Tia (Phuong Le Minh) Nguyen

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Growing up in Vietnam, Tia Nguyen discovered her passion for leadership and community empowerment early on. Hence her decision to pursue a Bachelor's in Sustainable Environmental Management at York University, where she found her calling in community development and environmental arts.

To her, what set the programme apart was its “emphasis on the social dynamics of environmental issues.” Beyond academic theory, it offered transformative real-world experiences. The Climate Justice course stood out. “Working directly with communities and hearing firsthand from grassroots organisers helped me connect with the material on a much deeper level. I felt genuinely compassionate and motivated,” she says.

She also interned as the Communications and Marketing Assistant for EcoArts, an environmental arts initiative at York and later secured a role as Programme Assistant for the Environmental Arts and Justice Programme within the EUC.

None of it would have been possible without the support she received at York.

"I was struggling to catch up with lectures and coursework in my first year due to the language barriers. However, I found incredible support from seniors in the Environmental and Urban Change Student Association and through peer mentors. They helped me navigate these challenges and even provided study tips and note-taking strategies that I still use today."

Tia (Phuong Le Minh) Nguyen