This spring, Nancy Le (‘24) received Luther College’s 2023-2024 Joy Tlou Memorial Award. This award recognizes one student each year whose character and activeness around campus promote a ‘community of joy’ for the people and world around them.

Le is graduating this spring with a major in Visual Communication. Having come to Luther in the fall of 2020 from Hue City, Vietnam, Le has made an impact on various people across campus – from her supervisors in the Career Center, to her classmates.

“Being recognized for embodying the qualities that Joy Tlou exemplified throughout his life is an incredible privilege,” Le said.

Bonolo Joy Tlou graduated with a bachelor’s degree in communication from Luther College in 1986. He made pottery and music, loved to cook and sing, and enjoyed fishing, skiing, and telling jokes to others. The award was established in Bonolo Joy’s memory by his sister Hla Tlou in 2023. The inaugural award was given in 2023 to Myke Shed (‘23).

Having worked at the Career Center as a Career and Strengths Ambassador for three years, Nancy has made a huge impact there. Associate Director Miriam Skrade (‘04) appreciates the positive presence Le has brought to the Career Center.

“She uses her creativity and personability to infuse joy and energy into other people,” Skrade said.

Communications and Administrative Coordinator Katrina Brickley had similar praise for Le, as well.

“She has a way of seeing the beauty in other people,” Brickley said.

Anna Barbknecht (‘25) has known Le for a while and thinks this award is well-deserved.

“Nancy brings a smile and a positive attitude to every aspect of her life and impacts other people with her attitude,” Barbknecht said.

In addition to her physical presence on campus, Nancy is also an influencer on Instagram where she shares her gym experience and positive insights on body positivity and body image. She has made reels on Instagram for the Luther College Career Center, @lccareer, doing question and answer videos, or acting in skits with Brickley and other career center employees.

“Her reels are able to [positively] reach people that might just ordinarily scroll past,” Skrade said.

In a press release published by Luther on April 2, Professor of Communication Studies Thomas C. Johnson highlighted Le’s presence in a Luther classroom.

“In each class Nancy has taken from me, she’s brought infectious energy,” Johnson said. “Ultimately, this has really elevated entire classroom communities in profound ways. She’s a bright light, no doubt.”

Also during her Luther career, Le has worked as a Resident Assistant, a Writing Center Tutor, a Student Ambassador, a member of the Cheerleading squad, and a Staff Writer at CHIPS.

Le, in reflecting on her time at Luther, shared some insights she gained from growing up in Vietnam and coming to college here in the United States. “Growing up in Vietnam, my cheerfulness and outgoing nature were often misunderstood and seen as ‘too much,’” Le said. “In Vietnamese culture, there is an emphasis on being quiet, reserved, and avoiding interaction with strangers. I often felt alienated and disconnected, as if I didn’t truly belong. At Luther, I feel appreciated and valued. I love the small interactions I have with people here, where I can share stories, bring smiles to their faces, and make a positive impact on their day.”

Congratulations to Nancy Le for receiving Luther’s 2023-2024 Joy Tlou Memorial Award for her dedicated involvement at Luther and the positive impacts that she has on the Luther community.

Editor’s Note: The writer of this story, Annika Benson, requested to share a personal experience with Nancy Le in this story. It is listed below:

“Speaking from personal experience, I got to know Nancy this year, and she has always found a way to shine her light into my life. One day, while walking to class, Nancy told me I looked beautiful. It was truly the highlight of my day. There aren’t a lot of people who can have that type of positive impact on someone’s life, but Nancy can. It’s impossible to sum up the beauty and positivity that Nancy has brought to Luther’s campus into one article. If every positive impact that Nancy has had on this campus were to be typed out, there wouldn’t be enough paper for a print version of this story.”