About Us
OUR PURPOSE
The Foundation
The Foundation
Though Vu is no longer with us, his spirit lives on. Thank you for helping us in our efforts to encourage impoverished California youth wishing to enter a life employed in public service through scholarship and to promote a positive outlook between law enforcement, California youth, and communities working together to reduce violent crime and street gang activity.
The Foundation
The Foundation
The Foundation
The Vu Nguyen Scholarship & Service Foundation was started by a group of Vu’s family and close friends. In establishing this foundation, we hope to pay tribute to Vu and honor his desire to make the world a better place through community service.
We include Vu’s family members, Vu’s friends from elementary school, high school, university,
The Vu Nguyen Scholarship & Service Foundation was started by a group of Vu’s family and close friends. In establishing this foundation, we hope to pay tribute to Vu and honor his desire to make the world a better place through community service.
We include Vu’s family members, Vu’s friends from elementary school, high school, university, and his brothers from the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department. We all knew Vu as a wonderful friend, and a great man. Vu was the ‘best man’ in at least three weddings and ‘god father’ to three children of family and friends. He was a believer in God and a devoted member of the Catholic Church. He was a special individual who touched many lives and was a true role model.
The mission of our foundation is to encourage impoverished California youth wishing to enter a life employed in public service through scholarship, and to promote positive connections between law enforcement, California youth, and communities working together to reduce violent crime and street gang activity.
MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
The Vu Nguyen Memorial Scholarship is one way that the foundation honors the memory of Vu Nguyen, member of the Gang Enforcement Unit of the Sacramento Sheriff’s Department, who died in the line of duty on December 19, 2007. In honor of his memory and valuable contribution to public service, this memorial scholarship is hereby established
The Vu Nguyen Memorial Scholarship is one way that the foundation honors the memory of Vu Nguyen, member of the Gang Enforcement Unit of the Sacramento Sheriff’s Department, who died in the line of duty on December 19, 2007. In honor of his memory and valuable contribution to public service, this memorial scholarship is hereby established to support the educational goals and access to post-secondary level academic opportunities for one or more current high school students.
We believe that helping at least one high school student every year have access to higher education will both honor our beloved friend and give back to the community through the opportunities afforded the scholarship’s eventual recipient(s). It is our hope that this individual will be inspired to pursue a career serving the community and making the world a better place.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
Ben Garcia: Board President
Danny Castanho: Board Vice President
John Nuraoka: Board Treasurer
Chris Morris: Board Secretary
Ricardo Bautista: Board Member
David Muraoka: Board Member
Lawrence Hemsley: Board Member
Jason Scoles: Board Member
Vu's Story
Scholarship REcipients
Scholarship REcipients
On April 29, 1975, when Vu was only five years old, he and his family escaped Vietnam via helicopter airlift from the American Embassy in Saigon. With his family’s safety as the number one priority, Vu’s father personally biked each member of his family miles upon miles until they reached the airlift. Due to enemy fire upon the helicopter, the airlift was terminated, making Vu’s family one of the final flights of the evacuation. The Nguyen family have considered their lives a blessing/gift ever since.
After the evacuation, Vu’s family moved to the United States and eventually settled in Modesto, California. Growing up in West Modesto— a neighborhood that struggles with the plagues of gangs, drugs, and violence—Vu made sure to maximize the opportunities he had.
He was an honor student at Modesto High School, Modesto Junior College, and CSU Sacramento. While at the Sacramento Sheriff Academy, he won three of the four annual awards for his recruiting class. He was talented and truly could have been anything he wanted to be in life, and chose a life in law enforcement. Often his friends would ask, "Why law enforcement?" His response invariably was, "I want to repay a debt I owe to the country that saved my family and I." Vu repaid that debt by being the ultimate professional in his career as a deputy detective with the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department.
On December 19th, 2007, while assigned to the Sacramento County Sheriff Department's elite Gang Suppression Unit, Vu and his partner were patrolling a community hit hard by gang violence. As they came up to a known gang house, a subject standing outside of the house ran when Detective Nguyen's vehicle approached. A foot pursuit ensued, taking Vu and the suspect through yards and over fences. The suspect, who had a lead on Vu, jumped a fence and hid in the back yard. Ambushing Detective Nguyen, the suspect shot Vu three times. Detective Nguyen was found later by his partner, and was rushed to U.C. Davis Medical center where doctors gave all efforts in saving Vu's life. The sense of duty and service that guided his life defined his death. His lifelong debt had been repaid in the ultimate way.
A massive manhunt followed. Law enforcement agencies throughout the area joined the Sacramento Sheriff's Department in their search for Vu's murderer. When found, the killer turned out to be a 16-year-old Asian gang member with a troubled past.
This individual has since been tried and convicted for life for the murder that took Vu from us. We will spend the rest of our lives trying to fill the void that this tragedy brought by honoring Vu's memory and life through our foundation.
Service-Duty-Community-Integrity
Scholarship REcipients
Scholarship REcipients
Scholarship REcipients
2023 Recipients
Eric Lee -- $1000
Angel Nava-Ramos -- $2000
2022 Recipients
Kasia Love-- $3,500
Jenifer Marquez-- $1,500
2020 Recipients
Sofia Vasquez Huguet -- $1000 Kennedy HS
Nancy Rodriguez Razo -- $500
2019 Hiram Johnson HS Criminal Justice Academy
Favio Hernandez-- $1,000
2019 John F. Kennedy HS Criminal Justice Academy
Crystal Montanez--$1,000
Greg Moua-- $1,000
2019 Grant Union HS Criminal Justice Academy
Maria Ayon-Del Carmen-- $1,000
2018 McClatchy High School Criminal Justice Academy
Sarahi Quintero Herrera-- $1,000
Giovanna Avalos-- $1,000
Michelle Vang-- $1,000
2018 John F. Kennedy HS Criminal Justice Academy
Samuel Tran-- $1,000
2015 Modesto High School Recipients:
Venice Nemof-- $2,000
Kim Vu-- $2,000
2015 Luther Burbank High School Recipients:
Alicia Sechao-- $3,000
2014 Modesto High School Recipients:
Hayden Jackson-- $2,000
Janet Flores-- $1,000
Nataly Nguyen-- $500
2014 Luther Burbank High School Recipients:
Tou Bee Vang -- $1,500
Xinna Chen -- $1,000
Bryan Ballesteros -- $1,000
2013 Modesto High School Recipients:
Noah Hesse-- $1,500
Rafael Ramierez Flores Jr.-- $1,000
2013 Luther Burbank High School Recipients:
Monica Ruelas-- $1,500
Maribel Zambrano-- $1,000
2012 Modesto High School Recipients:
Yun Hsuan-Wu-- $1,250
Blanca Jimenez-- $750
2012 Luther Burbank High School Recipients
Yovanna Aguilera-- $1,250
JayVon Stone-- $750
2011 Modesto High School Recipients:
Joanna Valenzuela--$2,000
Kristin Ann Heinrich-- $1,000
2011 Luther Burbank High School Recipients
Mai Jer Vang--$2,000
Phuong Dang--$1,000
2010 Modesto High School Recipients
Michelle Andalon-- $1,500
Rosio Gutierrez-- $1,500
2009 Modesto High School Recipients
Elizabeth Tejada-- $1,000
Angelita Ochoa-- $1,000
2008 Modesto High School recipients
Carol Nguyen -- $1,500
Kathryn Pfaff -- $500
Albert Lin -- $500
Antonio Alvarado -- $500