Each staff member in BCCS has a full life outside of school walls. There are forces that drive them and lead them to stand front and center in their lives in many ways. Through this campaign called Beyond BC, we invite staff to showcase their uniqueness and authentic selves.
Brooklyn Center Community Schools is a full-service community school district. Our staff work with families and the community to help ensure all of our children are socially, mentally, and physically prepared for an ever-changing world. For Ngan Nguyen, Social Studies teacher at Brooklyn Center Middle and High School STEAM, this is what drew her to work at BCCS in the first place.
“This job has inspired me to develop as a social justice educator. The importance of community involvement was instilled in me when I was in my undergrad, and continued during my time working at a nonprofit in college,” said Nguyen. “When you are a part of an institution, every work process should be community based. How you teach, what you produce, it should all be driven by the students and the needs of the community.”
Nguyen has been an educator at BCCS for three years, starting as a 6th grade history teacher, and transitioning later to teach 11th grade U.S. History and 8th grade Global Studies. It has been a joy and an encouragement for Nguyen to get to watch some of her first students grow and mature during their middle school journey. “Their growth is one of the best things I have witnessed in this job,” said Nguyen.
Before taking a job at BCCS, Nguyen was living and working in Rhode Island, where she attended graduate school. Nguyen worked for a non-profit organization called Alliance of Rhode Island SE Asians for Education (ARISE) that was focused on Southeast Asian students and young organizers. It was her experience moving to Rhode Island and having to start over in a new community that got her involved with this organization, as well as instilled the importance for community organizations and involvement. “When I got to Rhode Island, I did not know anyone and had to seek out communities similar to mine,” said Nguyen. “They lived to serve students who were just like me, and I want to have that same influence on my students.”
Nguyen moved back home to Minnesota to work at BCCS after she had learned about the school through one of her professors. She got connected to the school while she was searching for a community that had values that aligned with her own. “I thought BC would be a good fit because it is very similar to my high school in terms of demographics,” said Nguyen. “BC is a place where the humanity of all people is really emphasized. We all have different thoughts and different ways of being, we may have different ways of thinking, but we all respect each other for who we are and where we are going.”
When Nguyen is not teaching history at BCCS, she loves experiencing new types of cuisine with friends and family. “I’m a big foodie,” said Nguyen. “I like finding new local restaurants to try out and I also love cooking. It's even better when I'm doing it with my family and friends.” Nguyen loves to spend time with her family, including ten nieces and nephews, who all live in the Minneapolis area. Additionally, she has taken up a new hobby of embroidery, which has been a huge creative outlet for her.
Whether in her personal or professional life, Nguyen has seen firsthand the importance of relationship building and surrounding yourself with a strong community. “My relationships at BC with students and coworkers are really the core of what drives me in the workplace,” said Nguyen. “BC really taught me the power of building strong relationships.”
Original source can be found here.
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