Vietnamese Students Say BGSU is Best Place to Study Business

Written by Bailey Smith, Communications Intern, College of Business

(Pictured are ten students from Vietnam at the home of Dean Ray Braun and his wife, Dr. Theresa Popp Braun.)

Three years ago, the College of Business had only three international students from Vietnam. Now in 2019 that number has jumped to sixteen. I interviewed five out of the sixteen students about their BGSU experiences as well as their College of Business education. The five students include senior Phuong “Emily” Nguyen, juniors  Chi “Cora” Ta and Linh Tu, and freshmen An Nguyen and Tien Ho.

Many of the Vietnamese students come from Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City. These are the two largest cities in Vietnam, with Hanoi being the capital.

When asked why they chose to pursue business, they credited their fathers who inspired them, participation in an entrepreneurial contest, they owned a business when they were younger; or they simply had a passion for business.

So why choose BGSU for business? The students cited that BGSU had one of the nation’s top business programs. Cora explains that BGSU has an exclusive representative office in Vietnam, Nam Anh Education,which helped her and An Nguyen learn more about BGSU. In addition, they said BGSU’s College of Business was very helpful through the application process. Cora made connections at BG through the College of Business and earned several renewable scholarships.

Two other reasons the students mentioned included BGSU’s diverse learning environment and their scholarships. Emily explains, “One of my professors recommended this university to me when I was in Seattle. I looked up BGSU online and saw that BGSU has high ranking in business, especially in my majors, management information systems and business analytics. The school is located in the Midwest, where I have never been before, and it offered me a great scholarship.”

Each of these students expressed that choosing the College of Business at BGSU is one of the best decisions they ever made. According to Cora, “Every experience I’ve had at BGSU’s College of Business inspires me to grow and follow my passion. I would not be able to get to where I am now without the empowerment from faculty and friends here.”

They also agree the people here are very nice and are always willing to help. Linh states, “There is always a center or an office you can go to and get your questions answered.” When talking about their memorable experiences so far, the students shared things like being a part of the World Student Organization (WSA), Bridges BGSU, the BGSU student chapter of the American Marketing Association, the International Dinner, lunch with Dean Ray Braun and his wife Dr. Theresa Popp-Braun at their home, and meeting other students and staff.

Tien describes her most unforgettable moment. “I believe the most important memory I have ever had was when I was a model for the International Dinner. It was the first time I walked on stage with many guests in the audience. Although I was nervous and scared, I finished my catwalk wonderfully because I wanted everyone to see the beauty of the traditional Vietnamese clothing. Also, along with the applause, everyone's support made me more confident.”

She adds, “Thanks to WSA for giving me the opportunity to express myself, to make friends, to bring our culture to people from all over the world, and thanks for the encouragement from everyone. At that time, I believed that BGSU was my second home. I think Emily can speak for all of us when she says ‘It has been an incredible journey.’”

Lastly, the students offered advice to other international /Vietnamese students thinking about coming to BGSU. They suggest not being afraid to ask questions, have knowledge of the American culture, and be engaged in classes and activities. The opportunities are never ending – seek them out, and be prepared to live independently and make your own decisions.  An Nguyen says, “In order to study abroad, people need to prepare to live independently without their parents beside them because you have to make your own decisions.”

All in all, these five students have had remarkable experiences in the College of Business. Dean Ray Braun states, “We are proud to have so many Vietnamese students in our College of Business and proud of how successful and driven they are. We look forward to continued growth in our student enrollment from Vietnam.”