Duy Nguyen

Hey y’all! My name is Duy Nguyen, and I’m currently a first-year graduate student at GPS, focusing on International Management in Japan. I graduated from UCSD in 2024 with a major in International Studies - Political Science, along with minors in History and Japanese Studies. I had the fortunate opportunity to study abroad with UCEAP for nearly 1.5 years, spending my entire junior year at Yonsei University in Korea and the fall quarter of my senior year at Meiji Gakuin University in Japan. What initially pushed me to study abroad was the high cost of living in La Jolla, and I figured going to Asia would ease the financial burden of the California lifestyle. But in all seriousness, studying abroad had been a goal of mine since high school. The chance to experience a new environment, despite the challenges, seemed super rewarding in terms of the people I’d meet and the new things I’d try.

Being a huge sports fan, I really enjoyed researching the connection between baseball and e-sports with politics and marketing, and I’m planning to continue exploring those interests in grad school. Plus, the sporting events in both Japan and Korea were unforgettable—the fan participation and food at these events were on a whole different level compared to what we have in the USA. However, the best part of studying abroad for me was the food delivery service in Korea. The $1 service fee, quick delivery, and amazing food had me ordering nearly every day of the week—I ended up gaining 15 pounds by the time my program ended. Thankfully, I managed to lose it all (and more) when I studied in Japan the following quarter.

Overall, studying abroad really changed how I see the world, and I hope that wherever you end up, it leaves just as big of an impact on you—both in ways you expect and in ways you don’t.