BY MIA ARCINIEGAS /STAFF WRITER
Thaovy Nguyen, president of the Biology Club & Augustana Chemistry Society. Photo submitted.
One of the pots a student painted for the biology club’s “Paint and Plant” event. Photo submitted.
For this final issue of the semester for the Dagligtale, I had the wonderful opportunity to speak to Thaovy Nguyen, a fourth-year biology major and president of two clubs: the biology club and the Augustana chemistry society! The activities offered by each club vary, such as the “Paint and Plant” event held recently in the forum, tutoring sessions, workshops, and much more! The biology club even went on to win the “Best Club” award at the student life awards for this academic year, which is why I am even more excited to share the interview I had with the inspirational figure behind it all.
Here is my interview with the club president, Thaovy!
- Tell me a bit about yourself: What got you interested in Biology, and what drew you to step into the role of president?
“When I was in high school, I was in leadership clubs, so I already had experience with event organizing; I am also a huge science nerd, so I wanted to combine the two. Then, when I got into university, I saw a lot of Asian female students in leadership positions; their energy, grace, and poise inspired me to emulate them and inspire other students to do the same. Growing up in Camrose, I have always been in the minority for most of my life, and I didn’t have that role model figure growing up. I hope that by being in the president position and just being present, I can show that Asian women have the potential to lead, especially in the sciences.”
- What does the chem society / bio club’s main message or goal, or what is something people outside of the clubs might not know or you would like them to know about it?
“I feel like both bio and chem seem like intimidating majors to people outside of them, especially during club fairs when we’re looking for students to join us—some students who aren’t in either major think that they can’t join the club. I want to let students know that science, in general, isn’t as intimidating as they might think. The club isn’t exclusive to science majors, and if people keep an open mind, there are a lot of interesting things to learn. Especially with Chemistry Society, we sometimes have more public events open to all!”
- What was your favourite moment/memory (or perhaps most challenging) and why?
“I think my favourite memory was just meeting all the new members coming in and having everyone’s support when I was about to become president, but this was also bittersweet because I knew all the past female students I looked up to were leaving and kind of passing the torch to me. I would say the most challenging part comes from being the president of the two clubs, and I feel like I wasn’t giving the same amount of attention or splitting my time equally for both.”
- Since it is your last year at Augustana, what are your hopes for the club going forward, and/or something you would like the execs to carry on next year?
“My advice for the future presidents is to focus on garnering enthusiasm among the younger students, and to definitely stick to managing one club.”
- Is there anything that you would like to add or a final message or piece of advice for future students involved with either club?
“I would say that it’s okay to step outside of the box. Even if something doesn’t end up feeling like the right fit, that’s a valuable lesson in and of itself. If something doesn’t work out, you can always try something else. So… join the bio or chem club!”
It was so much fun interviewing Thaovy. I want to thank her for taking the time to talk to me and for such an inspiring conversation. If you are interested in joining either the biology club or chemistry society, you can look forward to joining during the club fair happening in the Fall 2023 semester!
I hope everyone reading this has an amazing summer. It has been a blast writing for the Dagligtale this year.
Take care, readers!
-Mia
The Dagligtale News 