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My Lien Nguyen's dream of being an ethnobotanist was shattered when a mountain biking accident injured her spinal cord, forcing her to use a wheelchair. Student credits UH with
helping her overcome adversityMy Nguyen leads an active life despite
an accident that left her using a wheelchairBy Treena Shapiro
tshapiro@starbulletin.comThat was seven years ago.
Today, Nguyen bikes, paddles, surfs and rides horseback, even though she still uses a wheelchair.
And she is pursuing her doctorate in ethnobotany at the University of Hawaii.
After her accident, which happened just as she was beginning a doctorate program at the University of Maryland, she finished the year there and returned to Rochester, N.Y., to earn a master's degree in science education with plans to become a school teacher.
However, while in Rochester, she also got involved in sports again and "through athletics I regained my confidence and independence and that's when I decided, 'Sure, I can do anything I want,'" she said.
In 2000, she participated in "Face of America," in which she rode a bicycle from San Francisco to St. Louis with about 45 people from the West Coast and met up with another team from the East Coast.
"That bicycle ride was to promote the power of recognizing diversity in the United States," she said.
Yesterday, she stood before state legislators at an annual breakfast encouraging them to continue their support of university programs promoting diversity and the status of women.
Peggy Cha, provost of Kauai Community College, said the university strives to increase the number of women in leadership positions, promote an open and transparent decision-making process, encourage more girls and women to enter the science and technology field and raise awareness of gender and equality issues in the community.
Nguyen praised the work of Amy Agbayani and Pua Auyong-White of the Student Equity, Excellence & Diversity office at UH, who have supported her.
"I feel that as a woman in higher education, it's so important to have women who are role models in higher education, which is why it's so important to perpetuate this," she said.
UH President Evan Dobelle reaffirmed his commitment to making the university color- and gender-blind.
He said that to encourage more women to go to school, the university should have day care centers at all campuses, serving children as young as six months, and open nights and weekends.
"If we don't make those opportunities available, then we're not serious about attracting them to higher education. We're talking it, but we're not walking it," he said.
University of Hawaii