NBC News Investigative and Consumer Correspondent (2019–present) KNTV NBC Bay Area Investigative Reporter: NBC Bay Area Investigative Unit (2007–2019) KSAZ Fox 10 News Phoenix (2004–2007) KOLO ABC Reno affiliate Central Florida News 13
Prior to moving to New York, Nguyen worked for KNTV, the NBC owned-and-operated station in the San Francisco Bay Area. There, she served as a senior investigative reporter for the NBC Bay Area Investigative Unit and anchor of the Sunday evening news on NBC Bay Area. Before joining NBC Bay Area, Nguyen worked at various television stations in Florida, Nevada and Arizona.[4]
Nguyen was born in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. At a very young age, she and her parents fled Vietnam as refugees. After two days, two nights and a Thai pirate attack on the open ocean, their boat landed on the coast of Malaysia, where Nguyen and her family stayed in a refugee camp for 14 months. At age 2, Nguyen immigrated to the United States.[5] A family in Eugene, Oregon sponsored her family to America. She spent most of her childhood in San Jose and Santa Rosa, and became a U.S. citizen at age 10.
[2] Nguyen went on to attend college at the University of San Francisco on an academic scholarship. During her time at the university, Nguyen was a member of the cheer squad and served as president of her student body. In 2000, she graduated as valedictorian of her class with a degree in communications and a minor in biology.[2][3][6]
Nguyen (left) at the Silk Speaker Series event with figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi (center) and golfer Michelle Wie, at the University of San Francisco (2021)
Nguyen started her career with Central Florida News 13inOrlando, Florida. While there, she shot, wrote and edited her stories before delivering live reports.[2] She wrote on her blog, "I was a 'one man band.' I shot my own video on a 20 pound DVC Pro camera (and) carried my own 15 pound tripod."[3] She then moved to ABC affiliate KOLOinReno, Nevada as a nightside reporter and fill-in anchor.[7]
Nguyen returned to Northern California in January 2007, and started working with NBC Bay Area as a freelance reporter. Shortly thereafter she was hired full-time, and worked as a special assignment reporter for KNTV.[3] Nguyen was eventually promoted to anchor/senior investigative reporter with KNTV. While in that role, she worked closely with the NBC Bay Area Investigative Unit.[8]
In addition, she has earned several awards from the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) and the Radio and Television News Directors Association (RTNDA).[2]
2015 Scripps Howard Award – Jack R. Howard Award for Television/Cable In-Depth Local Coverage.[10]
