Betty Nguy Carries On UNC Charlotte’s Military Legacy By Giving Back To Her Peers
For Army ROTC Cadet Betty Nguy, a passion for the military was ignited with a desire to provide for her family. Nguy, whose parents immigrated to the United States from South Vietnam, moved their family to Charlotte from Portland, Oregon, when she was very young.
“I grew up in a low-income family. That played a role in my wanting to join the military and setting myself up as financially stable while having opportunities to grow,” said Nguy.
Nguy’s military career started at Mallard Creek High School, where she participated in the Army JROTC program for four years. She climbed the ranks, holding multiple leadership positions and growing program membership. After a talk with a recruiter, Nguy’s life changed.
“I decided to talk to a recruiter during my junior year of high school, and after learning about the opportunities with the military, I enlisted in my junior year of high school after turning 18,” she said.
Her experience with the JROTC program at Mallard Creek grew her leadership skills. Nguy wanted to earn a business degree while continuing her involvement in officer training programs, and she knew Charlotte allowed her the opportunity.
“JROTC was one of the things I looked forward to every day, and it allowed me to meet new people. The ROTC program at UNC Charlotte caught my eye immediately, and I knew it was the right fit for me.”
Now a B.S.B.A. marketing major in the Belk College of Business with a military science minor, Nguy has been a member of the National Guard since 2022, serving as a human resources specialist. In summer 2023, she trained for four months with the Army at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, before spending another three months at Fort Jackson, South Carolina.
“The experience has been amazing. I’ve been in for almost three years and still learning a lot. There’s so much that I want to do in my career, especially after I finish ROTC and commission as an officer,” said Nguy.
Beyond the classroom, Nguy carries on UNC Charlotte’s military legacy by giving back to her peers. She is a veterans affairs education liaison and peer mentor at the Military and Veteran Services Office. She holds cabinet positions with the Military Women’s Alliance and the Student Veterans of America. She goes above and beyond her responsibilities in the ROTC program.
She serves others in multiple roles as a student liaison and peer mentor. Nguy started her education liaison role as a sophomore in fall 2024, working with military-connected students, managing benefits and helping to adjust from the armed forces to college life. The current semester is her first serving as a peer mentor, growing the military community on campus.
“I want to continue providing those resources to transition first-year and new transfer students, because I like helping people and giving them resources that I wish I had known about when I was a freshman,” said Nguy.
These roles set Nguy up to succeed beyond the UNC Charlotte community.
“It helps me on the professional side. I’m a human resources specialist who wants to talk to people and become more comfortable networking. It makes me more aware of how people feel and more understanding of how to help them,” said Nguy.
Other students within the UNC Charlotte community feel Nguy’s impact. Laisa Mena Rivera, a civil engineering student in the W.S. Lee College of Engineering, looks up to Nguy and says she always rises to the challenge.
“I like to describe Betty as a force to be reckoned with. She carries herself in a way that exemplifies greatness and capability,” said Rivera. “She was in basic training for the Army; she got pneumonia and was able to fight through to graduate with her company.”
Tyler Thomas, program manager and veterans services coordinator for Charlotte’s Military and Veteran Services Office, has worked with Nguy as her direct supervisor in a mentor role and says her devotion has expanded the organization’s reach on campus.
“Her unwavering commitment to her fellow students and the ROTC program has led to a significant increase in collaboration on campus to support the military-connected community. Betty embodies the fighting spirit of Bonnie Cone and the founding mission of UNC Charlotte, taking adversity in stride and constantly pushing forward to create community,” said Thomas.
Nguy is a first-generation college student, and her time at UNC Charlotte has allowed her to pursue her dream of a degree and a future career. She is proud to be a 49er.
“I’m the first person in my family to go to college. Being a 49er means that I can chase a dream and give back to my parents,” said Nguy.
Once Nguy leaves UNC Charlotte, she wants to start her own e-commerce business while continuing to become a military unit officer. Above all, giving back is what she feels is her primary purpose.
“In five to 10 years, I want to have started my own business. I will be at my unit as an officer, which is crazy,” she said “Being able to give back around the world and becoming that philanthropist that I want to be is the main goal.”