GARDEN CITY — Tom Nguyen wanted to run for office after his parents, both Vietnamese immigrants, became U.S. citizens in March.
“What’s more American than to run for public office?” Nguyen said.
Nguyen, 20, won a seat on the Garden City city commission according to unofficial results Tuesday from the Finney County Clerk’s Office. Nguyen secured his seat with 1,682 total votes, more than any other of the five candidates who were up for three open seats.
“My heart is so full of all of the love that has been offered to me by our community,” Nguyen said. “My win has plowed the ground for the younger generation to see how important and invaluable their young voices are.”
Nguyen is the communications director for St. Mary’s Church in Garden City and leads area youths in faith-based community service activities. He said his end goal is to become a pediatrician in Garden City. As a commissioner, Nguyen said he’d focus on lowering the cost of living in Garden City and continuing to promote the city as a diverse regional hub for southwest Kansas.
Nguyen’s father, Tieng Nguyen, said via translation that he is proud of his son taking initiative to serve his community.
“We do not know what to do in response to the generosity of a country that is adopting us,” Tieng Nguyen said. “Partly to express our gratitude to it, we encourage our son to try to contribute what he can to the community and society. Our son has done it.”