Mihaylo management alumnus Jimmy Nguyen ’14 received the Emerging Leader Award at the Vietnamese-American Chamber of Commerce’s 30th anniversary event on June 12. Finance student Trinh “Sky” Pham ’16 was also a nominee for the award.

“The education, activities and real-world business activities offered by Mihaylo College have impacted me in many ways,” Mihaylo management alumnus Jimmy Nguyen ’14 says. “They have given me experience with organizational leadership.”

Nguyen received the Emerging Leader Award on June 12. Nguyen and finance student Trinh “Sky” Pham ’16 were both nominees for the Vietnamese-American Chamber of Commerce (VACOC) honor, bestowed at the Westminster Rose Center Theatre in Westminster.

Nguyen was born and raised in Orange County’s Little Saigon community. He is a manager at the Surf City (Huntington Beach) Walmart and has been involved in several on-campus organizations, including the Vietnamese Student Association (VSA), Phi Beta Lambda, Society for Advancement in Management (SAM), Society of Excellence in Human Resource (SEHR), the Association for Inter-Cultural Awareness (AICA) and the Pre-Law Society.

“Through these involvements, I have been engaged in the community through volunteering on councils, offering my time and talent,” he says. “When I was president of SAM, I had the opportunity to help students of various majors to increase professionalism and prepare for a successful career. Through SAM, I have improved my skills in communication, networking and leadership.”

“As with so many other immigrant communities, the Vietnamese have moved beyond defining themselves as refugees in a new country,” Pham says. “Over the past four decades, the Vietnamese have established their own businesses and profoundly influenced their local communities. Economically, Vietnamese Americans have energized niche markets such as nail care and restaurants. We are a politically active immigrant group and are increasingly building coalitions with others to confront common problems.”

Pham has volunteered for VACOC’s Government Affairs Committee since 2013, is president of the CSU Fullerton chapter of Phi Beta Delta and was a site coordinator for IRS VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistant), which provides free tax preparation services for CSU Fullerton students and others in and around campus. Pham is also president of Bàn Tay Nhân Ái (Compassionate Hands), a humanitarian organization serving Vietnam and other Southeast Asian nations and CSUF Students Recycle Club, which donates proceeds from recycling drives to a local soup kitchen in Costa Mesa.

“I have a strong belief in Mihaylo education,” he says. “The college prepares students for careers in business by developing interpersonal, teamwork, leadership, communication, critical thinking and problem solving skills. Also, I believe that the Business Advising Center has provided helpful resources, guidance and support to achieve my academic, career and personal goals.”

Source: https://bizblogs.fullerton.edu/blog/2015/06/17/mihaylo-alumnus-honored-with-emerging-leader-award/