Meet Rachel Nghe ’16! I met her for the first time during DivOh and we have been pals ever since. She is extremely friendly, funny and a great listener. I hope everyone gets to meet her before she graduates! Check out a little introduction to the legend herself, below!
Tell me about where you are from:
Born and raised in San Francisco, CA. But the actual city of San Francisco–not an hour away.
How does the weather at Amherst compare to the weather back home?:
I would say fall and spring of Amherst is most like the weather back in SF since SF has no seasons, only without the beautiful leaves in the fall. It is 50-70 degrees annually. Actually, the winter we witnessed so far in December this year isn’t too far off (which is also freakishly odd). So transitioning back to 50-60 degree San Francisco was a piece of cake.
Why did you choose to attend Amherst?:
I’ve actually never step foot onto campus until first-year orientation, so I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I didn’t want be 30 minute drive away from my house. Instead, I chose a school that is 6 hour plane ride and 4 hour bus ride away from home. Also, one of my favorite high school teachers once told me: “It would be the biggest mistake in your life to not choose Amherst College”. That was a pretty strong statement to make, and I’ve got to say, he was right.
What are you interested in both academically and leisurely?:
Even though I am a Political Science and Asian Languages & Civilizations major, I don’t really have anything specific I can point out. I do love the small class sizes where I can listen, contribute, and learn. It is even better when I can take some of those conversations outside of the classroom. Leisurely, I love hand-craft things like crocheting and origami while watching Friends or Suits. I also love scouting out local coffee shops wherever I go; in fact, I’ve officially declared it my hobby.
What clubs are you involved in on campus?:
I have 4 jobs on campus (if you consider them clubs). I am a Peer Diversity Educator, Peer Career Advisor, Tour Guide, and a Telementor. Other than getting paid, I do enjoy doing all of those things; that’s why I’ve kept them for so many years. Other activities I am involved in are Mock Trial, Asian Students Association, and the AAS Cabinet.
What are you most passionate about?:
What I enjoy the most is being an intrapreneur and creating opportunities/connections where they can exist. For example, I decided to take advantage of my positions at the MRC and the Career Center and initiated a project to help employers better understand what diversity at a workplace should look like by connecting them with students of diversity on campus. I’m hoping that this project can be educational on both fronts: opportunities for students to understand a career and employers to understand what students are looking for.
On a simpler level, I love building relationships and making other people smile, since smiling is something that I love doing myself.
What are your plans for the rest of your time at Amherst and beyond:
At Amherst, I want to immerse myself in as much as I can while I can. There is so much in the college that I haven’t experienced yet, and so many people I have yet to meet. I want to spend as much time as I can with the people here because it is the people here who have made my experience what it is and always will be.
If you could make one change to the world, playful or serious, what would it be?:
Everyone should know the importance of their self-worth.
What’s something you’ve always wanted to say but never got the chance to say it?:
I’ve never read a single Harry Potter book. Sorry.