When Ivy Nguyen moved to the United States from Vietnam in 2014, her high school peers struggled to understand the British English she had grown up speaking. As she found herself “lost in British translation,” Nguyen decided to expand her skills across multiple English accents—Mid-Atlantic English, British English, and the accent with a mix of Vietnamese and English. From high school through college, these linguistic bridges provided Nguyen with opportunities for community building and leadership. Now, equipped with these strengths, she is headed to Taiwan to add Chinese to her language repertoire.

“Being able to listen without judgment is a critical skill,” says Nguyen, who double majored in Asian studies and global studies—adding Chinese, Korean, and a bit of Japanese—as well as some mileage in between with an education abroad experience at the Ewha Womans University in Seoul, Korea, during her junior year.

Since graduating in 2023, Nguyen has worked as a tutor at several public schools in Anne Arundel County, supporting students in first to ninth grade during the academic year, and served as a Generation Teach AmeriCorps Summer Teaching Fellow, a five-week K-8 STEAM academy, during the summer. “Two core values of Generation Teach are to foster belonging and to make sure everyone is included,” said Nguyen of her intensive training in identity, community building, content, and teaching. “We have students and teachers from all kinds of different backgrounds. I learned more about expressing myself without causing misunderstandings and how to convey my message while understanding the role that privilege plays in communication.” 

Nguyen’s language chops and ability to teach, lead, and uplift multiple communities earned her two prestigious international opportunities: First, as an alternate for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program award to Taiwan to pursue a master’s in Chinese as a second language; and the second is admission to the National Normal University, a leading institution in education and education research in Taipei, Taiwan, with funding from Taiwan’s Ministry of Education.

After completing over 350 hours of AmeriCorps service, Nguyen decided to forgo the alternate Fulbright spot and apply her hard-earned wisdom to pursue a master’s degree in teaching Chinese as a foreign language in Taiwan.

“When I was a kid coming to the United States, I was excited to get on a plane and move to a different country, but once I got here, I realized how different it was from what I thought it would be or sound like,” said Nguyen, who is already applying for a part-time job in Taiwan’s Ministry of Education English Language Teaching Assistant Program. “You have to know how to be flexible and pick what is right for you. If there is a change in plans, that’s still okay. Everything will be okay in the end.”

Learn more about UMBC’s Asian studies and global studies programs.