This year the WHS Science Department has gained a new teacher. Vinh Nguyen, known as Mr. N, is the new Biology teacher. He can be found in room, C309.
Nguyen got his Undergraduate degree at Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts, and then attended graduate school at the University of California, Los Angeles. There, he was part of a program for first-generation students. He grew up in Worcester and has a lot of family there. Nguyen shared his experience living in California while at UCLA. “I lived there for eight years and I miss it. Sometimes I get homesick even though I’m from here. But I moved back to support my family and also to see what it’s like being an adult living on the East Coast.”
Science hasn’t always been Nyguen’s leading passion. He loves music, art, medicine, and traveling around the world. Experiencing different cultures is something Nguyen takes great interest in. Nguyen’s original plan was to study as an art history major in college. He believes that art history has an incredible way of showing who we are as a society and individually. He was also interested in pursuing the pre-med course and becoming a doctor, however, he did not. “I realized that I wasn’t really passionate about medicine, I was really passionate about helping others. Teaching is one way you can help others and make a difference,” Nguyen explained.
Nguyen had a very positive childhood that made him who he is today… “I’m Vietnamese. My parents grew up in the Vietnam war and they actually fled the country. I came to this country when I was five so I learned English through high school, middle school, and elementary school.” Nguyen watched his parents work hard as immigrants, “They really wanted to give us more opportunities.” Nguyen explained how hearing of his parent’s bravery made him more compassionate. He likes to say that you never know what someone is going through. He believes as long as we are being kind and thoughtful and encouraging others to share their stories we can learn a lot as a society.
Nguyen has many goals heading into his position as a science teacher. He wants his students to feel confident, and safe, and have the ability to speak up for themselves if they need help. He wants to help students learn science as well as help them find ways to use science in their everyday lives, “Even if they don’t enter the science field.” He wants each student he teaches to believe that they are special and unique. Everyone sees the word in a different way and that alone is fascinating to Nguyen.
Advice is something Nguyen loves to give. His goal is to help students flourish as he wants to watch them succeed. “Know that learning and success is not a straight path, sometimes we fall but as long as we learn from our failures and understand how we can do better, I think that is the most important thing.” Nguyen believes in students speaking up for themselves and the importance of failure. ”Speak up for yourself and don’t be afraid to fail because that’s the only way we can learn.”
Nguyen’s love for science stems from his inspirational teachers in high school. He has found that sometimes it takes one teacher to make a student believe in themself and be able to keep going when challenges arise. Nguyen aspires to be like the teachers that helped him, he wants to do the same for his students. Helping others when they are struggling is important to him. Science “just makes sense,” says Mr. Nguyen. He thinks it is a great way to look at ourselves and at the world around us. Nguyen concludes that he had great teachers and loves science simply because it makes the world a better place.
