Noel Nguyen ’11 prepares for Bates

It was quite an honor to be selected as a Hughes Summer Scholar. The best part was being exposed to what college is about before I started my freshman year. I also got two credits, which gave me flexibility in choosing my classes.

We had two courses. “Mathematics Across Time and Cultures” gave a broad spectrum of math history, including the Babylonian base 60 system, which was completely different from any mathematics I’ve ever done. For “Forensic Chemistry,” we analyzed a fictitious crime — a woman who had died of arsenic poisoning — and examined clues to determine who was guilty.

I came to Bates with an interest in biology and pre-med studies, but I’ve found that I want to bring psychological elements into my science studies, so I am a psychology major. I’m particularly interested in researching children’s development.

I was born in Vietnam. My parents sacrificed a lot to bring us to America to get a good education. I’m living between two cultures, home and school. Bates helped a lot with my transition to college life, and now I enjoy helping other new students. I work in Admissions as a diversity outreach coordinator, planning programs to increase the diversity of Bates’ student population and recruiting multicultural students. I tell them about the things that have impressed me about Bates, such as the financial aid package, which is very good, and the accessibility of the professors.

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