Dear Denver150 Nomination Committee,

It is my feeling that Sr. Sen Nguyen is qualified as one of the 150 outstanding Denver citizens because of her strong call of duty to her fellow man.  Being required to leave her ancestral home, and through countless hardships, she has embraced Denver as her home, connecting her immediate community in the Berkley Lake/Regis area with the world community and, specifically, those in need in Vietnam.   

Recently I attended a dinner and auction which benefited the 501c(3) which Sen founded, Bridging Hope.  Hors d’ouvres and dinner were served by young Vietnamese nationals, most in the mid-teens, we were entertained by Vietnamese dancers (about 6 years old) and the Vietnamese choir, spanning ages of mid-teens to late 20’s, approximately.  We shared a table with a young couple, he a 38 year old pediatrician in Houston, and his wife, a 33 year old in surgical instrument sales, both of whom had escaped Vietnam as children during the takeover by the Khmer Rouge.  All of these people, from 6 to 38 years old had been touched by Sr. Sen – taught by her, trained by her, touched by her.  The youngsters were there because she asked them to be, the older ones were there to honor her and her work.  She has taught art and music to youngsters and has enabled them to express themselves in these ways.  She is an example to a generation of young people whose parents and grandparents came to this country through the most extreme of circumstances and has encouraged them to stand tall and have pride in their heritage.  That pride and strong sense of self-worth has infused the Denver community with a healthy awareness of what it means to be a citizen of the world.  She has encouraged and guided these youngsters to take direct action in helping those in Vietnam less fortunate than themselves. 

The disabled in Viet Nam are among the most unfortunate.  The government cannot provide adequate benefits and society looks upon them with scorn.  Through Provide-N-Ce Gallery and the help of the Denver community, Sen has been able to provide Vietnamese women with skills so that they can secure jobs to support their families and has provided Vietnamese orphans with food, clothes and schooling.  The gallery displays and sells artwork, clothing, accessories and other goods created by these communities on a fair trade basis.  By educating children and training adults, providing funding for improved housing conditions, providing teacher salaries and supplies for primary schools, she has helped enhance sustainable living conditions for the underprivileged in Viet Nam. 

Provide-N-Ce also assists other charitable organizations, such as Hands of Hope and People of Hope Crafts.  Sen is committed not only to Vietnamese people, but also similar unfortunate communities of the world.

Through Sen’s tireless and passionate philanthropy, a direct connection has been made between Denver and the local and worldwide communities.  She stands as an example of what can be achieved if one nourishes the focus and fire within.

Sr. Sen’s bio:

Sister Sen Nguyen was born in Thanh Hoa, Viet Nam in 1956.  In 1975, following the U.S. pullout from Southeast Asia, Sen and her mother fled to Vung Tau, which they found to be full of refugees and soon fell to the Khmer Rouge.  Sen and her mother were separated during the subsequent violence.  Sen ended up, at 19, alone in a refugee camp.  She grieved for her mother who she assumed had been killed. 

Sen’s mother had actually gotten aboard a boat as Vung Tau fell.  She was picked up by an American ship and taken to Manila, Philippines.  Through a church sponsorship, she ended up in Denver, Colorado.  Sen, meanwhile, spent several months in the refugee camp.  When she received the letter from her mother in Denver, she considered it divine providence.  It took her three years to escape Viet Nam, but after many attempts, she finally arrived in Denver.

Sen’s bio (cont’d)

After learning English, Sen studied art and electronic engineering at CCD and received a B.A. from Regis University with majors in sociology and religious studies.  She took her final vows at Marycrest Franciscan convent in Denver in 1992.  Sen opened Provide-N-Ce Gallery in 2003 where she carries works by Vietnamese artists and, in the adjo9ining shop, sells beautiful silk garments and accessories made by Vietnamese women.  Her purchase of these goods helps to support a women’s cooperative in Ho Chi Minh City; many of these women have been disabled by polio.  In 2006, Sen founded Bridging Hope, a non-profit organization helping disadvantaged women and children in Viet Nam.  The organization raises awareness and funding to support programs and projects in Viet Nam.  Sen is not only a Franciscan nun.  She is an accomplished artist, a teacher, a business woman, and a passionate philanthropist and she sets a shining example to her community of what can be accomplished if one never stops thinking of others.

Sincerely,

Jan Duncan