Lily Nguyen

Hometown: Wichita, KS

Major: Global and International Studies, East Asian Studies (Japanese)

Next Steps: Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program

How are you called to continue to build community after college?
After college, I will be spending some time living and working in Japan. I am excited to continue to build upon the foundation of faith St. Lawrence has helped to strengthen in an area where Christians are the minority. Throughout my college experience, I've learned that both diplomacy and evangelization are both listening to and learning from another person as much as it is explaining your own values and beliefs. I am ready to join a community of believers who might celebrate the faith differently than I am used to, and I hope to be able to share with others my experience of faith as a way to build up community and connections while being shaped by the lessons they, in turn, teach me.

What is the biggest lesson that you learned at St. Lawrence? How will you carry that into your adult life?
Jesus came to call the sick, not the perfect. At St. Lawrence, I've learned that God is able to work through my brokenness to work wondrous miracles through me. We are a Church of imperfect people, and it is only by God's grace that fruit can still come out of our sins and imperfections. Being at St. Lawrence has taught me to have hope in God's mercy, that no matter how dire the situation looks, God will take care of his beloved.

Describe a situation where your faith impacted someone else.
Because my roommates all had negative experiences with religion, I was the first person they had in their lives who was not disrespectful towards them because of religion. By meeting someone who loved them for who they were and who lived out their faith in daily life, they became more curious about the faith and even felt comfortable asking me about the most controversial teachings of the Church. We were able to bond over the beliefs we had in common, while also appreciating our different perspectives.