Thao Nguyen

associate director of college access

She/Her
Tôi thông thạo tiếng Việt
thao.nguyen@breakthroughsv.org

Thao was born and raised in Danang, Vietnam before moving to the U.S. with her family as a teenager. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Business and Economics from UCLA and is currently studying for an M.A in Counseling at Santa Clara University.

After graduating from UCLA, Thao joined Teach for America and worked as a high school Math teacher and mentor at Summit Tahoma for five years. Through this job, she found her passion for advising and supporting under-resourced students to achieve academic and personal success.

Thao first joined the BTSV team as an Instructional Coach for two summers before joining the team full-time in 2022 as a College Access Program Manager, advising 9th and 10th grade students. In her current role as Associate Director of College Access, Thao manages BTSV’s nine-person high school team, ensuring effective student advising, and leads strategic program planning for the department. She also co-leads the Student Advisory Board, empowering students to voice their perspectives and contribute to program improvements.

Thao enjoys taking walks in nature, especially spring hikes when the trails come alive with blooming flowers — it soothes her soul.

“My favorite part of my job is seeing students grow and develop new skills through the opportunities that Breakthrough provides. It’s rewarding to watch them gain confidence and take steps toward their future.”