Past Alumni .

Michelle Nguyen

UVSA Ontario's Admin VP (2016-2017), Co-CORR (2016-2017), and Co-President (2017-2018)
Michelle Nguyen (she/her/hers) is a full-time researcher at the Canada Excellence Research Chair program in Migration and Integration at Ryerson University. She holds an MA in Immigration and Settlement Studies. Michelle has extensive experience developing conference programming to raise public awareness of international development and social justice issues. In her leadership roles with Vietnamese student groups across North America, she spearheaded the organization of her region's first leadership summit focused on mental health and initiated a Community Challenge project to promote critical thinking and civic engagement skills among youth. In addition to community-building, she has conducted research for the International Organization for Migration, Canadian Immigration Historical Society, and for professors at Ryerson and Trent University. In her professional and personal life, Michelle aspires to mobilize knowledge to empower and amplify the voices of marginalized communities. Outside of work, she enjoys trying out different recipes, watching movies, and daydreaming.

Jen Giang

UVSA Ontario's Ignite Coordinator (2014-2015), President (2016-2017)
Jen Giang (she/her/hers) is a program manager at Canadian Tire Corporation in the Content Development. Jen is a marketing professional who has worked on brands such as Canadian Tire Retail, Party City, Motomaster, SMEG, AEG Appliances, Bayshore, Tena, and many more. She stumbled upon VSA in her first year at Waterloo University back in 2013, and became one of their Ignite Coordinators and did not look back since. Jen’s passion for youth and professional development as well for the Vietnamese community continues to strive till this day. She is currently on the board for the Vietnamese Canadian Professionals Association (VCPA), and active volunteer for Project Management Institute Toronto chapter and Herb Carnegie Future Aces Foundation.

Jennifer Tran

UVSA Ontario's Admin VP (2017-2018), Co-President (2018-2019), UVSA Eastern Canada's VITA Summit-3 Executive Director (2019-2020)
Jennifer Tran (she/her/hers) attended McMaster University, where she got her BSc in Biochemistry and developed a love for community, event planning, and an unfortunate addiction to spicy chicken with cheese. She is a full-time Clinical Research Coordinator for Phase I-IV global clinical trials in medical and cosmetic dermatology as well as plastic surgery. Her aspiration in life is to positively affect others through medical care, personal and leadership empowerment, and philanthropic engagement. Jennifer is passionate about philanthropy and innovation, launching various initiatives to educate and engage on the importance of community contribution and healthcare changes through academic publications. Specifically within the Vietnamese North American community, she's an advocate for human trafficking in Asia, restructured the leadership summit foundations to include more opportunities for leadership growth, and developed successful fundraising campaigns for multiple charities in Vietnam. In her free time, Jennifer is learning to paint from Bob Ross.

Andrew Nguyen

UVSA Ontario's Finance VP (2016-2017), Co-President (2017-2018), UOLS-2 Family Programming Director (2018-2019), UVSA Eastern Canada's VITA Summit-3 Entertainment Director (2019-2020)
Andrew Nguyen (he/him/his) is a medical student at Western University’s Schulich School of Medicine and previously attended McMaster University where he obtained his B.S. in Biology, with a minor in Psychology, and M.Sc. in Global Health. Combining his interest for improving global health equity and love for the Vietnamese community, Andrew completed a practicum through the Project Vietnam Foundation where he focused on cross-cultural capacity building in health. In his involvement with the North American Vietnamese community, Andrew fostered sustainable relationships with non-profit organizations and pioneered a fellowship project. Within the Eastern community region, Andrew spearheaded an annual leadership summit to foster leadership growth and retention within the Vietnamese student groups. Outside of school and VSA, Andrew is a big foodie, entomology enthusiast, mental health advocate, and loves to experience the serene aspects of nature through hikes or exploration.

Nathalie Trinh

UVSA Ontario's Social Media Lead (2018-2019), UOLS-2 Marketing Director (2018-2019), UVSA Eastern Canada President (2019-2020)
Nathalie Trinh (she/her/hers) is a recent graduate of McMaster University with a B. Sc in Biology and a minor in Psychology. Nathalie’s journey with VSA started when she joined as a general member with McMaster’s VSA, eventually going on to serve on the regional board and other VSA regions in North America. Nathalie helped rebrand the UVSA Ontario organization into UVSA Eastern Canada to better represent the members and constituents of the Eastern Canadian region. Nathalie dedicates much of her time to the Vietnamese Canadian community through her philanthropic word for Viet-based charity organizations such as Áo Dài Canada and Golden Age Elderly Village. She has a strong passion for encouraging young leaders and aiding in their growth. In her free time, Nathalie likes to cook, sing karaoke, and to catch up with friends.