Through her experiences at St. Lawrence, Phuong Le ’10 says she has found her place in the middle of two cultures.  Hailing from Hanoi, Vietnam, Phuong first learned of St. Lawrence by reading a list of top liberal arts schools.  “I knew I wanted a small college where students receive full attention from professors in an intellectually challenging environment and surrounded by natural scenery,” she explains.  “I was captivated by pictures of the campus on the Web site; I remember seeing Herring-Cole peeking through the cherry blossoms and thinking I could see myself sitting there, indulging myself in a good book.”

Phuong, an economics major and math minor, has found that understanding her natural surroundings has led to several research opportunities while at St. Lawrence.  “As a University Fellow, I am in the midst of a project titled ‘Nature Versus Nurture: The Social and Economic Impacts of the Adirondack Park on Local Communities,’ she says.  “I have a keen interest in environmental preservation and economic development. Last year, I focused on ecotourism in the poorest part of Vietnam.  This year, I was happy to figure out a way to pursue that topic looking at the backdrop of St. Lawrence, the North Country and the Adirondack Park.”

Phuong’s interest in understanding her surroundings extends well beyond the North Country.  She spent a semester studying on St. Lawrence’s program in Washington, DC, and one of her most memorable experiences was during her first year, when she joined a Spring Break trip to Philadelphia, PA, to volunteer in a soup kitchen. “I was raised in a family where it is not enough to think only about your self-interests, but to be philanthropic,” she says.  “I was so busy in activities on campus during the year that Spring Break was my only opportunity to volunteer whole-heartedly.”