Vietnamese Culture Club

Moved by a medical volunteer trip to Vietnam's Central Highlands in 2019, senior and second-generation Vietnamese-American Sylvie Nguyen established VCC to proudly share her heritage with the community.

Outside of being the club's website designer, Sylvie serves on her town's youth commission. A fourth-year journalism student, she helps lead Gunn's newpspaer, The Oracle, as Editor-in-Chief.

As Vietnamese-American, senior Chilton Chau is all in to support friends and those in need—collaborating on projects, organizing events, and cheering others on.

Valuing an active lifestyle, you will catch Chilton kickboxing. He is well-versed and involved in Gunn's business areas: Association of Marketing Students (DECA) and Business, Entrepreneurship, and Math (BEAM).

With his Indian heritage, passion for cultural exchange, and knack for finances, senior Aman Solanki ensures the club's initiatives flourish.

Aman is known for his Senior Class President position, and, notoriously, his attempts at perfecting Vietnamese and Spanish pronunciations. He stays sharp through years of competitive Public Forum Debate, where he’s honed his voice and advocacy.

Senior Ryan Panepucci is passionate about building community and celebrating cultural traditions. Outside of school, he enjoys training in mixed martial arts and spending time with friends.

His role as a secretary allows him to contribute to meaningful events and create connections within Gunn's diverse community.

Playing tennis for four years, senior Aditya Swaminathan is currently Gunn's junior varsity tennis captain. When he's not perfecting his backhand, Aditya enjoys trying new restaurants and hanging out with friends.

His love for diverse cuisines led him to discover Vietnamese culture through its food, inspiring Aditya to take on the role of growing the club's online outreach to Gunn's students.

Senior Zach Willis is committed to bettering the club through social media. His own Mexican-American heritage sparked his passion for cultural exchange from a young age.

In his free time, he loves watching movies, playing pickleball, and watching football, as Zach hopes to one day become the general manager of his favorite team: the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Senior Toby Wong enjoys using his networking skills to expand the club's outreach, including finding new members around campus and through social media.

In his free time, you will find Toby practicing violin for Gunn's orchestra and setting for Gunn's junior varsity volleyball team, or even in his garage running Toby Tapers, his haircutting business.

Serving her city as a youth commissioner, sophomore Ella Nguyen works hard to help her community thrive. Always on the hunt for fun activities that celebrate her Vietnamese-American heritage, Ella is excited to bring her passion to the club.

She can always be found playing basketball and tennis for Gunn's JV teams. She also enjoys playing with her dog, singing in the school choir, and trying new recipes.

As a mixed race Vietnamese, junior Arden Lee cherishes the culture and community that comes with being a Vietnamese American.

He often says his real home is on the badminton gym, training relentlessly for the next tournament. When he’s not practicing, Arden enjoys playing video games, watching K-dramas, and listening to music; his favorite song right now being, slow dive by Wave to Earth.