Alex Ng ’19

Alex Ng ’19
Boston College in Boston, MA
Field: Scientific research

I have spent 4 years as an active student member of the Vassar Haiti Project, and to say that VHP changed my life is simply an understatement. Nothing can truly sum up how impactful this project and its members have been on my development at Vassar. Not only has VHP made me fall in love with Haiti, an area that was unknown to me before joining VHP, but it has also made me challenge my outlook on my life and privilege. This introspective thinking and evaluation are experiences that have enabled me to continue to be transformed by VHP and its partners in Haiti.

During my first trip to Haiti, I had to confront extreme poverty and need for the first time in my life. I questioned whether VHP could even make a difference when the need was so large and struggled to envision plans that would make an effective and sustainable impact. However, after creating, improving, and executing programs for Chermaitre in collaboration with partners in Haiti over the next 3 years and visiting Haiti another time, my perspective has entirely changed. My second visit made me realize how much positive change VHP was able to create and inspire in Chermaitre in 3 short years, and truly reaffirmed that VHP’s work was important and necessary. I am forever grateful for the great trust that Andrew, Lila, and past leadership teams placed in me to “create from nothing,” as this encouragement was vital to the confidence I had to pursue my ideas in VHP.

In a different way, VHP has changed my life by providing me with a second family that has pushed and nurtured me into becoming a better friend and leader. Specifically, I served as the Education Initiative Director during my sophomore year and as a Co-President in my junior and senior years. Serving in these leadership roles under the mentorship of Andrew and Lila have shaped me into a leader I never imagined myself to be. VHP teaches you invaluable people skills vital across all jobs and fields including how to interact, connect, and collaborate with strangers, among others (planning events, fundraising, researching). These skills are ones I know have shaped me and will continue to help me become a more effective and sophisticated leader in the future.

However, perhaps one of the most special aspects of VHP is the mentorship that occurs between students and Vassar alumni. As an underclassman, I looked up to past presidents as role models, in awe of how impressively intelligent, in control, and compassionate they were. As my role in VHP matured over the years, I constantly reflected on the mentorship I was given by past leaders and tried to reflect that same sentiment in my leadership. This continual mentorship has created an incredible network of Vassar alumni who are all bonded by mutual VHP training and belonging to the VHP family. As I transition out of my formal leadership role at Vassar, I am excited to see new students step into stewardship roles and continue this tradition of mentorship. I am confident that with the unwavering leadership of Andrew & Lila and the tradition of mentorship within VHP, it’s programs and new student leaders will be even stronger and more effective than the last. I invite to you to take a closer look and discover what makes VHP an incredible and unimaginable adventure.