Thuy Phan/Nguoi Viet Daily News
Westminster, CA (NV)- The first time Diem Nguyen entered a pageant, she was just 4 years old. It was put on by her local church, and her seven older siblings gave her the title of “Miss West Covina” afterward. Fast forward 20 years, and she has a brand new title, rightfully earned and full of meaning: Miss Vietnam Southern California.
Competing against 19 other accomplished young Vietnamese Americans, Nguyen took home the crown despite being the shortest contestant at 5’0 ft. tall. While height doesn’t always determine victory, it does factor into Vietnamese pageants, where it is a plus to be tall. However,what Nguyen lacked in height, she made up for in accomplishments and heart.
A graduate of UC Irvine with a degree in civil engineering, Nguyen returned to school, earning her masters degree in structural engineering in 2013 from UC San Diego. In addition to working as a civil engineering assistant for the LA County Department of Public Works, she also partnered with a friend on a business venture called Motive Cosmetics. Her already busy schedule is about to get even busier now that she’s this year’s reigning queen.
Diem Nguyen, center, poses with the Royal Court. (Photo: HUY KHIEM Photography Studio)
As Miss Vietnam Southern California, her duties will include making frequent public appearances on behalf of the organization as well as being involved in many charitable events.
Those are responsibilities – and a title – she never expected to win.
“I was pretty shocked,” she said about hearing her name called as the pageant winner. Up until that point, it was hard to say who would take home the crown. But she did admit there was one thing that may have set her apart from the rest: she answered her final question in Vietnamese. In a pageant that is steeped in culture and prides itself in retaining its Vietnamese heritage, her ability to speak the language was an asset that the judges clearly appreciated. For her, it was a split-second decision to answer in Vietnamese. She said that as she grew up, her parents didn’t speak much English and were “very strict” about her speaking Vietnamese at home; today, she’s thankful for that.
“I was proud I could make them proud,” she said, her eyes misting while speaking about her parents.
She says she hopes to inspire the younger generation of Vietnamese Americans to follow their dreams, but also to retain their heritage and to not lose their rich cultural history.
Asked what would surprise people most about her, she said she is a complete and total tomboy. She also borrowed her ao dai from a friend who won a local pageant in Washington DC and jokingly says the luck transferred through to her.
After news of her accomplishment spread online, one reader commented that she was “not the prettiest, but was the most well-rounded and accomplished.”
She took it as a compliment.
“It makes me happy to hear that,” she said. “I know I’m not the prettiest girl, or the tallest, but the fact that someone noticed that it’s about the whole package makes me happy. I strive to be well-rounded.”
With her impressive resume and determination to be a voice and role model for the younger Vietnamese generation, she is proof that big things definitely come in small, well-rounded packages.