Three Prayers, Three Boats: From Vietnamese Refugee to Federal IT Executive, Doctoral Mentor, and Global Educator

From the deadly waters of the South China Sea to the command centers of U.S. federal IT systems, Dr. Daniel Schilling Weiss Nguyen’s journey is one of the most complete realizations of the American Dream from the Vietnamese boat people generation.A survivor of three perilous escapes as a child refugee from Central Vietnam, Dr. Nguyen arrived in America in 1983 with nothing but faith and determination. Today, he serves as IT Supervisor and Acting Director at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), where he oversees enterprise Oracle databases, systems infrastructure, and cybersecurity governance for critical national missions. With over 22 years of total federal service — including significant cost savings at the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) — he combines high-stakes government leadership with academic excellence.A U.S. Marine Corps veteran and holder of a PhD in Management (Information Systems Management) from Walden University, Dr. Nguyen maintains active graduate faculty appointments at nine institutions across the United States and Saudi Arabia. He teaches cybersecurity, data analytics, artificial intelligence, and IT strategy while serving as dissertation chair for eleven doctoral graduates.Author of three books, including the memoir Three Prayers, Three Boats, and twelve peer-reviewed articles with over 180 citations, he is also a Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) and Distinguished Director of the Year, having served Toastmasters International as Club President, Club Coach for two clubs, VP of Membership, District 11 Conference Finance Committee Chair, Sergeant at Arms, and Club Sponsor.This powerful memoir reveals how faith, resilience, gratitude, and disciplined service can transform survival into lasting impact — bridging federal IT leadership, doctoral mentorship, and global education. It is an inspiring story for refugees, first-generation Americans, veterans, students, and anyone who believes that where you start does not determine how far you can go.A story of three prayers, three boats, and one extraordinary American journey. Read more