Meet Century College Alum Pheng Vang

Two years after graduating with his bachelor of science degree in Kinesiology from the University of Minnesota in 2014, Pheng Vang decided to go back to school for his master degree in sports management. However, he needed to complete some prerequisite courses before applying to graduate school.

“Century College was one of my top choices because the school offered Sports Management prerequisite courses that were affordable and convenient with my busy schedule. I was also looking for small class sizes, so that I could develop good relationships with other students and professors,” Pheng remembers.

After meeting with Ricky Nelson about his Introduction to Sports Management course, Pheng felt confident that the class would offer the networking and educational opportunities needed to obtain a job in the sports management field.

“I felt strongly that Ricky Nelson would be a great mentor, so I enrolled at Century College for the fall semester of 2016,” Pheng observed. “Ricky Nelson saw my potential to excel as a student and professional, and he nominated me for the “Student of the Year” Award for Sports Management.”

Pheng also got involved in campus life activities, and worked in campus recreation under the guidance of Chris Yahnke, Director of Intramurals & Recreation.  In addition, Pheng participated in the Century College Muskie Tank Challenge, an annual competition where students develop a startup business plan for a chance to win a scholarship.  During the competition, Pheng worked closely and was guided by Century College mentors, Stephen Kelly and Kavi Turnbull. 

“The experience and guidance that I got from Century College positively influenced the way that I approach and conduct myself around other professionals. Towards the end of this past summer, I applied what I had learned from Century to land a pre-seed investment of $70,000 from Great North Labs for my startup and a full-time position with the Minnesota Super Bowl Host Committee,” notes Pheng.

“I owe quite a bit of gratitude to my mentors Ricky Nelson, Stephen Kelly, and Kavi Turnbull, and I try to pass on what they have taught me. Plus, I feel comfortable enough to call each of my mentors a friend, and I look forward to every chance that I get to reconnect with them.”