Natalie Nguyen (Kresge ’23, economics) dreamed of redwood trees. She had visited UC Santa Cruz a handful of times while in high school, and after dreaming about the redwoods for a whole month, she took it as a sign to attend.
Now as an alumna of the university, Nguyen reflects on her time at UC Santa Cruz with gratitude for the opportunities she took advantage of.
Nguyen pursued two marketing internships as a student. One, through the United Way of Santa Cruz, and the other through UCSC’s Everett Program. Nguyen worked as a marketing and management intern with United Way of Santa Cruz for about six months, planning events, stewarding donors, and managing projects. With the Everett Program, Nguyen traveled to Costa Rica to teach digital marketing skills to rural communities. She taught the workshops in Spanish and helped attendees learn about social media, video editing, and more.
“I still remember everyone just being on their phones very excited,” she said. “I still see to this day, the small businesses and the nonprofits using the skills I gave them. Some of them have joined my Instagram Lives on my personal account to thank me.”
Upon her acceptance to UC Santa Cruz, Nguyen was awarded the Alumni Association Scholarship and a comprehensive financial aid package. The Alumni Association Scholarship supports high-achieving students working hard to earn their degrees while navigating financial hardship. Every student selected receives an annual award until they graduate, as long as they maintain a good academic standing. Funds from the Alumni Association Scholarship helped Nguyen with rent, school supplies, groceries, and transit.
Nguyen’s parents immigrated to the U.S. as teenagers. Her mother traveled from Jalisco, Mexico, and her father from Vietnam, seeking refuge from the Vietnam War. The daughter of small business owners, Nguyen gravitated towards economics and marketing as a result of watching her parents run their business her whole life. Her parents owned a nail salon in Santa Barbara County for over 30 years.
“My parents, Young and Amparo, are my role models for everything I do in life,” Nguyen said. “They taught me to do everything with passion, respect, determination, and kindness and many other things. Those are key aspects that I carry with me today.”
After graduating, Nguyen began working with nonprofits. She worked with Future Leaders of America to curate an art exhibition focused on anti-hate and pro-immigration topics. The nonprofit was awarded the Stop the Hate Grant from the California Department of Social Services to pursue the exhibitions, and Nguyen brought them to life. She partnered with the Los Angeles Museum of Social Justice and scouted three artists, Dulce Lopez, Oscar Magallanes, and Leticia Resch for The Colors of Resilience Art Exhibition.
“I wanted to look for artists that had art that would help expand people's lives and consciousness,” Nguyen said. “So that when they see that art, they can have these courageous conversations with themselves, their community, and challenge their own bias and the community's bias. When we have these discussions, that's when policies are made, and that's when things are changing.”
For students currently attending UC Santa Cruz, Nguyen emphasizes the importance of reaching out to resources, applying to scholarships, prioritizing your mental health and needs, and to never give up on your dreams.
Nguyen is happy to connect with fellow alumni and students on Instagram and LinkedIn.
“I am a resource to everyone and will always be here to listen even though we haven't met yet,” Nguyen said. “I really want to be a leader and inspire people to continue to pursue their dreams.”
