountability systems, keeping a database of documents and revamping/implementing different templates. I'm pretty much a support system for HOPE through various means. However, I play a key role in the development in the students we serve--as coordinator for the Leadership Development component. This
year, I will be working closely with staff and students to become leaders in our community. Our Leadership Development students will be gaining fundamental leadership skills, working on their Issue Awareness Campaigns as well as projects that focus on the students' communities on campus and off campus. Additionally, I play a key role in HOPE's fundraising! I love fundraising and I love organizing bake sales and candy gram sales! Chao!
Random: I mention this a lot but I love baking. It takes a lot of skill to perfect the smoothest cheesecake, the moisest cake, the freshest cream frosting, the most dense
yet soft biscotti. I strive to not burn the cookies and ultimately, the hardest work is trying to put my own creativity into it. I idolize Jacque Torres, the world-renowned chocolatier! If I
could, I would end world hunger! I also enjoy listening to music--anything with good vocals. I love Augustana, Jason Mraz, and many more!
Contact: vanthuynh[at]gmail[dot]com
Name: Diana Ngo-Vuong
Position: SEA CLEAR (Southeast Asian Campus Learning Education and Retention) Director
What I do: I am a full-time mentor, advisor, supervisor, and manager of the nation's first student-run student-initiated Southeast Asian retention project that provides peer
counseling, mentorship, internship targeting UCLA students who face academic difficulty and dismissal. I also help liaison and create a community on and off campus that focuses on addressing
the needs and issues of the Southeast Asian community.
Contact: dngovuong@saonet[at]ucla[dot]edu OR seacleardi[at]gmail[dot]com
Name: Paulina Ho
Position: SEA CLEAR Assistant Director
What I do: To assist the project director in monitoring and assessing the development and wellness of SEA CLEAR staff and interns. To coordinate and oversee the internship
component by facilitating individual and collective development, advocacy, and leadership skills.
Contact: paulinaho402[at]gmail[dot[com
Name: Layhannara Tep
Position: SEA CLEAR Mentorship Coordinator
What I do: I oversee the development of the SEA CLEAR Mentorship Component, including the growth of Mentors and mentees. SEA CLEAR Mentorship aims to create community
through developing cointentional pair relationships and community interaction through discussing issues relevant to the Southeast Asian community. The component focuses on retention through
a collective approach.
Contact: layhanz[at]gmail[dot[com
Name: Nancy Nguyen
Position: SEA CLEAR Admin Assistant
What I do:I am the backbone of the project by helping to maintain the efficiency of the organization. I provide support for my staff, the project and overall the Southeast
Asian community.
Contact: nnc.nguyen[at]gmail[dot]com