Speaker 1:
My name is Thuba Nguyen. I have two degrees in early childhood education. One is a specialization in special needs, and I also have a second degree in Early Childhood Education in Leadership.
And before coming to Rasmussen University, I grew up in a very nuclear family. Leaving the home for the first time and being in a new state with new people and not having that support system at that time was extremely lonely and sad.
I was facing being unhoused. I actually was living in silence of the shame, experiencing this homelessness. So, I actually hid this really traumatic experience from them.
Enrolling at Rasmussen University was essentially a handshake to a lifeline, a lifeline to a career, a lifeline to stability, and a lifeline for a future that I could build for myself.
Speaker 2:
My name is Dr. Mary Muhs, and I am the Dean for the School of Education Early Childhood Education Program at Rasmussen University. Thuba was a fabulous student. She was engaged, she was inspiring, and you could tell that there was an inspiration driving her to be a good student.
Speaker 1:
Rasmussen University provided a lot of support in a myriad of ways. Being able to contact instructors and staff outside of office hours, being able to have someone to speak to when there is a question in hand and not ever feeling afraid to ask questions.
Speaker 2:
It's important to us to keep that internal motivation moving forward, seeing that goal of graduation ahead of them.
Speaker 1:
My children's book, "My Daddy Tells Me," really came after the murder of George Floyd and again, where I was challenged to reflect on my racial identification and really live in the fact that being Vietnamese and black does come with responsibility. And after his murder, I had to reflect, have I been walking in one identity and ignoring the other?
Speaker 3:
Thuba's book depicts a positive father-daughter relationship and the story of a family coming to America from Vietnam.
Speaker 4:
Thuba is also an incredible leader. I would love to more than anything, to see Thuba run for office. I would love to see Thuba in Congress. I would love to see Thuba in the Senate, but I would love to see her in a position where she is able to create the laws to help her community.
Speaker 1:
What would I want to tell my parents? This immigrant daughter that you created has carried the weight of our ancestors into the future. And we are going to heal, and we are going to grow, and we're continuing to be resilient.
And as your immigrant daughter, I am going to continue to inspire other children, other immigrant daughters, to live up to their dreams and reward their parents'. Sacrifice with opportunity.
Are you ready? means to me, are you ready to give yourself the opportunity to succeed?
(upbeat music)
Thuba N.
3:15
“When I stepped into a classroom for the first time with an instructor, and they saw me working with young children and interacting with their parents, I got to hear the validation come directly from the instructor saying, ‘Wow, you are a really great teacher, and the way you're interacting with those children is going to change their lives.’”
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