CFD Team Spotlight: Ben Nguyen, Undergraduate Fellow
The Newsletter Team sat down for an interview with one of our undergraduate fellows, Ben Nguyen, for an interview about his work, passions, hobbies, and special CFD projects. The transcript of our interview is below.
CFD Team: Tell us a bit about yourself.
My name is Benjamin Nguyen. I am currently a sophomore at Boston University pursuing a dual degree in Mathematical Economics and Business Administration with concentration in Finance. On campus, I am part of the Boston University Venture Capital Group and Boston University Consulting Group. Outside of professional pursuits, I am a big fan of K-Drama and K-Pop.
CFD Team: What is your role within the Center?
In my role as a Communication Assistant at CFD, I am responsible for editing posts and managing our social media platforms, ensuring that all communications are timely and resonate with our audience. In the future, I plan to run a marketing campaign for CFD on Titkok as well!
CFD Team: Can you tell us a fun fact about yourself/can you tell us about something you’re proud of?
Outside of my academic and professional life, I have a strong passion for debate and public speaking, which I’ve pursued since 2020. I am one of the top 10 best speakers of the National School Debating Championship 2021 in Vietnam. This hobby gave a community that I feel a sense of belonging to and sharpened my soft skills a lot! I also love singing pop and ballad songs. Give me a mic and a good Taylor Swift or Ariana Grande track, and I’m in my element (or at least I think I am)!
CFD Team: What is your current passion project with the Center you would like to highlight? Why does this project resonate with you?
My current passion project with CFD is planning to launch a TikTok account. I want to use it as a fun and creative way to promote our future events and engage with students on a platform they already love. TikTok has this incredible ability to make things relatable and reach people quickly, which I think is perfect for building community buzz. This project resonates with me because I love making Tiktok videos. I used to have an account to teach young Vietnamese students who are interested in professional debating how to start learning critical thinking and debating.
CFD Team: What drew you to this position?
It all started with a recruitment post I saw on Instagram. CFD was looking for a marketing assistant and I love doing marketing. With my prior experience designing posts and campaigns, it felt like the perfect fit!
Also, as a former MUN-er with a passion for international relations, I’ve always loved working in spaces where ideas and cultures come together. This role felt like a natural extension of that, and I couldn’t pass up the chance to help spread CFD’s message in a way that’s both creative and meaningful.
CFD Team: What continues to draw you to this position?
Definitely the people. CFD is such a small organization, but that’s what makes it so special—it’s warm, tight-knit, and full of incredible connections. Everyone here genuinely supports each other, whether it’s brainstorming ideas, pulling off events, or just sharing laughs during a busy day.
It feels less like “work” and more like being part of a family that’s all about creating impact and having fun while doing it. That sense of community is something I truly cherish and can’t imagine finding anywhere else!