Nguyen continues to smile despite facing difficult obstacles in his past.
Hai Nguyen was born in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and later spent time in a refugee camp. He moved to America in 1980 at the age of six with seven older siblings and without any knowledge of English. Although he faced many difficulties here, they were nothing compared to what he and his family had already survived.
“Time in a refugee camp is sad. People live in tents and there is a lot of desperation. My family was lucky compared to others. When you see people that desperate you think about what is important in life. That is why I’m able to be so positive now,” said Nguyen.
His experiences as a child have shaped him into the person he is today. In his free time, Nguyen volunteers at various places such as Habitat for Humanity, a non-profit organization that builds houses for people in need.
Nguyen said, “I’m a big believer in helping the poor, new immigrants, and people in general. I like to help people because people helped me.”
This is also the reason he became a teacher. Teachers helped him learn English when he first arrived in America and, now, he teaches to help kids learn as well as to foster desire to help the community in the younger generations.
Sophomore Seena Sebt said, “I like how he goes over everything step by step as well as explaining its aptitude to the real world. I think he’s a great teacher and I have a lot of respect for him.”
In a classroom full of kids, Nguyen finds it difficult to get to know the person individually so he encourages his students to visit him during lunch time. Many students find this very useful in being able to further understand the material, as well as get to know their teacher.
Sophomore Megan Handley said, “Going in at lunch helps to understand the material and have him know you as a person.”
Nguyen also has preprinted notes for his students to make his class easier. He doesn’t mind doing a bit of extra work if it helps students understand the material better.
Sophomore Izzy De Wood said, “I like the notes that we get. It really helps that you can always refer back to them.”
