Catch up with a Libraries student scholarship awardee: Christina Bui

The NC State University Libraries awards a number of part-scholarships every year to our outstanding Libraries student workers as part of our efforts to support student success and affordability. Since 2018, we've awarded 60 scholarships of varying amounts to 37 students. For the academic year 2023–24, philanthropic support for the Libraries Student Scholarship Fund has allowed us to support 13 of our talented students with scholarship support worth $47,650 in total. This profile is one in a series that lets our scholarship winners tell their stories.

Christina Bui works as a Student Assistant in the Natural Resources Library. She is a sophomore majoring in Life Sciences whose passion for helping others—from helping cook dinner growing up to volunteerism for organizations like FeedMore and TeensCareToo—has led her into the medical field.

What are your hobbies and activities outside of school?
I spend time with my friends at football games, going out to eat, or playing pickleball. My favorite meal to eat is pasta, specifically cavatappi or rigatoni noodles with any sauce! Although if you know me, I will eat pretty much anything that is plated.

Why did you choose to work at the Libraries? What roles have libraries played in your life in general?
I chose to work at the Libraries since I spend countless hours studying and doing work here and wanted to return the favor by helping out other students in my community. Working at the Libraries has allowed me to meet new patrons and learn a work-school balance in life.

What do you hope to do after you graduate?
I hope to continue my education in the medical field by attending graduate school to receive my PA degree and credentials. I hope to travel more and hopefully get closer to reaching all 50 states (39 as of now)! I also hope to have a furry friend of mine whether it is a dog or cat—it really depends on how busy I am.

How will a Libraries scholarship help you on your educational/personal path? Is there anything specific that the scholarship will enable or help you to do?
One expense that I find challenging is the extra online websites needed to complete homework or quizzes/tests outside of Moodle. I can be spending upwards of an extra $300 for multiple different website subscriptions that are required for a course that I am already paying tuition for. Another common challenging expense is housing. I find that many of my friends and their families are struggling to meet the payments that some apartments are requesting on Hillsborough Street, knowing that many of their residents are students. Many people are compromising to make ends meet to afford the steep prices of tuition alone. That doesn't include the extra expenses needed for academic support or housing.

Learn more about the Libraries Student Scholarship Endowment here, and donate directly here.