Creating connection across continents

How Juniper Nguyen (BSBA Marketing ’27, MS-ISOM ’28) helps students chase their dreams abroad.

When Juniper Nguyen (BSBA Marketing ’27, MS-ISOM ’28) was a high school sophomore navigating the uncertainties of the COVID-19 pandemic, she found motivation in an unlikely place: social media. She developed a virtual study diary as a digital accountability tool that connected her with a small audience. 

By her senior year, her social media hobby evolved into something larger.

Drawing on her passions for business, writing and media, she began sharing advice on everything from preparing for AP courses to applying to college abroad to navigating the U.S. visa process.

Her platform quickly became a valuable resource—especially for Vietnamese students like herself who dreamed of studying internationally. In just a few days, her educational videos gained over 500,000 views.

“In Vietnam, a lot of students [would] love to study abroad in the U.S., but there are a lot of barriers,” she explained, with misinformation especially posing a challenge to young Vietnamese students.

For accurate resources and information, Nguyen found ETEST, a test prep English academy committed to “providing Vietnamese students with intensive training programs, centering around each student’s unique pathway to develop and succeed.”

With her platform, she developed marketing partnerships with preparatory academies and programs across Vietnam including ETEST, Crimson and ILA Vietnam, committed to making their information more accessible to her peers.

“It [was] very meaningful for me to provide something to my community,” she said.

Building on this momentum, Nguyen chose the University of Florida Warrington College of Business’ Marketing program, where she could grow her skills and pursue a career that aligned with both her talents and her passion.

“I believe that Warrington is a very prestigious business school,” she said. For Nguyen, the coursework, alumni network and tuition costs for international students “ticked all of the boxes.”

Now, her Tik Tok account has amassed over 32,000 followers (@juniper_nguyen). Nguyen continues to use her platform to offer advice while documenting her experience as an international student studying at the University of Florida.

Over the years, she has received nearly 200 direct messages from parents and prospective students. Many of the students she once advised reconnect after being admitted to UF.

“One year later, [they’ll] reach back out to me [asking if I remember them],” she said. She’s even had parents thank her for helping their young “Vietnamese baby Gators.”  

“I feel like I’m helping a lot of high school students get closer to their dreams, which is amazing to me,” she said.

As she looks ahead, Nguyen hopes to continue creating videos while pursuing a career in marketing. She encourages students to believe in themselves, and to work hard toward their dreams, even if that means making a few mistakes.

“Never be afraid of being seen trying.”