Huong ‘Hillary’ Thao Vu
Student, Computer Animation major
Hillary is a great example of living out the cultural competence pillar of public affairs! Growing up in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, most of what Hillary knew of America and American culture came from the movies. But living in Springfield has been a very different experience than movie life portrayed in big city New York or the California beaches. The transition of leaving home, new college classes, the language barriers, coupled with the ‘quiet’ of small town living, has not been without struggle and a longing for home. However, Hillary’s high school dream of studying abroad in America along with her tenacity to branch out in new directions, has kept her focused, involved and surrounded by new friends. Hillary says, “I do my best to really push myself out there to get involved in new experiences and make friendships with a variety of different people. Also having a local host family through International Friends of Missouri State has been a great opportunity to experience American culture and to not feel so homesick!”
Hillary is an active member of the Opal Agency within the College of Business, is the public relations officer with International Public Affairs Leaders (iPAL), participates in the Association of International Students (AIS) and works as a Lab Assistant with Computer Services User Support.
For Hillary’s dedication to exploring new directions, gaining multiple cultural perspectives and contributing her time and creativity to numerous university activities and programs, we are honored to recognize Huong ‘Hillary’ Thao Vu as the November Public Affairs Student Spotlight!