2020 Farm to Table Speaker: Phuc Nguyen

Born in Vietnam, Phuc came to the United States as a teenager to seek a better life. A transfer from Golden West College, Phuc is graduating this May with a bachelor’s degree in plant science. A member of the Gamma Sigma Delta agricultural honor society, she has made the dean’s list for the past three years. Phuc plans to work on irrigation systems and water management in urban horticulture and landscaping.

I came to the United States by myself when I was 19 because I believed it was a land of opportunity for those who work hard and pursued their education. Although I lived briefly with an uncle here, I was on my own and worked hard to support myself. I enrolled at Golden West College in Huntington Beach and worked two to three jobs to support myself. Those were hectic, challenging times; I never had a single day to hang out with my classmates because I was always rushing between classes and jobs. But I earned an associate’s degree in business administration from Golden West.

After community college, I didn’t have enough money to transfer to a four-year university right away. I worked for about four years to save up money to continue my education. But during that time, I came to learn more about the importance of agriculture, natural resources, and sustainability. I wanted to learn more about the relationship between plants, soil, air, and water. So, I applied to Cal Poly Pomona in plant science.

When I finally enrolled at Cal Poly Pomona in Fall 2017, I realized how much I missed about college life. I love everything of Cal Poly Pomona from its learn-by-doing approach, the unique campus with the Farm Store and its orange juice, the Arabian horse center, animal units, and, most importantly, the diversity. It was challenging to learn a new major and plant terms that were unfamiliar to me – particularly when English is my second language. But the small-size classes with exciting activities and projects got me hooked me on my new community, the plant science department. The learn-by-doing activities in field labs and lectures gave me real hands-on experience and the skills to carry on to real-life projects. With my on-campus job at the Center for Turf, Irrigation and Landscape Technology, I got more opportunities to get involved in college activities and start to meet more people and make more friends.

I will never forget the time my friends and I went to catch butterflies and bugs for our insect collections. It was so much fun! Sometimes we would stop in the middle of a field to identify the weeds for our other projects. I still keep my insect and weed collections in perfect shape and continue to expand them. Whenever I participate in outreach events, I'm proud to show them to the public and answer whatever questions they have.

In one of my first classes, Assistant Professor Priti Saxena made a presentation about joining the Cal Poly Pomona team participating in the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America’s annual Turf Bowl competition. Since these were academic competitions, Professor Saxena said there would be training sessions to prepare for the Turf Bowl. Because I still didn’t know much about plants yet, I decided to join the team to learn more about them. I also signed up for the Cal Poly Pomona team for the National Collegiate Landscape Competition.

Joining these teams was one of the best decisions I made here at Cal Poly Pomona.  It was a wonderful experience to study, travel, and compete with my teammates. We bonded and made great memories, and I grew so much personally and professionally.

I am grateful for the opportunities to represent Cal Poly Pomona. I am very proud to have won the individual turf and weed identification category at NCLC, but prouder still that we were the first West Coast team to win the Turf Bowl – and the first winning team to have female students! Our team’s success was the result of everyone’s hard work and dedication. I want to thank all the faculty and staff, advisors, master students, and others who supported us and helped make the arrangements for us to have a safe, fun trip. That kind of support at Cal Poly Pomona helped me grow and succeed.

Truly, I would not have experienced all this without the generous support of scholarship donors and the encouragement of the plant science department faculty and staff. I wouldn’t be here today without them. There were times where I had financial difficulties and almost dropped out., But because of the financial support and encouragement I have received, I’ve been able to overcome those difficulties and can graduate this month.

I am grateful, too, for the trips I was able to take that increased my knowledge. I participated in the Careers in Ag tour sponsored by Western Growers Association after my first quarter here. The tour shows students the science, engineering, and technology-related careers that are possible in agriculture. It was the first time I had seen farming operations, and it sparked my interest in agricultural engineering and led to discovering irrigation design and water management.  At the advice of Lecturer Alan Moss, I also attended the Irrigation Association Exposure, Experience & Education for Students & Teachers program on a travel scholarship that strengthened my knowledge of the industry.

Last, but not least, I'm grateful to be the recipient of the prestigious Jim Hicks Internship Scholarship last summer. Without it, I couldn't have completed my internship in a private golf club in Long Island, New York. The internship gave me hands-on experience in all areas of golf course management, including fertilizer and pesticide application, course setup, crew management and project management – all of which proved valuable during the Turf Bowl.

In addition, it allowed me to attend Rutgers University’s Turfgrass Research Field Day and network with industry experts and professors from the Northeast. Those new connections introduced me to the "Women in Turf" program, which sponsors 50 professional women in the industry to meet and learn from the leaders. It not only let me learn from mentors, but also exposed me to more academic researchers in the industry. I got hooked on many webinars and podcasts that explained the science behind ongoing turfgrass research, which also helped me prepare for the Turf Bowl. I couldn't have made it that far without Jim Hicks’ generous support.

Looking back, the past three years have been tremendous. Seeing all the struggles that I’ve overcome gives me confidence for the next chapter of my journey. As a proud Cal Poly Pomona alumna, I plan to work in the “green industry,” focusing on water management in urban horticulture and landscaping. I’m excited to learn, discover, and grow like never before. But I wouldn’t be here today without the support and guidance of my family and friends, department faculty and staff, advisors, fellow students, and the Cal Poly Pomona community.  Without you all, I wouldn't have learned to be the person I am today. Thank every single one of you.