The founder of Women in Technology at San Diego State, a leader rooted in resourcefulness, accessibility, and bringing others along.
Lena Truong learned early that the opportunities she wanted were rarely going to be handed to her. So she started making them, first for herself, and then for everyone she could bring along.
As founder and Executive Chair of Women in Technology (WIT) at San Diego State University, Truong has spent her time as a student building a community: convening events, opening doors to industry, and creating spaces where students who feel underestimated can find their footing. A Vietnamese American, first-generation college student, and commuter who balanced multiple jobs alongside a full course load, leadership responsibilities, and community involvement, she came to understand that growth rarely follows a straight line.
The question that guides her work is deceptively simple: How can I help create opportunities for others while continuing to grow myself?
The foundation to an unparalleled philosophy
Truong’s path was shaped less by certainty than by curiosity. She always believed in her own potential, but she didn’t always know where that potential would lead. Rather than wait for clarity, she learned to trust that every challenge and every opportunity had something to teach her.
And since no one in her family had attended college she became resourceful not by choice but by necessity, seeking out mentors, communities, and experiences that could help her grow both personally and professionally. Her hardest challenge was never the schedule. It was figuring out where she would fit and what she wanted to pursue. Through leadership roles, technical projects, and community work, she noticed that her strengths surfaced most clearly when she was helping others grow and building opportunities where none had existed before.
That outlook traces back to a story her father told her growing up. The tale of Mulan stayed with Truong for reasons that had little to do with fantasy. What resonated was the image of someone stepping into an unfamiliar environment without being the strongest, most experienced, or most qualified person in the room, and still finding a way to grow through persistence, adaptability, and resourcefulness.
Over time, the story became less about the character and more about the lesson behind it: growth does not require having everything figured out from the start. As she moved into leadership roles and technical spaces, that idea held. Confidence, she came to believe, is not about knowing every answer. It is about trusting your ability to learn as you go. She also began to notice how many capable people around her held back, afraid of failing or being judged, and she set out to build communities where people feel encouraged to try.
“Leadership is not always about being the smartest or most technical person in the room. Sometimes it is about being resourceful, adaptable, willing to initiate, and creating opportunities that help other people grow, too.”
Lena Truong
Building from nothing
The clearest expression of that philosophy is when she founded Women in Technology (WIT) at SDSU, an organization that successfully gathered a growing community of more than 400 students supporters one year after its launch. That same year, WIT received the Outstanding Student Organization Award at the Aztec Achievement Awards and the Fowler College of Business Council Quarterly Award. Few would dispute Lena’s impact.
Through guest speaker sessions featuring professionals from across the technology field, mentorship programs, networking opportunities, professional development events, office tours, and community-building socials, WIT helps students explore different career paths, discover their strengths, and gain confidence navigating opportunities within technology and beyond. After one such session, a guest speaker from LPL Financial observed that the club had created a wonderful community for women interested in technology fields to learn and grow together.
The impact has not gone unnoticed by those closest to the work. Vice President Kripa Mayureshwar reflected that she was “extremely grateful for Lena Truong, without whom these ideas would have never come to fruition.”
Lena then stretched the organization further with WITConnect, a networking event her team pulled together in under two months. The deeper goal was to prove a point: that a young student organization without a national chapter, significant funding, or an established network could still create meaningful opportunities through resourcefulness, partnerships, and community support. The event connected students with professionals from Apple, ResMed, General Atomics, ASML, Fastenal, and GuidePoint Security, and offered interviews tips, career guidance, and professional development resources.
Attendees told her they valued not only the connections but the welcoming environment, the student resources, the professional development materials, and the chance to speak directly with people working in the industry. For Truong, the night was less about hosting a networking event than about opening a door for students who might not have had those connections otherwise.
“A lot of my journey has taught me that you can create so much even with limited resources. Sometimes opportunities come from simply asking for help, staying open to learning, and continuing to place yourself in environments that encourage growth.”
