Impact

Building community within the community

As president of the student organization ServeState, Vivian Nguyen seeks to help others — and encourage others to do the same

Vivian Nguyen, senior in psychology at Penn State, seeks to help others — and encourage others to do the same — as president of the student organization ServeState. Credit: Courtesy of Vivian NguyenAll Rights Reserved.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Vivian Nguyen strives to foster meaningful relationships not just on campus, but throughout the greater State College community. As president of the student organization ServeState, the senior psychology major leads the club and its 93 members’ efforts to support food drives, volunteer with community organizations, or undertake other initiatives aimed at making a difference in the region.

“ServeState stood out to me because it was very reminiscent of my high school service experiences where I would be helping out in the local community,” Nguyen said about joining the organization. “I think when you are able to have those personal interactions with people it really makes the experience a lot more memorable.”

ServeState’s overall mission is to help fill the various needs of the State College community through service and philanthropy — something it accomplishes because of its closely knit membership base.

“Our three pillars are service, philanthropy and fellowship,” Nguyen said. “I think fellowship is something that is really special to ServeState. We like to encourage friendships within the club through bonding activities like pumpkin carving or virtual photo challenges.”

With COVID-19 presenting many challenges and uncertainties, Nguyen said she is thankful to have such a large executive board within the organization to help brainstorm new ideas and adjust to the virtual format.

“I would say one of our biggest accomplishments last semester was our social media presence,” she said. “Because everything has been online, we really increased our efforts on Instagram through stories, member shoutouts, and posts. That’s something I definitely want to continue going forward.”

Despite the challenging circumstances, Nguyen noted that ServeState still was able to send thank-you cards to healthcare workers at Mount Nittany Medical Center, volunteer with LifeLink on a series of online events, donate to food drives, and even launch a new activity called the petition initiative.

“The petition initiative was something different we tried this fall,” Nguyen said. “We encouraged people to find some organization or cause that they were passionate about and really advocate for it.”

As Nguyen begins her final semester as president,  she hopes future members of the organization take advantage of all the club has to offer — including its opportunities for leadership.

“We have so many different roles and positions on the executive board,” she said. It’s a really great way for students, especially freshmen, to gain great leadership experience or even just learn how to run an organization.”

Nguyen is also excited to meet  ServeState’s new members and work alongside the recently elected executive board to organize virtual events.

With an impressive commitment to service and dedication to forming meaningful relationships, Nguyen said she plans to translate these skills into her professional career going forward. After graduation, she will attend medical school to further her education and continue to give back where it matters most.

Members of ServeState gather for a photo during the student organization's fall 2019 retreat at Camp Krislund. The organization seeks to fill the various needs of the greater State College area through service and philanthropy. Credit: Courtesy of Vivian NguyenAll Rights Reserved.

Last Updated January 29, 2021