Elliot Nguyen

Hometown: Menlo Park, CA

High School: Menlo School

Intended Major: Music

Name a person you admire.

My parents have been my role models for my whole life, but until high school, I never realized how much they did to support me. As teenage refugees of the Vietnam War, they were denied many opportunities, but their unrelenting optimism and compassion is something I hope to carry with me for my whole life. 

What have been the most valuable Evans Scholars program experiences for you?

This past summer, I was able to use my Evans grant to purchase woodworking tools to build a violin. Now, I'm working building a guitar out of spruce and black-hearted sassafras. To engage in an artistic endeavor and be able to look back and see what I've accomplished has been a really important experience for me. 

What was the most transformative class you have taken and/or what subjects do you want to explore deeply?

I'm currently taking a music theory seminar that explains music using set theory. Combined with the music history courses I've taken, my knowledge and appreciation for music has been enhanced by realizing how expansive and multi-faceted music really is. I've gone from looking at myself as a musician to looking at myself as a music enthusiast who is always looking for new things to learn.