Mai Nguyen ’13

Jul 8

“During my four years at Vassar College, the most significant impact on my professional

and personal development came from my involvement with the Vassar Haiti Project. I carry

with me to this day and everyday the practical skills and the commitment to service that the

organization has fostered in its students, as well as the deep friendships that I found with

other volunteers.

It gave me ample opportunities to develop tangible skills - event programming, grant

writing, fundraising, public speaking and teamwork. Employers often inquired about my

experience with the Vassar Haiti Project and always commented what an unique

opportunity VHP presented for college students to have hands-on learning and create a

meaningful impact. The invaluable skills that Vassar Haiti Project equipped its students have

enabled me to obtain professional opportunities in the field of international development:

6- month internship with UNICEF in New York, a year-long public service fellowship in

Bolivia, managerial positions working in educational development with Peacework and

Room to Read in Vietnam.

More than just illuminating the theories about structural inequalities that I learned in

economics and international studies classes, the Vassar Haiti Project gave me the space to

think both critically and empathetically about our relations to other human beings, and to

reflect deeply about how I can work and live with a sense of service to the larger

community. It also connected me to a 15-year network of dedicated and talented students,

alumni and community members – all change-makers with whom I can share my interests

and work together to find new ways of thinking and addressing inequalities in the world.

Now as a Masters student in Global Human Development, I am often asked by colleagues and professors

about the path that got me here today, and I am proud to say that stumbling

upon VHP canvas stretching party in my freshman year was the foundation of my calling.”

Laura Livingston ’12