Speaking with Sister Thi Thu Ha Cao (t-tu-ha-cow) and Sister Mai Nguyen (my-en-goo-ye-n), they talked about their experiences studying at SXU and how they’ve adapted to American culture during their time here.
Saint Xavier University is home to a very diverse group of students. This year, students have arrived from nearby Evergreen Park to Colorado, up north from Canada, and even all the way from Thailand. Though most interesting part of the Class of 2027 is SXU’s small community of nuns, who have begun studying here in the past month.
Coming from Hanoi, Vietnam, the sisters are a part of Lovers Of The Holy Cross, a catholic congregation founded in northern Vietnam in 1670. Along with two other fellow nuns, they were selected to study at SXU, and given scholarships to help facilitate their education. Currently, they stay with the Poor Handmaid’s in East Chicago, who will give them room and board for the duration of their studies.
Prior to coming to SXU, Sister Ha studied at Ancilla College in Donaldson, Indiana from 2014 to 2018. She returned to Vietnam for five years, working with children as a teacher, and has come back to America to expand on her knowledge. With a number of credits from her previous institution, she hopes to become a professional teacher and fill Vietnam’s need for better education.
Likewise, Sister Mai did General Studies at Stonehill College in Easton, Massachusetts. She has been in America for the last four and a half years and has come to SXU seeking acceptance into the nursing program. She has not been back to Vietnam since she began her studies.
Originally, Sister Mai was considering studying at a college in Indiana, but the offer of a scholarship from SXU helped her to make her final decision. Likewise, Sister Ha was given a scholarship, and both received a lot of help from the school’s staff with their transition. Sister Ha personally spoke with Associate Vice President Brian Hotzfield, and Sister Mai had a conversation with Interim President Rebecca Sherrick during a mass held in McDonough Chapel during her first weeks at Saint Xavier.
Both sisters expressed gratitude to the school for their acceptance, as well as their help in making their transition easy. However, Sister Ha did say that she was only accepted in July, giving her little time to prepare for enrollment and the immigration process.
Of American culture, both sisters think positively and have a great appreciation for life here. They both believe that America has a great educational system, which allows anyone to succeed, and that the economy rewards the most eager. As Sister Ha put it, “If you work good, you will have a good salary”.
Sister Mai also thinks Americans are very encouraging. From her perspective, people in America are great at giving feedback and supporting one another.
Both sisters spoke of their challenges with the language barrier and adapting to the culture. It’s difficult for them to keep up with the academic jargon in class, and they find themselves working twice as hard as their peers to keep up in class. Still being fairly new at speaking English, they both also have issues speaking with others, as the depth of their ideas is often lost in translation.
Likewise, because of the age gap between them and their peers, they find it hard to connect with the wider SXU community. Sister Ha feels like an outsider, othered for wearing her habit (traditional nun robes), and Sister Mai, despite having lived in America for almost five years, feels that she still struggles to communicate with others in a way they can understand.
Despite these issues, they persist; determined to achieve their individual goals.
For Sister Ha, this is teaching. She loves working with the youth and is eager to increase her skills as an educator. Whether she goes home to teach or stays in America is still up in the air, though she was quick to express that she misses her family and her congregation.
As for Sister Mai, she plans to go home and use her nursing education to help the youth of Vietnam.
She wants to travel the country, helping the young and sick get the health care that they need. Service is something she has dedicated her life to, and she very proudly works toward her aspirations. She makes it a point to “Never say no” when someone asks for her help and was very generous with her time during our conversation.
Sister Ha and Sister Mai are two great examples of how dedicated and diverse the SXU community is. They are both passionate and hard-working students, who perfectly embody the core values of the Mercy mission.