Lena Truong
Community accessibility as mission
Truong’s contributions reach well beyond her own organization. She was part of the team behind Aztec Assist, an AI-powered chatbot designed to help students with disabilities navigate campus. She contributed through UX design (user experience), accessibility considerations, interface improvements, and implementation support, advocating for user-centered features such as text-to-speech, adjustable font sizes, and voice-based navigation. The project went on to win Best Overall at the Innovate4SDSU Hackathon. What mattered most to Lena, was the collaborative nature of the work and the team’s shared goal of building a more accessible experience for students. For her, it reflects a passion for creating accessible, user-centered solutions.
On top of this, she is also a committed volunteer. Lena began in 2024 with Rotaract, joining community-focused projects, and a year later worked with Computers 2 Kids to improve access to technology for those who need it. Through the SDSU Cyber Clinic, she helped create cybersecurity educational materials and digital learning support for women in Afghanistan.
But what makes Lena a unique community-driven leader are not the titles or the achievements. It is a continuous commitment to accessibility in helping others feel empowered, included, and confident in exploring their potential.
Looking forward
To her, leadership is not framed in the language of strategy or industry, it is framed in kindness and empathy. Values that she long considered to be the core of her work and that will continue to define her future achievements.
Now exploring long term interests, Lena is keen to explore paths where psychology, UX/UI design (user experience/ user interface), community building, technology, and leadership intersect. Her vision is not rooted into a fixed path but rather in a multi-disciplinary universe where she will be able to leverage her talent and skills to create impactful resources.
“Even if I did not start exactly where I wanted to be, I am grateful that I permitted myself to experiment and stay curious way. Some of the most meaningful growth comes from being willing to try.”
Lena Truong
Why Their Story Matters Now
In an era of uncertainty where young professionals navigate one of the most volatile job markets in recent memory, Lena Truong’s story offers a different narrative. Her impact did not come from perfect circumstances, it came from being willing to adapt, innovate, and create opportunities where gaps existed.
“What feels most important to me is realizing that we need each other, our perspectives, our skills, and our communities to continue uplifting and supporting one another.”
Lena Truong
For first generation college students, young professionals, aspiring leaders and individuals facing doubt about their future, Lena reminds us that the most lasting kind of impact begins with one question: How can I leverage what I have today to create opportunities for myself and others?
Where to find Lena and her works
Social media
www.linkedin.com/in/lena-truong- (Linkedin)
https://www.instagram.com/witsdsu/ (Instagram)
Press, Interviews & Event Features
https://www.instagram.com/p/DUofdrzEn9a/?img_index=1 (WitConnect)
https://www.instagram.com/p/DRf8cdMgYSQ/ (Best overrall award for AI student chatbot)
https://www.instagram.com/p/DHJdCgSvd4V/ (Leadership feature for Rotaract)
Contact
ltruong1687@sdsu.edu
About the San Diego Standouts Series
The San Diego Standouts Series from San Diego Weekly highlights individuals whose leadership, innovation, entrepreneurship, and service are helping shape the future of San Diego, California, the Cali-Baja region, and communities connected to the region around the world.
Share a Story Worth Telling
Community nominations and story ideas are welcome.
Learn more or submit story ideas at:
Profiles featured in the San Diego Standouts Series are selected by the San Diego Weekly editorial team to highlight individuals whose leadership and service are helping shape San Diego and the Cali-Baja region. The Editor’s Choice is for individuals whose impact on San Diego and the broader region is undeniable: the founders redefining industries, the advocates transforming communities, and the visionaries building what comes next. Past and current considerations include civic leaders, nonprofit founders, tech entrepreneurs, educators, creatives, and cultural icons across the San Diego and Cali-Baja region. These editorial recognitions are independent features and honors, there is no fee required to be selected.
San Diego Weekly also offers separate sponsored storytelling and advertising opportunities for organizations wishing to highlight their work through paid promotional features.
Sponsored collaborations are always clearly labeled to distinguish them from editorial recognitions.