Kimmy Duong

Kimmy Duong and her seven siblings benefitted from the wisdom of their father, who understood the opportunities only education provides. When forced to flee Communist forces in Saigon in 1975, Kimmy Duong left her homeland for the United States with $30. Importantly, she also had a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Saigon, which earned her a position with IBM in Vietnam. She met with an IBM representative in Guam who set her up with a position in Bethesda. He asked about her immediate needs. Humbly, she requested money. In appreciation of the $100 she was given, coupled with the opportunities she and her husband, Dr. Long Nguyen, have had in their adopted country, she established the Kimmy Duong Foundation to support education and humanitarian causes.

Inspired by Montgomery College’s commitment to inclusion, the Kimmy Duong Foundation donated $1 million for scholarships. In return for her support, Kimmy Duong requests one thing of her scholarship recipients and of all Montgomery College students: “Work hard in order to fulfill your potential and do your part to build the world in which you want to live.”