Local Teacher Motivated to Excel by Remark : Education: Westminster’s Huong Tran Nguyen, honored by Disney for her work in Long Beach schools, says instructor’s negativism helped her reach goals.

Huong Tran Nguyen of Westminster, who arrived in the United States as a student at the height of the Vietnam War, remembers a college instructor’s admonition that she would never measure up to her white peers as a teacher.

On Wednesday, Nguyen, a Long Beach high school teacher, was named outstanding teacher of 1994 by the Walt Disney Co. She accepted the award Wednesday night during ceremonies in Washington.

Nguyen, 41, said the college instructor’s disparaging remarks served as the primary motivation for her to pursue teaching.

“It was precisely this remark that drove me to pursue a teaching career and to be the best I can be for my students,” Nguyen wrote in her application for the award.

“I was determined to prove to her and to myself that there was not a goal I could not reach if I put my mind to the task. This is the message that has led me to want to make my students believe they too can experience success in the ‘real’ world.”

Nguyen was one of 12 teachers nationwide honored for their “teaching skills, rapport with students and ability to inspire.”

She serves as a role model for students, particularly non-English speaking students, as well as fellow faculty members at Polytechnic High School, where she established and now heads the school’s language program for students with limited English skills.

“She’s very resourceful in engaging students in learning,” said Dick Van Der Laan, school district spokesman. “I think something she instills in the students is that no matter what the obstacles are, you can make something of your life.”

Before moving to Long Beach, Nguyen spent five years in the San Diego area, teaching elementary and high school students. She also taught reading to older students for the San Diego Job Corps.

Nguyen, a Westminster resident for about 10 years, lives with her husband and their two sons, ages 5 and 10, and two nieces.

She was nominated as the educator of the year by 36 other teachers singled out for recognition at this year’s awards. Ed Cabil of John Muir Junior High School in Los Angeles was one of the 36 finalists for the award.

Nguyen and her high school each will receive an honorarium of $25,000. The Long Beach school district will receive $10,000.

The fifth annual American Teacher Awards ceremony was aired live Wednesday evening and will be aired again nationally on cable television’s Disney Channel on Dec. 2.