Associated Students Inc. President Lucy Nguyen was recently honored as one of the Long Beach Post’s 40 Under 40, which recognizes 40 people under the age of 40 who contribute to improving the Long Beach community.
Nguyen said that her selection as one of the inaugural 40 Under 40 has been a humbling experience. There were more than 200 people nominated for the honor by Long Beach Post readers.
“To this day, I have no idea who nominated me,” she said.
Although she has two courses to take for her major in business and minor in political science, she said she knows that after this month, her relationship with Cal State Long Beach will never be the same.
“Long Beach is my heart and my soul,” Nguyen said.
Nguyen, who served as Senator for the College of Business Administration and ASI Vice President before becoming the president, looks back fondly on her memories at CSULB and said she is proud that she had the opportunity to do the things she did.
She cannot just pick one experience as the most rewarding, but cites lobbying for financial aid and the “little things” that can lead to a better campus, such as finding a federal grant to place recycling bins on campus.
She said she believes the key to positive change is collaboration. Working best with others is a challenge, but an important leadership skill, according to Nguyen.
Brian Addison, senior editor and contributor to the Long Beach Post, said in an email that Nguyen is among the many young people in Long Beach who are actively taking a stance to make the city better and more dynamic.
“Her fight for educational values is almost unparalleled and reflects her hard work for both students and those who appreciate the importance of education,” Addison said.
Nguyen credits her three mentors – Howard Fletcher, director of the Student Center for Professional Development in the College of Business Administration, John Nguyen, founder of Youth Leadership of America, and Doug Robinson, the vice president for student services at CSULB – with helping her to grow as a person and a leader.
They guided and advised her but would never tell her what to do, she said.
Although she will miss the unique opportunity to serve the CSULB campus which comes with being ASI president, Nguyen said she is looking forward to the future.
“I think Long Beach has prepared me well for the working world … my dream is to eventually open my own marketing firm,” Nguyen said.
She would like to specialize in digital media and marketing for charities.
She will start a summer internship with Target on June 11, looking at diverse departments and seeing how they can be improved. She has not yet decided where she will work in the fall.
While she has enjoyed working in student government because she got to advocate for higher education, she has decided that a future in politics is not for her. Her passion is marketing and she plans to make a difference through that.
“It is very admirable, because politics is a whole other ballgame,” she said. “You have so many interests you have to take into account.”
A profile of Nguyen, as part of the 40 Under 40 list, will be in the print edition of the Long Beach Post on May 14.