April 2, 2025
Contact: Brian Consiglio, consigliob@missouri.edu
Growing up only two hours away from the University of Missouri, Cindy Nguyen chose to be a Tiger because Mizzou had an abundance of opportunities, provided her with scholarships as a first-generation college student and was close to home.
In addition to pursuing a bachelor’s degree in elementary education at Mizzou, Nguyen was involved with the Honors College programming board and worked jobs in the student unions and with Residential Life. A highlight of her Mizzou experience was being involved with the Asian American Association and the Vietnamese Student Association.
“Within these organizations, I truly found my home away from home,” Nguyen said. “I found a place where I can share my lived experiences, celebrate my culture and learn more about identity. Through my involvement with these organizations, I also met my partner and lifelong friends. I will forever be grateful to Mizzou for bringing them to me.”
Read on for a Q&A with Nguyen
What do you do as a kindergarten teacher?
My goal every single day is to make my students feel loved while giving them the education they need. I focus on teaching them the foundational skills that they need to become readers and writers. We work on the alphabet, the sounds each letter makes and foundational skills in math such as adding and subtracting.
For many of my students, kindergarten is the first time they are in a school setting interacting with a community of students. I teach classroom expectations such as how to sit on the carpet, interact in the hallways, how to act when someone else is speaking and what it looks like to work independently.
I also teach students to respect others, how to be kind and honest, and what it means to be a good friend. I help my students problem-solve and teach them how to regulate their emotions when they feel upset or frustrated.
How did Mizzou help you reach your goals?
The College of Education and Human Development did a great job of integrating student teachers into the classroom. That gave me the valuable hands-on experience I needed to become a future educator.
On a personal level, Mizzou has so many student organizations that allowed me to better understand who I am as an individual and help me follow my passions. I learned what it means to be a leader at Mizzou and grow my skillset to excel at anything I put my mind to. I have also grown my network to create meaningful relationships with people who have like-minded goals.
What advice would you give to others pursuing or considering a degree in education at Mizzou?
The advice I would give is to be in the moment, soak it all in and have fun. When you get the opportunity to be in someone else’s classroom during student teaching and learn from them, don’t take that experience for granted. Use those moments to learn, create relationships and have fun.
Also, have fun in class. Not all college students get to learn ways to integrate art and music into the classroom, or plan learning activities that engage students and feed academic growth. Have fun with what you’re learning because that is the experience we as teachers are trying to create for our students, too.
Finally, join student organizations outside of the classroom at Mizzou that feed your passion for enhancing the lives of others. During my time at Mizzou, I truly enjoyed planning and creating events for people and seeing them enjoy those experiences. As an educator, creating experiences that my students enjoy is such a great feeling.
