Nguyen Sisters Help Make Rockhurst a Home for All

Nhukha (’21) and Nhukim (December '22) Nguyen are many things, but first and foremost they are sisters and best friends. Born two years apart, they are also the daughters of Vietnam immigrants, as well as student and community leaders, Buddhists, and Rockhurst Hawks.

The University prides itself in living out the slogan “A Home for All,” which includes different faiths and diverse backgrounds. Its faith tradition is “one of invitation and inclusion, not of expectation or requirement.” 

Rockhurst Campus Ministry accompanies students along their spiritual path, helping to deepen their understanding of their own faith and grow in appreciation of other religious traditions.

According to Campus Ministry Director Bill Kriege, at least five faiths are represented on campus this year: Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, and Muslim.

The Nguyen sisters have always attended a Buddhist temple, where they were taught one of their most important lessons.

“We were taught the principle that has guided us through our current daily lives – to treat all beings with love and goodness.”

When it came time to choose what college each would go to, the Lee’s Summit, Missouri, residents considered all their options before deciding what fit them and their priorities best. That turned out to be a Catholic, Jesuit school in urban Kansas City.

“There is no doubt in my mind that Rockhurst was meant to be my university for these four years,” Nhukim said. “Being a Buddhist and attending a Jesuit school was one of the things I admire about Rockhurst because I never felt like I was alone or forgotten. I was always accepted and felt comfortable that everything was an invitation, and nothing was an expectation. I enjoyed how my peers would ask me questions about Buddhism because I was able to teach them about my religion while learning about their religion as well.”

Nhukha found what she was looking for in academics (aka “learning”), leadership, and service – the hallmarks of a Jesuit education, which are inscribed on Rockhurst’s iconic bell tower.

“The three things that would shape me into a well-rounded student and future dentist,” Nhukha said.

She served as a Resident Assistant for one year and still uses the skills and training she learned in that position. Nhukha was also Student Senate Vice President and worked with campus environmental projects, following that lesson to treat all beings with love and goodness.

“I was also involved in SEEK (Spiritually Engaging Everyone’s Knowledge), which allowed me to explore and learn about other students’ faiths on campus,” Nhukha said.

That is consistent with one of the foundations of Jesuit education, being “supportive of religious diversity within the university community as a condition for religious dialogue and for the development of a genuine partnership-in-service to culture and society.”

“Campus Ministry strives to journey with people of all faith traditions because of, not in spite of, our Jesuit mission,” Kriege said.

Nhukha graduated from Rockhurst in 2021 with a degree in Biology while minoring in Theology and Religious Studies. She is currently in dental school at UMKC, across the street from her sister still at Rockhurst.

“She is definitely my best friend and I am so thankful for the times we both shared together at Rockhurst,” Nhukha said. “Being at the same university as my sister for two years is a memory that I will cherish forever because I really could not have developed a better foundation without having my sister as a constant mentor.”

Nhukim is just as involved in Rockhurst organizations as her sister was, serving last year as Student Body President, among many leadership positions. A Biochemistry major and Psychology minor, she will graduate from Rockhurst a semester early in December 2022.

Both sisters have seen changes in their time at Rockhurst, and they’ve been a big part of them.

“I am excited to see Rockhurst become more and more diverse throughout the years,” Nhukim said. “Even though students come from different backgrounds and religions, I believe Rockhurst creates an environment that welcomes and establishes a home for all students.”

Pictured: Nhukha (left) and Nhukim Nguyen (right)