
Best of BU Alumni Award recipients (l to r): Em Nguyen (COM’15), Uzo Aduba (CFA’05), Daniel Levy (CAMED’80), Kate Barrand (Questrom’85) and Michelle Hurd (CFA’88).
A Q&A with Young Alumni Award recipient Em Nguyen
Every year during Alumni Weekend, Boston University recognizes former Terriers who have made a significant impact in their fields. COM was well-represented this year, with ABC News multi-platform reporter Em Nguyen (COM‘15) winning the Young Alumni Award.
Nguyen is a national news reporter in Washington D.C., having appeared on-air for news shows such as “ABC World News Tonight” and “Good Morning America.” Before her work with ABC, Nguyen worked as a TV anchor in Springfield, Ill. before becoming a national Washington correspondent with Spectrum News, providing political coverage on Congress and the White House. Her reporting has put her at the scene of historic moments, such as the impeachment of President Donald Trump and the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. Nguyen also profiled Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff in one of his first national interviews.
Alongside her political reporting, Nguyen has covered topical issues such as immigration, K–12 education, mental health, and hate crimes against racial minorities in the United States.
In addition to the Young Alum Award, Nguyen has earned Charter Communications’ 2021 D.C. Spot Award for “outstanding work,” as well as LA Press Club’s Best Morning Newscast 2019 award as both the producer and reporter of a daily political block.
Nguyen is also the Vice President of the D.C. chapter of the Asian American Journalists Association, which won the 2024 Chapter of the Year. She is an active supporter of diversity in newsrooms and fair, accurate coverage of communities.
We spoke with Nguyen about her accomplishments thus far, and what will come next.
Q&A
With Em Nguyen
Karyna Cheung: What does receiving the Young Alum Award mean to you?
Em Nguyen: What an honor to return to my alma mater after almost a decade to receive the Young Alumni Award. My career has been centered around telling the stories of others, not myself, so it was a particularly special moment for me to share with fellow alum and university leaders how my journey has been shaped by the unwavering support of my family.
My mother cautioned that excelling in a predominantly non-Asian industry could be challenging but vowed to stand by me every step of the way. My father’s war stories from Vietnam ignited my love for storytelling and his kindness to others inspired me to also make others feel seen and heard. My father passed away just four days after my Boston University graduation. I knew he would have wanted me to keep striving and now, with every choice I make, I hope to just keep making him proud. I hope everyone can keep striving to make that special person in their lives proud, whether that’s a friend, mentor, family member, or someone you have already lost.
Karyna Cheung: Your work with ABC has you writing, reporting, and standing in front of the camera on TV broadcasts. Did you envision being a multiplatform reporter?
Em Nguyen: Absolutely. As a multi-platform reporter, you are a correspondent for the largest network shows in the nation, think: Good Morning America and World News Tonight, but also a reporter for streaming and all other platforms including subscription media services. When I was a teen, I set out to become a respectable journalist at a major network. I have admired the tenacity and resilience of reporters who cover a wide range of topics, from politics and investigative journalism to war zones. It’s unbelievable how much time and dedication that calls for.
Karyna Cheung: You have reported on U.S. politics, immigration and education, among many other topics. What has motivated your work since graduating from BU?
Em Nguyen: The people around me have played a significant role in shaping my passions in journalism. For instance, my elder sister graduated at the top of her high school class and earned a full scholarship to college. She chose to follow her love for youth education and became a brilliant award-winning kindergarten teacher. Her journey sparked my interest in covering the school beat, whether that involved challenging controversial decisions by massive district officials or showcasing the positive impacts within our education system.
Karyna Cheung: What stories have you been most proud to be a part of?
Em Nguyen: In 2019, I traveled to El Salvador, which had recently been pegged the murder capital of the world, and covered immigration from the ground during the Trump administration. At that time, immigration policies out of the White House were changing every few weeks, and the confusion that brought on affected thousands of people living in El Salvador and the surrounding countries. Their stories made a profound impact on how I covered the border for years to come. Immigration was especially important to me as my family had immigrated to the U.S. from Vietnam, seeking a better life. Also, one of the most memorable events: January 6. I reported from outside, just feet away from the Capitol as our other correspondents were on lock down inside. At one point, the media was targeted by rioters who threw trash and water at us and destroyed equipment. It was a moment I felt both fear for us, yet admiration for my team and the other journalists nearby who continued to report.
Karyna Cheung: In addition to being a reporter for ABC, you’re also vice president of the D.C. chapter of the Asian American Journalists Association. How does that role inform your reporting and how you approach certain stories?
Em Nguyen: I am able to connect and brainstorm with other Asian American journalists from across the nation on different ways race and culture are covered in varying newsrooms. Strategies can range from something as simple as pitching more Asian-focused stories outside heritage months to seeking more people of color for story sound bites to empowering reporters to speak up to managers if they feel any prejudice or injustice both inside the newsroom and outside in their news coverage. It’s an honor to be a leader for the Washington D.C. chapter, and I hope to pass on my experiences to anyone who might find it helpful.
Karyna Cheung: What are some topics/issues/stories you still want to cover?
Em Nguyen: In the evolutionary world of AI and technology, that may be an impactful topic to dive into. I have also covered climate stories, but not enough. And I should always be looking for more Asian American driven stories of triumph, heartache, and impact.
This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.