Reflecting on My Time at Skidmore College
Wrapping up a few tasks at work, I eagerly booked a Grab bike and headed to the Renaissance Riverside Hotel Saigon for a special dinner with Darren. He was the Director of the Student Academic Center at Skidmore College, the place I called home for four years. Seeing him again after more than a decade was something I had been looking forward to all day.
Memories of Skidmore College and the Student Academic Center
During my years at Skidmore, the Student Academic Center was a second home. I spent countless evenings there, working through assignments, surrounded by an atmosphere of warmth and quiet focus. The center was always bustling with students during the day, but at night, it became a peaceful retreat where I could concentrate. As a student assistant, I was often the last to leave, ensuring everything was in order before turning off the lights and locking up.
The center had a special name: Starbuck—not to be confused with the coffee chain. It was named after Kathryn Starbuck, a former trustee who had made significant contributions to the institution. The name carried a sense of history and belonging, and I still remember the comfort of knowing it was always there for me.
A Special Meeting at the Renaissance Riverside Hotel Saigon
When my Grab driver dropped me off at the Renaissance Riverside Hotel, I quickly spotted Darren through the glass window. He looked just as I remembered, unchanged despite the passing years. He was seated in the bar area, deeply engaged in conversation with a prospective student and her mother. His familiar attentiveness and warmth instantly brought back memories of his guidance and support during my college years.
Walking in with a bright smile, I gave Darren a big hug. His eyes shined with joy upon seeing me. Before we could dive into our catch-up session, we spent an hour talking to the student and her mother about Skidmore. The student was enthusiastic about sharing her dreams, while her mother, initially reserved, had many questions. She wanted to know about the quality of education, the campus environment, and safety—understandable concerns for a parent sending their only child abroad. As I shared my experiences—how Skidmore had shaped me, the professors who had guided me, and the lifelong friendships I had built—she gradually relaxed. By the end of our conversation, she seemed just as excited as her daughter about the opportunities that awaited her at Skidmore.
Once the family left, Darren and I finally had time to catch up. He told me that after I graduated, he had taken a position at another university for two years but ultimately realized how much he missed Skidmore. Returning to the college had felt like coming home. Now, his eldest daughter was studying there and loving it, which made his connection to the school even more profound.
Over dinner, I shared my journey after Skidmore. The education and experiences I had gained there had prepared me so well for the future.
A Full-Circle Moment
Joining us for dinner was Mark, someone I had heard a lot about during my time at Skidmore but had never met in person. He had graduated the year I started, and our paths had crossed only through mutual friends and occasional interactions on Facebook. Meeting him in real life felt like reconnecting with a long-lost friend.
Mark’s journey after Skidmore was inspiring. He had worked at Credit Suisse in New York and later in Singapore before eventually returning to Vietnam. Now, he was working at a private equity firm, helping to empower businesses across Southeast Asia. Beyond finance, he had also co-founded a kindergarten with a Harvard-educated friend, blending business with social impact in an incredible way.
As we exchanged stories, I felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude. Skidmore had connected us in ways we never expected, and here we were, years later, still carrying the values we had learned there into our professional and personal lives.
A Night to Remember
Our dinner and conversation stretched on for nearly five hours. It was one of those rare, meaningful nights where the past, present, and future seemed to converge. Seeing Darren and Mark, reminiscing about Skidmore, and reflecting on how far we had come filled me with excitement for the journey ahead.
As I left the restaurant that night, I felt a renewed sense of purpose. My time at Skidmore had given me the foundation to build a life and career I was proud of, and I was just getting started. The reunion was a beautiful reminder of the impact of education, mentorship, and lifelong friendships—connections that continue to shape my path in ways I never could have imagined.