Meet Jonny Nguyen '17
This biochemistry alum knows how to plan for his future
Jonny Nguyen '17 has always had his eye on the future. The Hamline biochemistry alum knew early in his life that he was interested in health care, and an aptitude test in high school indicated that pharmacy could be a good match. He also played football while growing up in Mounds View, Minnesota, and when Hamline coaches came calling to recruit him, he took a liking to the school's robust science departments and became a Piper.
"All of the professors there did a great job," Nguyen said, and guidance from Betsy Martinez-Vaz, a biology and biochemistry professor, stood out to him. "She was really helpful in deciding which classes to take and which pharmacy schools to apply to."
While a student, he worked in the pharmacy department at a nearby Walgreens, took a few pharmacology classes, and found a way to work the field into a biochemistry research project by studying blood metabolism mechanisms. Along the way, Nguyen received a scholarship from the biochemistry department that helped him pay for school.
Hamline does a good job of finding financial aid options and bringing them to the students that need them and qualify for them.
After earning his bachelor's, Nguyen attended the University of Kentucky in Lexington to earn his Doctor of Pharmacy and is now in his final year of residency at a hospital in Houston, Texas. He's eager to move on from education and into the professional realm, he said: "I've always been in school, and next year I'll finally be able to work on my career."
Nguyen also earned a Master of Business Administration from the University of Kentucky. He's always been interested in personal finance and the intricacies of economics, "things that could always grow my career," he explained, "since I could always go into an administrative role at any point."
"There's a lot of different subsets of pharmacy that you can do," he said. "It's important to keep your options open and stay open-minded."
Highlights
Read up on our pre-pharmacy health track, learn about the scholarships available to you, and explore Piper Athletics.
