Meet Ryan Nguyen | President of Operation Be Kind Westminster High School Chapter

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ryan Nguyen and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ryan, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Operation Be Kind is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing smiles for underprivileged individuals. I have volunteered with them since I was thirteen years old, to which I am now eighteen. Through my five years with the organization, I learned how helping others fulfills oneself greater than so many things. Inspired by founder Jeanine Rountree, my sister and I decided to open up the first high school chapter here in Westminster. Driven by the immense fulfillment, my sister and I wanted to provide the chance for our peers to participate in these sorts of events as well. We had the privilege of our teen years being filled with compassion, and we wanted to open these amazing acts of humanity to our peers,

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
For me, I am most proud about the sense of community I have developed at a relatively young age. Since I was 14 to my now 18 year old self, I have garnered a body of high school students that contribute to the world’s humanity in the form of kindness. After my sister and I opened our high school chapter of the nonprofit, 10 other schools joined in subsequently. With us and 10 other schools, there is a large body of young individuals who are motivated to spread compassion to the world.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
The best spot in the area to get a sense of California is where there is food: everywhere. California is a salad bowl but also a melting pot of so many cultures. In most communities, you can go a couple of blocks and find authentic foods from a certain culture. Within those food stops, you will find people who have stories that they love to share about their origin story. Everyone is willing to give you a taste of their culture, as well as provide you an insight onto their ethnic stories.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Jeanine Rountree. She is the founder of the nonprofit Operation Be Kind. Ms. Rountree has been like a second motherly figure for me, as I look up to her fluorescent care for others. She deserves all responsibility for my desire to provide a helping hand to humanity as a whole.

Image Credits
Johnathan Truong @johnathantrung (Instagram)