 "Photo: Jaqueline Walker")
 "Photo: Jacquline Walker")
UT finance and Plan II senior Christine Nguyen laughed as she recalled what set her apart from the other nine winners of Glamour magazine's "Top 10 College Women of 2006:" college football. During the UT-Ohio State football game, while Nguyen was watching a Broadway play in New York City, she text-messaged a friend in Austin for frequent score updates. A sheepish smile appeared as she described the other winners' bewildered faces when they saw what she was doing.
"You don't understand," she told them. "I go to UT."
Nguyen was honored Sept. 8 at an awards ceremony in New York City as one of Glamour's "Top 10 College Women of 2006." Each year, the magazine chooses 10 college women in the U.S. who have highlighted leadership on campus, involvement in the community and excellence in their field of study, as well as their unique, inspiring goals. The winners receive a trip to New York, a cash prize of $2,000, a spread in the magazine and a chance to meet with top professionals in a variety of fields.
Glamour magazine has an average circulation of 2.4 million copies and reaches more than 14 million readers per month, said Glamour spokeswoman Jaime Marsanico. Nguyen and the other winners are featured in the October issue, which hit newsstands Sept. 12.
"When I received the call from Glamour magazine in June, I was really shocked and very excited," Nguyen said. "The opportunity and experiences it gave me were unforgettable."
Nguyen received the honor because of her efforts to help the victims of the sex-trafficking trade in Southeast Asia through education and mentoring. She raised nearly $30,000 through grants and corporate contributions and used the money to found The Southeast Asian Children's Coalition, The organization provided scholarships for younger children, vocational training for adults, and helped build a library to promote literacy. Nguyen also created a computer lab for kids to gain skills, strengthen their English and develop mentorships with the victims and the privileged children in Southeast Asia. Nguyen's philanthropy initally started in Ho-Chi Minh City, Vietnam, but quickly diffused to Nha Trang City and Bangkok, Thailand.
A native of Houston, Nguyen was born into an upper middle-class, suburban household. After graduating third in her high school class, Nguyen was accepted to Harvard University, but she declined her acceptance and chose to attend UT-Austin.
"I don't think I would have been the same had I not gone to UT. With such a diverse student body from all backgrounds, it is impossible not to develop an open mind from the different ideas and opinions," Nguyen said.
Nguyen's involvement with the Southeast Asian trade of sex trafficking - the illegal practice of selling and imprisoning children, sometimes as young as 5 or 6 years old, for sex - began, strangely enough, with something her mother frequently told her: "You are so lucky." Nguyen's Vietnamese mother, Vicki, did not want her daughter to grow up taking what she had for granted.
"Growing up in Vietnam, I saw such poverty and unfortunate conditions that I was determined to teach my children the importance of giving back to communities that are less fortunate than your own," Vicki Nguyen said.
Nguyen volunteered to work with orphaned children in Vietnam in the summer of 2004 at age 19. While there, Nguyen served as a mentor to young girls who had been victims of sex trafficking. The trade is highly prevalent in areas such as Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand, and is widely ignored by government officials due to the profit it generates from American and British tourists. Many of the children who are involved in sex trafficking are born into poverty and are tricked by hustlers who con them into thinking they can make an honest living. Many others are sold early on to the trade by their own families for money.
When Nguyen describes her trip to Vietnam, her words become fierce and fluid; her eyes light up with zealous passion.
"I was shocked to see these girls, as young as my little sister, who had been through things I could not even imagine in my worst nightmare and who were still hopeful for the future, hopeful for change," she said.
She said she was inspired by the story of one victim in particular: a 12-year-old girl named Tau Le who was able to escape from the brothel where she had been imprisoned as a sex slave. Le's story was the subject for Nguyen's application essay to Glamour magazine.
Upon her return to Houston, Nguyen set out to acquire funding for her cause. She pitched her ideas to wealthy oil executives, and coupled with funding from a grant, raised nearly $30,000 to help her cause. She teamed up with the Gifted and Talented High School in Vietnam and created the first volunteer program for that high school, a mentorship program that provides kids with positive role models as mentors. Her work at an orphanage that housed HIV-positive children inspired her to contact various doctors and raise $20,000 in medical supplies.
After Nguyen learned of the Glamour scholarship contest, she went through a lengthy application process that included an endorsement from the university, letters of recommendation, proof of leadership, and an essay describing how she has impacted society. Upon being notified that she had made the cut, Nguyen was flown to New York City for a photo shoot earlier this year and once more for the official awards ceremony. Attending New York Fashion Week, dining in five star restaurants and catching glimpses of A-list celebrities like 50 Cent and Shakira were just a few of the perks the winners enjoyed while in New York City on behalf of the magazine.
"The whole experience was surreal. I think the best part about it was being humbled and inspired by nine other amazing, driven girls who I can call my friends," Nguyen said. "Even though we were all selected for different reasons, we connected though our vision in that we recognize the value of helping people. When I met these girls I thought to myself, 'Imagine what all of us could do if we put our efforts together.'"
Though she rarely has free time these days, Nguyen takes pride in the fact she is no different from any other college student. She enjoys going downtown with friends, attending Longhorn football games and shopping. She gushes with praise for one of her role models, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, describing her encounter with the secretary with the sort of awe one would expect from meeting a rock star or film celebrity.
"While working for Congressman McCaul in Washington, D.C., I got to meet her. She is so poised, articulate and polished. I think it is essential that our leaders today possess both an academic and political background, much like Dr. Rice," Nguyen said.
Another encounter turns the future policy maker's cheeks red with excitement. With fellow students in Washington, D.C., last spring, Nguyen stood across a rope that separated her and her peers from the president of the United States.
"No one was willing to just step over the rope, they figured they would get in trouble," Nguyen said, "But I didn't see it as a risk, just another amazing opportunity."
Almost as if paralleling her general attitude in life, Nguyen brazenly stepped over the rope into the midst of Secret Service guards and began chatting with the president. While posing for photos, Nguyen confessed to the president her lifelong dream.
"President Bush," she said, "I just want you to know I really want your job."
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