About Nghiem Bui

All you need to know and more!

Quick Overview

Don’t be scared by the consonants. With a hard name to pronounce, I’m an easy human to work with. Described recently as “always-in-solution-mode” and a “team-player,” I’m offended that my coworker forgot to mention “humble and funny,” but it’s ok, I’ll fix that.

A former kindergarten teacher, high school admissions director, and elementary/middle senior school administrator, I know schools, I know families, and I know students. Today, I am on the leadership team of an educational justice non-profit organization, coaching high school students into college and college students into their careers. I have coached students in universities throughout the country: Brown University, Scripps College, American University, Swarthmore College, Pomona College, UC Riverside, and more. 

 I value joy and I crave purpose. I have worked in K-12 schools, public, private, and charter, and I have relationships with 110+ college admissions representatives. Gifted with and having learned a variety of social and technical skills, I am most proud of being trilingual: Vietnamese, Spanish, and English; my public speaking, the resilience inherited from my refugee parents, and my ability to repurpose ANYTHING into a bowel bag for my pups, Tobi and Tiger. 


I have committed my life’s work to helping students see themselves clearly and to creating more equitable educational systems to ensure more access for all families. I see everyday and every experience as an opportunity to learn and grow, and along the way, I actively seek partnership and joy.

I pronounce it “nim boo-ee,” and if you really can’t get past the consonants, no worries; you can spell it “Nim” or call me “Mr. Bui.”

Experience Matters

As a leader I have;

  • Worked with multiple community partners to ensure basic needs including food, housing medical and mental health care for hundreds of students and families,
  • Created pandemic protocols and reframed all programming to fit CDC guidelines for online, hybrid, and in-person learning,
  • Trained and supervised a team of both paid employees and volunteers,
  • Overseen and directed core college counseling and job placement programs from top to bottom, serving ~200 alumni, ~50 current college scholars, and 24 juniors and seniors and their families,
  • Led and executed strategic planning process, outlining growth and fulfillment of the organization’s mission- to support first generation, low-income students uplift their families and communities out of poverty,
  • Collaborated on the structure, development and sequencing of programs across all departments,
  • Worked directly with the board of directors to evaluate effectiveness of programs,
  • Recruited and secured multiple current and past board members
  • Ensured board reflects a range of diverse, personal and professional backgrounds
  • Supported development staff in all grant writing, data reporting, budgets, marketing material creation, and funder engagement
  • Conceptualized and executed large scale fundraising events: managing all elements of the event, including speaker selection and preparation, identifying and engaging key funders, and ensuring post-event assessment and follow-up,
  • Overseen the production and release of all print and digital marketing materials for communication campaigns for thousands of recipients
  • Grown and an maintained active partnerships with 113 college and university admissions departments,
  • Built and served on multiple social justice coalitions with other non-profit leaders in the Bay Area and Northern California
  • Led in the recruitment, selection and onboarding of new employees with a specific eye towards attracting diverse candidates.
Getting Started

Contact us to see if you qualify!

We work with a low volume, high intensity client base.

Recent Professional Employment

TitleFrom-ToOrganization
Director of Strategic College and Career DesignJuly 2020 – PresentNext Generation Scholars (College and Career Access Non-Profit)
Dean of Student Life July 2018 – June 2020Live Oak School 
(Independent Elementary and Middle School, San Francisco)
Assistant Director of AdmissionsJuly 2015 – June 2018Marin Academy 
(Independent High School)
Lead Teacher \ Teacher’s AssistantAugust 2011 – June 2014 Chicago Public Schools
(Ray Elementary / Oscar Mayer)

Professional Education

InstitutionFrom-ToMajorDegree
Northwestern University 2011-2014EducationM.Ed.
Boston College2007-2011TheologyB.A

Community

  • Board Member, Next Generation Scholars, San Rafael, CA
  • Strategic Planning Volunteer, The Branson School, Ross, CA
  • Volunteer, Glide Memorial Church, San Francisco, CA
  • Volunteer, San Francisco-Marin Food Bank, San Francisco, CA
  • Volunteer, Potrero Hill Community Garden, San Francisco, CA
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