By Allison M. Gilde
MCC Communications Intern
Growing up in Vietnam, Van Vu always took inspiration from her mother’s dedication to being an accountant. One day, she hoped to follow in her footsteps. Van clung to her ambition even as she crossed the Pacific Ocean to the U.S. to become a student at Muskegon Catholic Central High School and, eventually, Muskegon Community College.
In Vietnam, she was a volunteer assistant with the Hanoi Baseball Club. The coach’s wife, who was an American, decided to host some baseball players who wanted to study in America. Van leaped at the opportunity and came with the players to Muskegon Catholic Central, where she continued to volunteer with the Crusader baseball squad.
Even though it became an amazing opportunity to study abroad in the U.S, Van overcame the struggles of being a young student in a foreign land.
“I had a hard time studying the first year in America because of a language barrier, culture shocks, and homesickness,” she admitted, adding that education helped her overcome adversity and aided her personal development.
“I am an introvert, but coming to the U.S, I have had to get involved into school activities,” said the Muskegon Community College sophomore. “I speak more and put myself out there.”
Van chose Muskegon Community College because of its proximity to her high school. She enjoys the area and the friends she has made in town.
Van said that education also tremendously helped her adapt to the U.S., adding that since leaving her homeland she’s felt the most comfortable as a college student.
“When I moved here I had to do everything myself and manage my time,” said Van. “MCC was a good step to help prepare me for a university and (learn) how to communicate with people.”
At the college, she belongs to Phi Theta Kappa, the largest honor society in American higher education and serves as the MCC chapter’s vice president of Hallmarks. In that role she is responsible for coordinating the Honors in Action Project and the College Project. She sets timelines, organizes the people and research needed for the project, and coordinates the report of the project, findings, and activity for a Phi Theta Kappa Hallmark Award entry – a competition between chapters across the country.
“She has done an outstanding job,” noted Kelley Conrad, who heads the MCC Counseling and Advising Center and serves as advisor to the Phi Theta Kappa chapter.
Although busy with Phi Theta Kappa, Van seeks to strike a balance between work, social life, and school, always keeping a focus on her career goal.
“Accounting is pretty fun because I like to do calculations and I like to analyze (data) in business,” admitted Van, who believes that her shy personality, organizational skills, and attention to detail would fit the accounting profession.
At the college, she’s extended her interests with courses like Oceanography. Her favorite campus locale is the peaceful ambiance of the Hedrick Meijer Library where she enjoys the “super nice and helpful” staff.
As for her favorite teacher, Van lists English instructor Jenny Klingenberg, who recommended Van for the Performance Based Scholarship and cited her “quality of work, her dedication to her studies, and her pleasant demeanor.”
Van said her MCC education has helped her overcome many challenges and “is the key that opens the door of opportunities for me to improve myself.”
“It is a process,” she said. “I can find myself and be independent and improve my leadership skills.”
On her path to becoming an accountant, Van plans to transfer to either Grand Valley or Michigan State for her junior year of college. While her journey is not over, she’s already received the strongest words of encouragement from the person who means the most to her.
“Last summer, when I went back to Vietnam to visit my family and friends, my mother told me that I was grown up, and she was very proud of me,” said Van, beaming with a pride that spanned continents.
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