Kathleen Nguyen joined BOUNCE as an intern in 2022, eager to make an impact in her community. She quickly grew into a program coordinator role and spent the next four years helping develop community health and outreach programs.
Nguyen said she first joined BOUNCE because of 鈥渋ts commitment to making health education accessible and meaningful for families in our community.鈥� She led BOUNCE interns and helped launch programs on nutrition, physical activity and mental well-being. Today, she brings that experience to cancer outreach in Houston.
Listening comes first
The lesson that stayed with her most, Nguyen said, is that good health education begins with listening.
"Meaningful health education starts with listening and understanding people's lived experiences," she said. "The most effective programs are not necessarily the ones with the most information, but the ones that make people feel heard, respected and empowered to take action in a way that works for them."
She said BOUNCE taught her to approach challenges "with curiosity, creativity and willingness to learn from the community."
A foundation for her career
Nguyen said her time at BOUNCE showed her how important it is to build trust, create connections, and make resources easier to access. It also showed her how much she enjoys working with multidisciplinary teams to carry out programs that create impact.
"My experience at BOUNCE strengthened my interest in health equity and community engagement," she said. "I am very grateful for the foundation BOUNCE gave me."
Where she is now
After earning her Master of Public Health from UTHealth Houston in 2025, Nguyen joined Houston Methodist Neal Cancer Center as a program coordinator in the Office of Community Outreach and Engagement. In her role, she develops and supports community-centered cancer initiatives that increase awareness of, access to and engagement in cancer education and research.
Much of her work involves strengthening relationships between the cancer center, its community partners, and the people it serves. She said she draws on her BOUNCE experience in her role every day.
"I see so many connections to what I learned at BOUNCE, especially the importance of building trust and meeting people where they are," she said.
Her advice for current interns
Nguyen encouraged current BOUNCE interns to stay open to the unexpected while taking
on responsibility.
"Stay curious, ask questions and be open to opportunities that may not fit your original
plan," she said. "Make the most of every opportunity and take ownership of your experiences."