Nguyen ’97 Turns Opportunity Into a Life of Service

At the age of 12, William Nguyen ’97 fled Vietnam. One by one, he and his four siblings were smuggled out of the country by boat. After spending time in Asian refugee camps, his three older brothers made it to America before him and were placed with two different foster families. Nguyen spent six months at a refugee camp in Malaysia before he was placed with foster parents in Arizona. His younger sister arrived soon after.

“Half a million people were lost at sea trying to escape. There are many horror stories,” says Nguyen. His father, who will be 80 next year, also tried to escape but was caught and imprisoned in a detention camp for five years. He finally made it to the U.S. during Nguyen’s senior year at CC.

Nguyen learned English with the help of his sixth grade teacher and a public-school ESL program. He wanted to pursue a career in medicine, specifically plastic surgery, and applied to CC because of its reputable pre-med program. He was able to attend with the help of a financial aid package.

When Nguyen came home after his first year, his foster dad, a retired English professor, commented that Nguyen’s vocabulary had exploded. Nguyen credits that to the amount of writing he had to do at CC. “Working with Jean Echevarria and Molly [Wingate] at the Writing Center…really helped shape me,” he says. “Now I can write and generate anything.” Nguyen still keeps in touch with Echevarria or “Mama Jean” as he calls her.

“Those four years were extremely nurturing and built a foundation, a launching pad, for my future successes,” he says.

Nguyen joined the Navy and changed his focus, becoming board-certified in Family and Aerospace Medicine. During his 21 years of active duty, he served both hospital and operational tours, including Afghanistan during the war. He also served as the Senior Medical Officer aboard the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln and as a 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (MAW) Surgeon.

In 2022, Nguyen was promoted to Captain. His wife Levana, his son Immanuel, his father, his four siblings, members of his foster families, and “Mama Jean” all attended the ceremony.

Nguyen doesn’t take the promotion lightly. “The duty of a Captain is to be a leader. Most people retire after 20 years, and it’s not lost on me the privilege of being promoted to that senior level.” In October of 2024, Nguyen was selected as the Executive Officer at the U.S. Naval Hospital Naples. He wants to give back to those who helped him grow.

“CC is part of that leadership training,” he says. He attributes his success to his professors, the student body, and service opportunities, such as the soup kitchen and Block Break outreach trips. “I did these things because I cared. I love that CC promoted a sense of community and that you have to serve more than yourself.”