Meet Tan Nguyen

Alumni spotlight

Tan Nguyen (’23 master of accounting) found his way to academic success despite the odds being stacked against him.

Born and raised in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Nguyen immigrated to the United States with his family at the age of 11. Despite having minimal education and little understanding of the English language, Nguyen’s parents left their lives in Vietnam behind to try and provide the best opportunity they could for Nguyen and his brother.

“I witnessed first-hand the hard work and sacrifice it took for them to build a life here,” said Nguyen. “Despite their struggles navigating society, they made the most of what they had and have given me the ability and inspiration to pursue my dream.”

Even though his parents never completed high school, they understood the value of education and always explained that education provides the choices and skills essential to success. Using the inspiration derived from his parents’ journey, Nguyen received his high school diploma and chose to pursue further education through Iowa State University’s engineering program.

“Eventually, I understood what my parents meant. What really matters is the purpose we find, the experiences we gain from the struggles, and the skills we pick up during our time in school. That is what we gain from school that enables us to achieve excellence, and what equips us to handle whatever life throws our way.”

— Tan Nguyen

Entering college in 2018, Nguyen’s passion for his education was burning brighter than ever, a feeling that unfortunately did not last long. Being a non-native speaker and having no experienced advice from his family, Nguyen found the transition out of high school difficult. This led to him struggling with the rigor of the engineering program and eventually making the switch to accounting after his first semester.

Nguyen wasn’t sure if switching to accounting was the right path, but he was excited about the fresh start to his Iowa State academic experience. This new start was short-lived as, in 2020, COVID-19 forced classes to be held online.

“This change led to me taking a gap year to reconsider my academic path,” said Nguyen. “After taking some time away from school to work, I realized how valuable education is. That time helped reignite my passion for academics and led to my return to school in 2021. My journey wasn’t direct, and there were always ups and downs, but I couldn’t be more grateful for the lessons that have come alongside each battle.”

As Nguyen overcame each challenge life threw at him, his passion for success continued to grow. This led to him to finding a sense of belonging in Ivy’s accounting program, which he credited in part to Mike Bootsma, Dean’s Teaching Fellow, and the rest of the accounting faculty at Ivy.

Following this trend of success, and with the help and wisdom of Brady Talley, director of multicultural student success, Nguyen chose to expand on his education through Ivy’s master of accounting (MACC) program. Despite the many hurdles he had to overcome throughout his academic journey, Nguyen pushed through and graduated with his bachelor of accounting and master of accounting in 2023 with the help of Ivy’s concurrent 4+1 program. It was another first for his family.

“Eventually, I understood what my parents meant,” said Nguyen. “What really matters is the purpose we find, the experiences we gain from the struggles, and the skills we pick up during our time in school. That is what we gain from school that enables us to achieve excellence, and what equips us to handle whatever life throws our way.”

Following graduation, Nguyen started a full-time position as a tax accountant with Creative Planning Business Services in Urbandale, Iowa. While in his new position, he plans to wrap up his CPA journey and earn the necessary hours to be eligible for licensure.

To connect with Nguyen or to follow his professional journey, visit his LinkedIn profile.

Learn more about Ivy’s MACC program.

February 20, 2024