Hoping to learn more about the student organizations at Harvard Kennedy School?
With nearly 100 student organizations on campus, Harvard Kennedy School offers students many opportunities to connect with peers who share their interests and backgrounds.
Among them is the Viet Nam Caucus, for which Huy Anh Nguyen MPP 2027 serves as the vice-chair of operations. Huy Anh graduated from the University of Virginia in 2024 and then worked as a grant writer for a non-profit in Maryland before attending HKS. We asked him to tell us more about his involvement in the Viet Nam Caucus, his HKS experience, and his advice for applicants.
What is your role in the Viet Nam Caucus? What role does the Viet Nam Caucus play in your student experience?
In my current role as vice-chair of operations in the Viet Nam Caucus, I help with student outreach and planning events—this includes everything from movie nights to discussion sessions which highlight Viet Nam’s history, culture, and pressing policy challenges. It’s been a joy to create spaces where people can learn about Viet Nam in ways that are both fun and substantive.
The Viet Nam Caucus has been a vital part of my support system at HKS. It’s both a source of pride and a community that feels like a ‘home away from home.’” It’s amazing how curious and engaging my peers at HKS are—everyone genuinely wants to learn about my country’s vibrant culture and complex sociopolitical history.
One of my favorite moments with the caucus was at a Halloween movie night, where we screened a Vietnamese “whodunnit” horror film. We had around 20 students join us, along with distinguished faculty member Professor Rana Mitter.
“The Viet Nam Caucus has been a vital part of my support system at HKS. It’s both a source of pride and a community that feels like a ‘home away from home.’”
Huy Anh Nguyen MPP 2027
What has been your favorite part of HKS so far?
It’s hard to choose just one highlight because my time at HKS has been full of memorable moments. But one thing that stands out is how deeply connected HKS is to global policy conversations. On an average day, I might start the morning learning about how Singapore balances its foreign relations as a city-state, and by the afternoon, I’m hearing directly from Singapore’s former Minister for Foreign Affairs George Yeo Yong-Boon in the JFK Forum. After three months here, I’m still wrapping my head around how normal these interactions become.
More than any moments, what I love most about the program is the people and how action-oriented they are. After a casual lunchtime conversation, a few friends and I realized we all wanted a space to share our personal experiences and perspectives on politics in our home countries. By the end of that same afternoon, we had organized an informal bi-weekly study group featuring a different student speaker each session. This study group has quickly become one of my favorite spaces at HKS: a place where we can be honest, vulnerable, and intellectually curious, while learning from each other’s lived realities across continents.
What advice do you have for students applying to HKS?
Present a cohesive narrative in your application. Among thousands of applications, you want to be focused and memorable. Think of your narrative as a common thread that runs consistently through your essays, résumé, and letters of recommendation that shows who you are, what drives you, and where you want to go.
“Think of your narrative as a common thread that runs consistently through your essays, résumé, and letters of recommendation that shows who you are, what drives you, and where you want to go.”
Huy Anh Nguyen MPP 2027
Above all, be authentic. HKS isn’t looking for a “perfect” applicant who checks every box. The admissions team is looking for people with lived experiences that genuinely shape their goals and leadership journey. Self-awareness and clarity of purpose matter far more than flawless statistics.
I say this from experience: I wasn’t sure if my GPA and test scores would get me in. But the application process gave me space to show who I am through honest, vulnerable, and mission-driven storytelling. If you trust your voice and stay true to your experiences, your application will resonate.
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