By: Rami Mansi
On the second floor of Whitehead Hall, a classroom could be heard filled with joy and celebration. With music, snacks, and business students all together for just a few moments in time, a BUSN. 3125 class hosted a party for the holidays.
The class, led by esteemed Brooklyn College (BC) Professor Dr. Ngoc Pham, is titled “Principles of Selling.” In Dr. Pham’s words, the course aims to teach students about the relationship between consumers and sellers in greater depth.
“While students do learn sales techniques, the heart of the course is relationship building, listening, problem solving, and professionalism,” said Dr. Pham. “These are life skills. They help students not only in sales careers, but also in leadership roles, entrepreneurship, interviews, and everyday interactions.”
The coordinator for the party was none other than a student Dr. Pham had encouraged to lead and host the event.
Abigail Louis enjoyed her semester, largely due to the comforting energy of Dr. Pham.
“Literally the first day of classes and as soon as I walk in, [Professor Pham] says ‘look at the fashionista’ and ‘wow, you look so nice.’ From then on, I knew that she was gonna be a good professor. She is very kind, and all my anxiety for my first day at a new school went away completely because she just welcomed me with open arms.”
Dr. Pham extends a warm hand to all her students, making a point of hosting Christmas parties open to all past and present students. However, this gleeful party has a much more personal backstory than what meets the eye.
While BC is a commuter school, the student population includes many out-of-state and international students. As an immigrant, Dr. Pham understands what it means to be away from family and to have no one to spend the holidays with.
“When I was an international student, the holidays were lonely. I remember walking through cold, quiet streets while others hurried home to their families. One year, a kind neighbor invited me to celebrate with their family. They shared food with me and gave me a small gift. That moment stayed with me.”
Dr. Pham continued, “It taught me how powerful kindness and generosity can be, especially during the holidays. I carry that memory with me and try to give that feeling back to my students, knowing that some may not have a holiday celebration at home.”
With that life-changing Christmas dinner, Dr. Pham created a holiday tradition in her classroom that she has continued for the past 10 years. A tradition held in warmth and is carried into her own teaching practices.
“Many Brooklyn College students are first-generation college students and may not always have professional role models at home. I try to be someone they can look up to and feel supported by as they grow personally and professionally.”