Melody Makes a Difference

Anomalies at Exeter, some students seem to be involved in everything. They are all places at once: teaching children at ESSO clubs, practicing an instrument in the music building, studying in the library and working out in the gym. Senior Melody Nguyen is one of those impossible people. As off-campus coordinator for ESSO, budding biology researcher, international student leader, pianist and swim team manager, Melody’s interests seem to span all aspects of Exeter.Nguyen switched schools often before Exeter; by 10th grade she had been to 8 schools. Before enrolling at Exeter, school for Nguyen was only about being there to learn, and while she said she’d be friendly with everyone she’d “never made the ground friendship where you share the deep stuff.”At Exeter, Nguyen said, “School may come first on some days, but the friends will last.” One of Nguyen’s favorite parts of Exeter in comparison to previous schools is the study of the narrative. “I’ve never written narratives before, especially in English, and it’s like therapy on paper,” Nguyen said. She believes the relationship developed between peers from sharing writing is deeply personal and, “it’s that nice thing where you have that bond with someone through narratives.”

“I can’t stress how much of a selfless, giving person Melody is.”

Nguyen’s primary academic focus is biology which has pushed her to do independent research during Biology 999. Her lab partner, upper Connie Cai felt “honored” to work with Nguyen. They spent the term analyzing the DNA of soil bacteria in the Exeter area. “She is so incredibly passionate about biology,” Cai said.Even when their data did not turn out as expected, Melody persisted in trying to interpret their data and decided “to organize all of our notes into a big chart on the whiteboard of the lab.” Cai continued, saying she “spent hours puzzling through the patterns in our results.”Exeter has also allowed Nguyen’s passion for service to thrive. She co-heads the ESSO clubs Global Health Initiative, Amnesty International, Tutoring for Children and Modern Medicine Club. This year, during Modern Medicine Club Nguyen recalls, “We were lucky enough to work with the Health center to create a tour where kids learned how to do first aid and listen to their EKG and inject glucose into an orange.”The strong relationships Nguyen has acquired at Exeter have helped her get through the academic rigor. One of those important relationships is with English nstructor Christine Knapp, who Nguyen described as her “rock.” Her first correspondence with Knapp was over the summer before her first year. Nguyen’s parents had never traveled by plane and she flew alone to Boston. Arriving at an American international airport for the first time as a prep she immediately felt lost in the depths of Logan. Nguyen didn’t have any relatives in the US and in the moment of feeling lost Knapp was the first person Nguyen called. “I was freaking out and I called her and was like, ‘I’m lost.’ I don’t know what to do,” Nguyen said. “She helped me a lot throughout the years; I don’t know how I could have survived without her. ”According to Cai, Nguyen is a great person to “have on your team,” because of how supportive she is. “I can’t stress how much of a selfless, giving person Melody is,” Cai said, “She’s the kind of person who remembers your birthday and completely surprises you with ice cream.”