What is VSO?
The Vietnamese Student Organization (VSO) at the University of Florida is a cultural organization established in 1973. Through our pillars of philanthropy, dance, culture, sports, and family, VSO aims to celebrate and promote awareness of Vietnamese culture and unity. From cultural shows to pho fundraisers, VSO hopes to bring together people from all sorts of backgrounds. Through VSO, people can make everlasting bonds with each other. With an emphasis on "Phamily" and Vietnamese culture, the Vietnamese Student Organization is not exclusive of any single person and invites anyone to become a part of our organization.
Cô Liên
In loving memory of Cô Bạch Liên Dương
Cô Liên was born in Long Xuyên, Việt Nam and later escaped Việt Nam with her sisters following the war and arrived in the U.S. in 1975. In 1976, she and her sisters opened Gainesville’s first ever Vietnamese restaurant, Inn of the White Lotus, to help the sisters get through college.
She earned a B.S. in Computer Engineering from the University of Florida in 1984 and started a career as a Computer/I.T. Analyst for the Gainesville Sun and the UF’s Infirmary. She retired from UF in 2015.
Her passions included cooking Vietnamese cuisine and helping to develop the Vietnamese community in Gainesville. Cô Liên was part of a team that created and taught UF’s first Vietnamese language course. She also spearheaded the annual Phở Fundraiser in support of UF’s Vietnamese Student Organization for over 30 years, even while battling cancer. In her last few years, Cô Liên’s final legacy would be to help establish the Amitabha Buddhist Association, a Buddhist temple in Gainesville.
Cô Liên’s light, strength, selflessness, and kindness will never be forgotten. Her memory lives on in us all.
