A L U M N I M A G A Z I N E - Colby-Sawyer College

mitment and a sacrifice for their families,
but they value an American education and
believe it is the key to success.
Nguyen hopes that someday she’ll be
able to start an organization to help other
Vietnamese students study abroad. “When
we go abroad we learn about the ways that
people do things differently. It’s important
for people to learn about diverse ways of
thinking and being. Vietnam is a monoculture
and people are not exposed to differences
that much,” she says.
In the last two decades, it has become
more common for Vietnamese students
to seek a college education in the United
States or Europe. “The education system in
my country is out of date,” says Nguyen.
“Our curriculum emphasizes theory rather
than practice. Students are required to take
all classes designed by the school, some of
which are irrelevant, such as Marxism and
Leninism. We do not get to choose what to
study. The U.S. has the liberal arts model
that allows us to follow our dream. Here
I was able to take courses like studio art,
earth science, and classes such as Exploring
Nature, Health and Wellness, along with
courses in my major. I also took writing. I
love creative writing; that was one of my
favorite courses.”
Nguyen was active outside the classroom
as well and joined the Dance Club
and the CSC Singers. She tried swimming
lessons and participated in Cross Cultural
Club. “A major adjustment I made to adapt
to life here was learning to participate in
group activities. At home we don’t hang
out with such big groups, everything is
more individualized,” Nguyen says. “Life
here is very different. I come from a pretty
busy city where we do not get to see
nature a lot. It is cool to have my nature
class go outside of the classroom to learn
about the trees and animals of this area.
We identified tracks of mice, chipmunks,
deer and turkey. I’ve seen a lot of birds,
including the loons on Pleasant Lake.”
That Nguyen and her sister studied
abroad is not unusual for students of their
generation, but the fact that their mother
studied abroad is. “Women of
my generation, particularly in big
cities, have been more active in
almost every aspect of life in comparison
with our parents’ generation.
We have equal opportunity to
20 COLBY-SAWYER ALUMNI MAGAZINE
PHOTO: Marsha Johnson ’59
The Nyugen family welcomed daughter Zui’s Friendship
Family, Marsha and Bruce Johnson of New
London, N.H., and their granddaughter, Katy Svec,
to their home in Hanoi, Vietnam, for dinner in
January 2010 during the Johnson’s three-week visit
to Vietnam and Cambodia. The Johnsons visited
Katy, who was studying in Vietnam as part of a
“gap year” study abroad program before college.
(Above) Nhuang Vu and Binh Nguyen (on left) relax
with Bruce and granddaughter Katy. (At right) Mrs.
Nguyen and Marsha Johnson. The couples communicated
with assistance from Katy, who was learning
the Vietnamese language and was able to translate.
go to school and pursue our own career,”
Nguyen says. “A lot of our friends also
come to the U.S. for their higher education;
some go home after they finish
school, some stay.”
In fact, she says, many Vietnamese who
study abroad come from her high school in
Hanoi. During a visit to the Johnsons’ daughter’s
home in Andover, Mass., Nguyen was
introduced to a Vietnamese teacher at
Phillips Andover Academy. She soon discovered
that this man’s father had been her
former principal, his mother was her former
teacher, and his younger brother had been
her classmate in her Hanoi high school .
Extending the Family
Marsha Johnson’s granddaughter, Katy,
decided to study in Vietnam last year
after graduating from high school in
Massachusetts. She had met Nguyen at
Johnson family gatherings and found out
that she would be home for a few days
“Zui is a very self-reliant person.
These kids have got to have a lot
of inner strength just to be here.”
–Marsha Johnson
more when Katy first arrived in Hanoi.
Katy was able to connect with Nguyen’s
family and Nguyen’s mother extended a
hand of friendship to her many more times
throughout the year, inviting her to a meal
and hosting her for the weekend.
In February the Johnsons traveled to
Vietnam and Cambodia to visit Katy and
see the sights. They were welcomed into
the Nguyens’ home and spent an evening
visiting and talking with her parents.
Katy translated as best she could as they
sat around a low coffee table, eating
delicious spring rolls, traditional noodle
soup, shrimp and vegetables. For dessert,
Nguyen’s mother presented a beautiful
platter of bananas and watermelon. The
Johnsons kept their coats on during the
chilly visit because most homes there have
no central heating and Zui’s mom likes
to keep the doors and windows open to
enjoy the fresh air.
What Nguyen misses most about home
are family gatherings like the one the
Johnsons enjoyed, and the busy city streets
where she and her friends can go window
shopping and buy food from the many
street vendors. Small tables with
low plastic chairs provide makeshift
sidewalk cafes where Nguyen and
her friends hang out and eat noodle
soup. “It’s kind of like some of the
restaurants in Hanover that have
tables outdoors on the sidewalk,