Chau Nguyen, assistant director of business operations, Cecil B. Day School of Hospitality Administration
Robinson students possess a slew of big personality traits. They are gritty and passionate, and go to extreme lengths to chase their dreams. Many faculty and staff members join the Robinson community because of the opportunity to mentor, support, and teach such enthusiastic scholars. Some can empathize with and really get on students’ level because they fought equally hard to get here. One such staff member is Chau Nguyen, assistant director of business operations for the college’s Cecil B. Day School of Hospitality Administration.
In 2008, two weeks before her 15th Birthday, Nguyen moved alone to the United States from Hue, Vietnam. A large swath of Vietnamese families consider the United States the top purveyor of education in the world and aim to send their children there for high school, though financial obstacles often prevent that from happening. Nguyen’s mother owned a clothing alteration shop and worked and saved money to send her daughter to Horizons School, a former boarding school in the Lake Claire neighborhood of Atlanta.
Nguyen stands with friends at the Horizons School in 2010.
“The principal came to the airport to greet me, but I didn’t speak English well and had no idea what he looked like,” Nguyen said. “He came up to me and said, ‘Chau.’ I nodded my head and followed him to his car for a ride to the dorm.”
After a year-long ESL (English as a Second Language) program, Nguyen entered ninth grade. Upon graduating, Nguyen’s alma mater became her employer. While earning an associate degree in education from Georgia State’s Perimeter College, she also served as a Horizons School dorm parent, a role involving student supervision and support, housekeeping, and meal preparation. Through additional stints in Horizons’ aftercare program for elementary school children and nannying gigs, she realized that working with children full-time wasn’t her ideal path. She transitioned to Georgia State in pursuit of a nursing degree but soon discovered a distaste for working with blood.
“I had been navigating college by myself without a mentor or someone to talk to,” Nguyen said. “I took an anatomy class and didn’t do well, and decided to switch one more time.”
Nguyen earned an MBA from Robinson in May 2022.
That switch did the trick. Nguyen changed her major to hospitality and became a student assistant for the School of Hospitality, graduating in 2016 with a B.B.A. Once again, her alma mater became her employer: Nguyen accepted a part-time administrative position before becoming a full-time business manager in 2018. She earned an MBA from Robinson in May 2022, ascending to her current role the following fall. She is proud to be a triple alumna of Georgia State.
“I got a lot of support as a student here. Through a career at Robinson, I can make a difference in other students’ lives, too,” Nguyen said. “A lot of students have come to me not knowing what path to take. Through that conversation, they realized hospitality is their calling. A lot of them are doing really well in the industry.”
Nguyen’s MBA degree has helped her elevate her contributions to the School of Hospitality. She plays a crucial role in managing the department’s budget and business processes, running office operations, and coordinating student engagement and recruitment events. Her responsibilities also include overseeing the department’s social media presence, scholarship disbursements, course scheduling, and hiring. She also has taught GSU 1010, an orientation course for freshmen.
Nguyen also recently was elected committees director for Georgia State’s Staff Council. As one of four members of the Staff Council Board of Directors for the 2024-2025 academic year, she will guide several committees that support the council’s initiatives. The overall purpose of the council is to voice staff members’ needs to university-level leadership. Nguyen is especially proud of supporting the semesterly staff forum, a key event where university leaders, including President Blake, provide crucial updates to staff and directly address their concerns. Additionally, Nguyen played a key part in promoting the Staff Council Professional Advancement Award, which provides up to $400 for career development opportunities such as conferences and workshops. By actively spreading the word across Robinson, she ensured that her colleagues were aware of the resource.
Nguyen believes in reciprocating kindness; giving back is a core part of her culture. In 2021, her mother started spending six months in Atlanta and the other half of the year in Vietnam with her own mother. Last year, Nguyen’s younger sister–who is 10 years her junior–relocated to Atlanta from Japan, where she was sent for high school. Nguyen’s sister has followed in her footsteps and recently commenced her second semester at Perimeter College.
“I’m fortunate to have a stable job that I truly enjoy with a predictable schedule,” Nguyen said. “This clarity allows me to not only excel in my role but also support my mom and sister and spend quality time with my family.”