From Refuge to PhD

Two-time immigrant and three-time scholarship recipient, his impact is immeasurable.

From Refugee to PhD - NguyenUnder the cloak of darkness, the frightened families and desperate bystanders climbed aboard a ramshackle fishing boat. They carried those too young or too old to walk, as well as their bundled belongings. The wooden vessel, built for 70 persons maximum, was barely afloat once all 140 souls huddled aboard. Theirs was not a voyage for fishing or fun, but an illegal journey to freedom. By leaving, they risked perils of the open sea. By staying, they risked certain death—if not physically, at least emotionally and spiritually—at the hands of the Viet Cong. These brave Vietnamese families endeavored to escape.

Minh Ha Nguyen was 11 years old. “My people and generations before endured harsh persecution and isolation,” he shared. “But God was in this all the time, every time.”

One miracle after another guided Minh Ha’s life, and eventually his career. How is he moving missions forward?

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