Most high school students would dream of attending the Super Bowl, but for Raymond S. Kellis High School senior Kathy Nguyen she will be attending her second consecutive game this year in Santa Clara.
“I volunteered at the game last year (in Glendale) and had such an amazing time assisting with NFL Flag Football events,” Nguyen said during a recent phone interview. “This year, I was asked to do it again.”
The NAF Academy of Hospitality and Tourism (AOHT) in Arizona was invited to participate in the NFL FLAG powered by USA Football Championships at Super Bowl 50. The AOHT helps students chart career paths in one of the world’s largest industries, from hotel and event management to sports and entertainment, and includes the study of geography, economics, and world cultures. The AOHT curriculum has received industry validation from the Global Travel and Tourism Partnership.
“In 2014, I volunteered with them and liked helping them out with scoring (in youth football games) and wrote a thank-you note, thanking them for the opportunity,” Nguyen said. “When the Super Bowl was in Arizona last year, I was asked to be a volunteer coordinator, and I accepted.”
Since her first day volunteering, Nguyen was energized by the fast-paced atmosphere and was assigned scorekeeping duties and used her organizational and communication skills to work hard. She stayed long after her required time and was focused on gaining as much experience as she could.
“It was just fun and I had a blast and learned so much,” Nguyen said. “It has helped me become a better leader and more vocal at school.”
Nguyen is the Kellis senior class president and is focused on student council, class and preparing for college.
“The experience with the NFL Flag has inspired me to run for student body president,” Nguyen said. “It also has made me focus on continuing to go after experiences that challenge me.”
She is hoping to attend Arizona State University in Tempe and wants to major in business management, but minor in something that will advance her goals.
“I will probably major in business management, but hope to minor in something completely different that will give me an edge in the future,” Nguyen said. “I just want to work hard on management and get a big edge in event planning, which is what I would like to do in the future.”
For the second year in a row, Nguyen took on the role of Championship Volunteer Coordinator for the tournament and was in Santa Clara for the NFL Flag powered by USA Football that educates adolescents about football while promoting participation and good sportsmanship.
“It is just something that I love doing, but to get to attend back-to-back Super Bowls is a nice perk,” Nguyen said. “While the game is fun, I enjoy helping others and working hard to learn as much as I can.”
Nguyen named Debbie Moore, a marketing educator presently on assignment at Mountain Ridge High School, as her biggest influence in life.
“(Moore) pushes me to impress her and be a people person,” Nguyen said. “I can talk to her about anything and I want to be like her and go around the country and be able to talk to people about things that I am passionate about.”
Moore said Nguyen has grown in the past two years into a student that looks out for others before herself.
“She is a high achieving student, and in the last two years, has become quite focused on her career goals,” Moore said. “I admired how she reached out to share her experience with Kellis students so they could get a spotlight.”
Nguyen’s dedication, passion, and desire to build her career was evident to those she volunteered with, and she was proactive in taking the next steps and writing thank-you notes to her superiors to stay in touch – a true reflection of her gratitude and networking talent. Shortly after, she was offered the position to assemble dozens of volunteers for one of the biggest events in sports, and did such a good job that she was invited back for this year’s event.
“It is an amazing feeling to know I met the standards of NFL Flag to be part of the staff and improve and feel like I met a finish line,” Nguyen said. “But I don’t ever really want to think of it as a finish line because I don’t want to say this is the end. I don’t think I will ever see a finish line when it comes to this work.”
Moore summed up Nguyen as a “dream student,” who has worked hard to get where she is.
“She was given a chance to network, saw the opportunity, and used good career skills by working hard to set herself apart,” Moore said. “She got noticed, was asked back and exceeded again. She is the dream student because she understands you have to have the skills, knowledge and the work ethic to make it in a career. She is a dream and now she gets to live her dream.”