Introducing Apricity Nguyen – The Center for Global Programs’ Summer Intern
On the upper-left corner of the pale yellow wall in room 422 of Burton D. Morgan Center, tiny colorful dots scatter across the surface: light blue, deep red, burnt orange, and more. Looking closer, those dots together form the shape of a world map.
“So that every time I look up, I remember what I’m doing this for,” Apricity said.
Picture taken at Denison University, Granville
Apricity Nguyen is a rising sophomore at Denison University and a 2026 Summer Digital Communication Intern at the Center for Global Programs, primarily supporting the Off-Campus Study team. After spending her first year exploring a wide range of courses, she recently declared majors in Communication and Data Analytics.
An International Student
Growing up in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Apricity moved 8,883 miles away to Ohio in 2025 to pursue her undergraduate education. Since middle school, she has immersed herself in reading, especially fictional novels from different countries.
“People say that reading lets you live several lives, and I truly feel that,” she said. Those stories slowly built a rich inner world for her and sparked a curiosity about unfamiliar places and new people. Therefore, she wanted to experience the world not only through pages, but also through real moments.
Picture taken in Vietnam. She is wearing a traditional Vietnamese hat (Nón Lá)
A Traveller
Believing in that spirit, Apricity traveled to 19 cities during her first eight months in the United States. Each destination brought different experiences and connected her with new faces. “There were people I had just met for the first time, and by the end of the night, we crashed on the same bed,” she laughed.
One of her favorite trips was a 7-day road trip to Maine: afternoons spent along the coastline feeling the salty ocean breeze, and nights under dark skies filled with countless stars.
Picture taken in Mount Desert, Maine
Picture taken in Portland, Maine
She could never forget watching a fiery sunset when the sun turned into a huge orange fireball during the warm winter days in Los Angeles.
Pictures taken at the Santa Monica beach, Los Angeles
The first time always means a lot to people, and it certainly does for Apricity. By studying abroad, she has had many “this is my first time doing this” moments. On the off-campus orientation trip to West Virginia, Apricity had her first s’mores after the first time kayaking for a couple of hours.
“I still remember how the sweet roasted marshmallow melted between the crunchy crackers on the outward sides with a layer of bittersweet dark chocolate,” she said.
Picture taken at the New River national park, West Virginia
Learning Through First Experiences
Apricity spent her first Christmas in New York City with extended relatives, whom she met for the very first time. The city was alive, crowded with dazzling lights everywhere. There was a quiet strangeness: spending a new holiday in an unfamiliar place with people she didn’t know well yet, but still trying to feel at home at that moment.
Picture taken at the High Line, New York City
However, not every new experience was full of joy. On her first backpacking trip around the Carrabassett Valley (and maybe her last, she joked), she started feeling tired just 20 minutes into the hike. A light rain was falling, the ground was covered in slippery snow, and the backpack felt heavier with every single step.
“Well, I have to try to know that it’s not my thing,” she laughed.
Picture taken at the Carrabassett Valley, Maine
A Builder
During high school, Apricity worked in many education-related activities. For two years, she managed and supported tutoring sessions at local shelters weekly while working closely with other co-leaders to improve the project. She also took part in volunteer trips aimed at children, creating fun learning activities for the community. These experiences made her learn how important it is to have access to a good education. Hence, though not pursuing education as a career, Apricity always keeps a strong passion for the field.
Picture taken at the Village Chance, Vietnam
Therefore, working as a Summer Intern at the Center for Global Programs is a meaningful opportunity for Apricity, as it brings together everything she is passionate about: global experiences, education, and digital communication. This summer, she is excited to contribute to the off-campus study team and learn from its work.
“This post can never fully capture the experiences and memories I’ve gained from moving far away from home. Studying abroad has been a life-changing experience and a true privilege to me. Because of that, I want to help share the opportunities with Denison students through my work in communication,” she concludes.
Follow along on our Bridging Border Blog to see what this summer entails!