Lena Nguyen – that’s me on the left! My typical day (outside school and work) includes a cup of coffee and snuggling up with my dog, Willow. But volleyball, snowboarding, bouldering, and board games will sprinkle themselves among the days. A real exciting day might include exploring a city (like Chicago!), trying a new restaurant, or maybe even going to a concert. I love being active and hanging out with friends, but sometimes it’s hard to beat a cozy day in with Willow and a good book.
I grew up in the suburbs of Philadelphia, spent 4 years of undergrad in Philadelphia, and now I’m living in Madison, WI. Why the big move, you might ask? It was for a job… that I realized a year and a half in wasn’t for me. So I started this MSI program concentrating on Web Design and I’m currently working for Udundi as a Web Developer Intern. I’m hoping this class will give me the foundation I need to create media for websites that I’ll be designing or developing in the future.
More about my professional life lives on LinkedIn, so feel free to connect!
Thank you for the introduction! I am a big fan of Chicago, especially the food. I lived in Aurora, IL, for a year and had a great time before moving back to the Southeast.
I have not yet had a chance to visit Madison or Philadelphia, but my wife and I have talked about Madison as a potential place to move.
I hope Willow is enjoying it!
Madison has been a great place to live, but if you prefer more of the big city life like Chicago then it might feel too small. It was quite the change from Philly, which isn’t even as big as Chicago.
I wish I could put a photo into this comment, but Willow is very much not enjoying it. At least not right now in the winter months because she hates putting on her booties for the snow. (Imagine an actual frown on her face standing in the snow with a sweater, winter coat, and boots)
Hi Lena!
Willow is so cute. I love to read and snuggle with my cat, Felix, though sometimes he tries to eat the pages! Do you have any board game recommendations? I play many video games, but eventually want to start accumulating a board game collection and there’s so many out there now that I don’t know where to start.
I must not have looked closely enough into the MSI program, I didn’t realize there was a pathway for web design! That seems like a fun endeavor and I wish the best from it for you. Hopefully your internship assuages you that you’re on the right path, it’s difficult to discover what it is you want to do for life.
Let’s have a great semester!
A couple of my current favorites to play with friends are Wingspan (engine building with cute birds) and Suburbia (city building with tiles). Those are what I play with groups of friends a lot, but I play a lot more games with just my boyfriend. Some 2 player games we like are Targi (worker placement and set collection), Quiddler (word building), and Azul (tile collection/strategy). Although Targi is the only one that’s actually only 2 player. I recently got the 2 player version of Wingspan (as in it arrived today) and I’m excited to try it. It’s an expansion of the main game or can be played as a standalone 2player game.
Hi Lena! I actually also have a dog named Willow who loves to lay across my books and keyboard whenever I’m working or reading! I have cancelled many plans for a cozy day in with Willow (and other dog, Winston), and a good book.
Bouldering is such an interesting hobby and something I’ve always wanted to try! I did some rock climbing (mostly in a gym) when I was younger, and it’s something I really wish I had kept up. I’ve never been to Wisconsin, but I would imaging there are some really cool places for bouldering there!
Hi Lena!
The best days are spent curled up with coffee and a pet. I can appreciate keeping a balance of the fun, adventurous days with the cozy days inside. I love that photo of Willow hard at work. She looks like she could use some more breaks.
I’ve never been to Madison, but I have been to Philadelphia and love the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
It’s great that this class will relate to the work you’re doing for your internship, and I’m sure there are many more skills you’re going to learn along the way.