Darcy Nguyen '26 arrived at the University of St. Thomas with a clear vision: study business at the Schulze School of Entrepreneurship so she can one day reopen her family’s restaurant, Pho Saigon. The West Side spot, which her parents ran for a decade, closed during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, Nguyen's dream of sharing authentic Vietnamese cuisine with the Twin Cities community remains.
“There’s not enough authentic Vietnamese restaurants,” she said. “Menus are more appealing to the American taste palette, which is fine because we live in the United States, but I also want something that is authentic to the culture that my parents are from.”
From Military to Entrepreneurship Dreams
As a first-generation college student and child of immigrant parents, Nguyen’s path to St. Thomas took a nontraditional route. Right after high school, she enlisted in the U.S. Air Force. Her decision was driven both by her desire to serve, curiosity for travel and her need for financial assistance for college. The G.I. Bill helps cover part of a veteran’s tuition. St. Thomas, designated as a Yellow Ribbon School, partners with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to help veteran students meet the remaining portion of their tuition.
Nguyen enlisted in the military after she encountered a recruiter who asked her if she wanted to travel the world. “Growing up, I worked at my parents' restaurant from ages 9 to 18, so I never got to travel anywhere,” Nguyen said. “I’m like, ‘yes, I want to travel the world. I want to get out of here.’”
Her service took her across continents. In 2019, she became a Senior Airman, stationed in Germany for two years before transferring to Louisiana for another two. That love of travel carried over into the world of pageantry where Nguyen competed in seven competitions before earning her first crown this year at Miss Posh World 2025, which aims to empower women of various cultures.
“I always watched pageants growing up. I just didn’t think that I had the skill and the talent because I always thought that to do a pageant, you have to be 6 feet tall, size zero and look a certain way,” Nguyen said. “Throughout my time, I’ve seen that pageant winners can be more diverse. There are plus-size winners. There are winners who are 5 feet 2 inches. There are winners who come from all different backgrounds.”
Her willingness to embrace life and face the unknown guides her future as an entrepreneur.
“A lot of people have a fear of failure and a lot of it comes from not knowing who they are,” Nguyen said. “After serving in the military and competing in pageants, fear isn’t something that makes me uncomfortable. So, for my next ventures after college, I’m not afraid to do something big.”
Her courses, in both the College of Arts and Sciences and Opus College of Business at St. Thomas, have sparked ideas for the type of business leader she wants to be in the food industry.
“Food waste is a huge problem in restaurants,” Nguyen said. “In my ecology class, we learned about reducing waste and one way is restaurants donating food that isn’t good anymore. I see myself doing that in the future.”
First-Gen Tommie Finds Community
For Nguyen, food is one of the benefits of being part of the community at the Karon Veterans Resource Center on the St. Paul campus.
“With the time off I have after classes or in-between classes, I go heat up my food and do my homework in the Vet Center,” she said. “Everyone there is also in the military or was in the military, so we have a connection in some sort of way. It’s like a safe little home.”
Due in large part to the Veterans Resource Center, St. Thomas has been named a Military Friendly School and has received distinctions, such the Military Times listing it as being among the Best for Vets Colleges.
Norman Ferguson Jr., the director of the Veterans and Military-Connected Students Services at the Veterans Resource Center, said Nguyen has been active in gaining visibility for the center in recent months.
“Darcy has worked for me in the center,” Ferguson said. “She is a valued member of our services and helps in our social media and podcasts. Her experiences and expertise help us to be a vital part of campus life.”
Nguyen now manages the center’s Instagram account and co-hosts, alongside Ferguson, the “UST Speaking with Veterans” podcast, which is produced in cooperation with the St. Thomas History Department, Women's Studies and the Luann Dummer Center for Women. The episodes highlight the journeys of sailors, marines and other veterans who have landed at St. Thomas. Ferguson interviewed her in December 2024 and Nguyen interviewed him a few episodes later.
Just as her military background connects her with fellow veterans on campus, Nguyen’s identity as a first-generation college student has opened another circle of belonging for her at St. Thomas. The First Gen program provides resources and community for students who are the first in their families to pursue a college degree.
“One in every four Tommies is a first-generation Tommie,” said Manuella Hill Muñoz, who oversees first-gen activities in her roles as director of student development strategy and co-director of First Year Experience. “We see them as extremely valued members of our community. So many of our students like Darcy are involved, they’re caring and they want to not only learn and be part of the community but also pay it forward for others.”
