Meet Our Scholars

Born in a small village in Pleiku, Vietnam, Tam Truong is a gay immigrant activist, advocate, and artist committed to representing the Columbia community. His background is centered around civic engagement and health justice work, which he translates into his work in Student Government. Within two months, Tam used his work ethic and passion to organize a team and registered almost 200 voters at Rolesville High School. As the Roseville High School Student Body President, he successfully championed menstrual equity, stood up for student mental health, and uplifted student voices: strategies that he brings to any leadership space. One of Tam's notable achievements was contributing to the gain of 17 additional mental health and guidance counselors at his school. Tam’s organizing experience inspires him to envision Columbia as a place where all students feel supported, uplifted, and heard. On campus, Tam is a Quest Bridge scholar studying biology and public health on the pre-med track.