Opinion: Dr. Tracy Nguyen’s vision beyond sight empowers the future of STEM – San Diego Union-Tribune

Editor’s note: This essay was written for the 2025 API Summer Journalism Internship program, hosted by the Alliance of Chinese Americans San Diego.

When Dr. Tracy Nguyen began her career as an optometrist, she didn’t anticipate one day leading a major engineering society. Yet her journey, from health care to becoming the president of the San Diego Society of Women Engineers, has been guided by an unwavering mission: helping others see what’s possible.

That mission reaches far beyond the clinic. Through mentorship, outreach and community partnerships, Nguyen is creating pathways for the next generation to see themselves represented in science, technology, engineering and mathematics careers. Her story reflects a growing movement of women leaders redefining what it means to belong in those fields.

“I solve problems just like an engineer,” Nguyen said of her clinical work. “Patients come in with a chief complaint, and I diagnose, treat and improve people’s vision and overall eye health. It’s a perfect fusion of science, technology and human connection.”

Her unexpected path towards STEM advocacy began at home with a Mindstorms robot. When her daughter received the robotics kit as a holiday gift, it sat unopened for months. Once she built and programmed the robot, however, everything changed.

“It ignited her desire to do robotics,” Nguyen recalled. Eager to support her daughter’s interests, Nguyen discovered SWENext, the youth arm of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE). “I’m not an engineer, but I wanted to find role models for her,” she said. That search led her to the Society of Women Engineers and a new purpose.

Since then, Nguyen has become a driving force behind the San Diego chapter’s outreach efforts, establishing SWENext clubs globally and mentoring students across the United States and abroad. Through SWE’s mentorship programs, students conduct projects that connect classroom learning with industry experience.

“Mentorship helps young people build confidence,” she explained, “but what’s truly transformative is sponsorship. A great mentor listens and guides, but a great sponsor advocates when the mentee is not in the room.”

Nguyen often serves as both — writing recommendation letters, connecting them with professionals and nominating them for awards. Her dedication is deeply personal. As an Asian American immigrant and refugee who fled Vietnam during the fall of Saigon, she understands what it feels like to be underrepresented in leadership.

“That absence fueled my commitment to create those spaces for others,” she said. “Your lived experience, your culture and your perspective are powerful assets.”

She has watched the impact of her mentorship extend exponentially. Her daughters, both now in college, mentor younger students themselves.

“What I do as a mentor has a ripple effect,” she said. “The mentees I’m mentoring are giving back.”

Nguyen’s outreach has helped launch student clubs in countries like Nepal, Indonesia and Azerbaijan through conversations at international robotics competitions and social media outreach. She also acknowledges the challenges of global access, including time zones. 

One student from Azerbaijan woke up at 6 a.m. to moderate a session. “But in doing so, she got to build confidence and practice public speaking. That’s impact,” she said.

As president, Nguyen plans to expand the Society of Women Engineers’ presence at community colleges across San Diego, build partnerships with groups like the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers and Latinas in Tech, and ensure every member has a chance to thrive.

“The bottom line is, you belong in STEM, even if you don’t always see yourself reflected in the room. It doesn’t matter your background or your path,” she expressed.

With nearly 1,000 volunteer hours logged last year, burnout is always possible. But for Nguyen, it’s not a deterrent.

“Burnout happens when you’re deeply committed. It’s a sign the work matters,” she said. She doesn’t believe in a rigid concept of work-life balance. “It’s not just balance; it’s harmony,” she explains. “If you do what you love, it comes naturally.”

To young women in STEM, Nguyen offers a powerful piece of advice: “Don’t wait for someone to hand you a seat at the table. Build your own seat. Or better yet, build your own table.”

Whether she’s organizing professional panels at universities, encouraging students to promote STEM at local boba shops, or mentoring aspiring engineers across the globe, Tracy Nguyen is driven by a simple principle: “We lift each other up.” Under her leadership, the San Diego Society of Women Engineers is set to become a model of inclusion, collaboration and joyful impact, one student, one club, one table at a time.

Xuan is an upcoming freshman at the University of Pennsylvania.