Katie Nelson/San Jose Mercury News
Samantha Huynh has become the first Vietnamese woman in the San Jose Police Department to reach the rank of sergeant.
Initially, Huynh went to UC Davis to study science to become a psychiatrist. After she graduated, she worked as a manager for Mervyn’s department store and a high tech startup. It wasn’t until her police officer husband suggested she apply at the San Jose PD that she realized what her calling was.
Samantha Huynh will be the first Vietnamese woman to be promoted to sergeant
at the San Jose Police Department.
Nguyen is a mother of two and has worked for 12 years to get to this day. Councilmen Tam Nguyen echoed his praise of the promotion and said he hopes more Vietnamese Americans will join the force. Huynh said she hopes to be the bridge between more than 100,000 Vietnamese-Americans and the police department.
