Anh M. Nguyen is a third-year student from Vietnam majoring in International Business at Stetson University who recently received the Stetson “Student Employee of the Month – March 2021” recognition.
Anh started her employment journey in the WORLD office at Stetson University in 2019 as a clerical assistant, helping the WORLD personnel including Roxanne Lewis, Paula Hentz, and Wendy Viggiano. In this position, Anh manages a lot of assignments and tasks in the form of designing posters and presentations, planning events, handling email communication, and helping fellow international students’ with the management of their residency statuses here, in the U.S.. Before joining WORLD in 2019, Anh had no prior working experience. She was able to navigate her first employment experience with the WORLD with the help of the welcoming staff and fellow co-workers who guided her through all the hardships and challenges. Anh admits to having wanted to work in the WORLD office the moment he entered the place. This is because the WORLD Office creates a welcoming environment for international students to gather, express their feelings and concerns, and gain the necessary support. She wanted to start working at WORLD to contribute to assisting her fellow international students. Her goal in her student employment position has always been to assist them with their concerns and to help WORLD provide as many development opportunities as possible.
Anh notes that she was both very surprised and excited to receive the “Employee of the Month” recognition. She had always thought of this title but had never thought she would be able to receive it. She credits her supervisor Roxanne Lewis for not only helping her grow and gain so much professionalism over the years, but also for recognizing her efforts and dedication.
She says that the recognition means a lot to her,”It is an indication of my dedication and hard work. It means my work is impactful, not only for my personal growth but also for my fellow Hatters” –putting her in perfect alignment with her job goals.
Anh also shared the lessons she learned, the advice she would give to fellow Stetson employees, and her favorite moments working for WORLD. Anh notes that she gained a lot of various skills in her current position. She learned to work effectively both individually and in a team. Moreover, she was able to familiarize herself with all the management systems, such as the Shared drive and different websites/ platforms that the WORLD uses. Anh’s advice to her fellow Hatters who want to get Stetson employment is to, firstly, improve their time management skills. As a person of many commitments (besides her job, Anh is also the Vice-President of APAC, a Residential Assistant (RA), and most importantly, a full-time student), Anh believes that planning is the best way to manage your time. Every morning, she spends 5-10 minutes planning her day and setting clear priorities for the day. Secondly, Anh advices students to not leave everything to the last minute.
She says, “It is important to do disciplined work every day to be able to set time for other commitments and involvements.”
Lastly, Anh’s favorite part of working on campus is being able to learn from so many amazing individuals. She believes that her involvements always challenge her and help her become better. She hopes sharing this story will inspire other international students at Stetson to get out of their comfort zones and get involved on our campus.
Written by Ani Martikyan ’23