Tu-Oanh Phan
Creating virtual worlds, teaching dance to neighborhood children, promoting international relations – they're all part of Tu-Oanh Phan’s life at USC. The sophomore international student has managed to combine her double major in international relations and communication and her minor in organizational leadership and management with both community service and campus work.
Phan works at the USC Center on Public Diplomacy as an assistant for the Virtual Worlds project, an online global communication network. “We try to foster the idea of public diplomacy and intercultural communication,” Phan says. “Virtual Worlds is an online community. You can create an avatar and go to different places to interact with people from all over the world. Our last event was on avatar rights and how privacy works in virtual worlds.”
Phan also works as a dance instructor. As the director of Dance Included, a service organization that brings dance education to students at USC Neighborhood Schools, she teaches ballet and organizes a showcase for the children every semester.
“Being able to share my passion for dance with children is great,” says Phan, who began training in ballet and jazz dance when she was a child. A member of the USC Chamber Ballet Company, Phan has taught ballet to first graders at 32nd Street School. She has also enjoyed teaching international relations classes to high school students.
“Tu-Oanh is an incredibly dedicated student with a vast array of skills and interests,” says Tori Horton, project manager of Virtual Worlds for the Center on Public Diplomacy. “She focuses on our strategic goals and sets obtainable objectives to keep our many projects on track. I value her contributions to our team and appreciate the high quality of her work.”
Born in France and raised in Tahiti, Phan says her interest in international relations stems from her love of traveling. She has traveled throughout Europe and Asia and plans to become an international business consultant. Phan, who is also a member of Helenes, chose to attend USC because she believes the school will equip her with the tools to achieve her career goals.
“It is USC's dedication to forming well-rounded and global citizens, academically with the major and minor combinations from disparate fields, and also through Visions and Voices, which enhances students' cultural experience and fosters their appreciation for the arts and humanities, that set it apart,” she says. “Most importantly, it is USC's deep sense of community among students, faculty and alumni, as well as with the surrounding community that truly make it second to none.”