As students look forward to their future, our Aliso Niguel High School hosts weekly visits from college advisors. Both in-state and out of state colleges send representatives down to the ANHS college and career center. Every week, different universities advertise to students and encourage them to take a chance and join. They describe many aspects of the schools, and what you can expect when applying.
Nguyen began her schooling at Tustin high school, later moving on to University of Irvine for college. She went to school as an English major with the intention of becoming a journalist, due to her passion for speaking to people and hearing their stories.
She eventually picked up interest for her current field in consultations with UCI’s career counselor. As they continued to speak, her counselor saw her passion for speaking and connecting with people more and more. She says “What he told me is that I think you just like helping people and talking to them.”
When asked what she wants to achieve through her field, Nguyen says she “wants students to realize their full potential and understand that they have a lot of options in their lives, as well as broaden their horizons on what is possible for them.”
Previously, Nguyen counseled at a charter school. She expressed the differences between ANHS and the charter school. The students at her prior school attended because they were struggling, and she was able to help them through their difficulties in school. She is amazed by the diversity of our school, telling about how many different kinds of students there are.
The population at Aliso Niguel is much larger than what she was used to, but she is very happy with her job. She describes the students as often on track to their futures, and working hard to do what’s right for their futures. She admires the determination that the student body has, and the general attitude on campus.
As well as the students, the staff body is also different from what she has previously experienced. Due to it being such a big school, Aliso’s staff is also much larger. Even though Nguyen has been here for 9 years now, she is still meeting and getting to know more teachers. She describes herself as working very closely with the school counselors, and has been able to make bonds with them.
However, her life is not all about school. She indulges in many other interesting activities, especially martial arts. She describes it as a big part of herself, and something that people might not expect but would love for them to know. She is a certified martial arts instructor, training in many types such as Filipino weapon based arts, Jeet Kune do, and Indonesian martial arts.
Nguyen’s passion for connection and conversation shows her genuine love for people and their stories. She is part of the reason kids from ANHS are so successful, backed by strong and caring staff on our campus.
