Nomungerel Enkhtuvshin said her pioneer parents’ legacy helped her stay on the right path and successfully finish her academics. Through her studies, she said she learned to understand and accept others and herself better, develop strong rational thinking skills and better understand other cultures.
Highlights of her academics
Enkhtuvshin, a senior from Mongolia studying psychology, said she likes to observe others and herself and understand human behaviors, so she chose to major in psychology. She explained she learned her major concepts through self-reflection, which helped her to understand herself better.
“I asked myself, ‘Why do I act like this? Why do I behave that way in this situation?’ I did a self-reflection … and applied the concepts I learned from my classes,” Enkhtuvshin shared. “I also learned everyone has their own battle with themselves. Everyone is trying to fix their weaknesses and change themselves. I am grateful to learn human behaviors.”
She highlighted the other significant outcome from her academics was learning to understand and accept others. “Before, I used to be offended or think negatively about others because of their certain behaviors. However, now I understand why they act in certain ways, so I developed empathy and acceptance of others.”
Quinney Sharon Suaava, a recent BYUH graduate, said she is good friends with Enkhtuvshin. “I first met Nomuna at work. We used to work together at the PCC Food and Beverage Department office for two years. Nomuna is quiet sometimes, but she loves to share her stories with me.
“I believe one day, she will become a great leader and an entrepreneur. She is a good listener. She’s very patient with her work. When there are problems at work, she always takes responsibility without refusing or blaming others,” Suaava shared.
“She has good interpersonal skills and is very detail-oriented. She had helped me with my struggles at work and motivated me to do my best. I cherish our friendship.”
Importance of critical thinking
Enkhtuvshin’s biggest takeaway from BYUH is critical thinking, she said. She learned when people lack critical thinking, they get deceived by things, such as product advertisements, politicians and other people.
“My classes, such as PSYC 306, helped me to develop my rational thinking. I learned to question things instead of being naive. I see how important this skill is and want others to develop this skill. It will benefit them in everything.”
Enkhtuvshin said her studies also widened her self view and worldview. “My psychology professors helped us to see things from different perspectives. For example, as a Mongolian, I had negative opinions about shamanism, but I learned that shamanism is a helping profession just like psychology and social work, which helps people.”
Enkhtuvshin said she misunderstood other cultures before she came to BYUH since she was not exposed to them as often. “I thought we are very different, but when I get to know others through classes, work or ward activities, the similarities are much more than the differences.”
She believes her religious culture as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints unites her with her surroundings. “Working at PCC helped me make many international friends, and I learned to respect other cultures and their uniqueness. I realized stereotypes could be false.”
Spiritual growth
Enkhtuvshin said her faith in God grew stronger during her study. “I learned to act upon my faith in order to show it.” She said some rough semesters were where she lost her vision to graduate and was close to giving up. “Now, when I look back, my vision to finish my degree was blurred by many obstacles, but my faith helped me to move forward and come to an end.”
She and her husband, Enkhbold Baatar, a junior from Mongolia majoring in hospitality and tourism management, had their first child, Giikhnaran Alohi Enkhbold, on Dec. 29, 2018. They said having their daughter was the most precious moment of their student years at BYUH. Enkhtuvshin said through being a mother, she was able to develop Christlike attributes, including patience, charity and humility.
Marlene Grace Mosquera, a BYUH alumna, said they were co-workers at the Center. “She was one of the people who I loved to work with. She is focused on her job and always makes sure she gets the tasks done. She’s the quiet type, but no doubt she’s the most chill, patient and understanding person,” she commented.
“You would never see her panic. As far as I remember, she had never complained nor murmured, especially when bombarded with tasks,” Mosquera said. “She’s a great person, and I admire her simplicity and sincerity.”
Her husband, Baatar, said they have been married for eight years. “She loves God so much and puts Him before everything. Her actions and words express her love for Heavenly Father. It was the main reason why I chose to marry her. Her prayers are always very sincere and deep.
“She has been given a lot of intellectual, physical and spiritual gifts from God. If she starts something, she always finishes it and always makes sure she did her best. Also, she has a beautiful voice,” Baatar shared. “She is very humble. Even though she is very talented and does great things, she carries her gifts humbly and nobly.
“She is a very caring and understanding wife. She has great judgment and always helps me see my shortcomings and be a better person,” Baatar said. “She is also an amazing mother for our daughter. She trains her to love God and teaches her the right principles in very simple ways. I am so glad that my daughter has such a great mother.”
Pioneer legacy
Enkhtuvshin’s father was among the very first Church members in Mongolia, she said, and her father, Enkhtuvshin Togtokh, was baptized in Germany in 1993. When he came back, he met with the missionaries and converted his family.
Enkhtuvshin said her parents are strong in the gospel and always helped her stay on the right path. “They were my anchors until I found my own testimony. Their consistency and legacy helped me to be who I am today.”
She also said they raised her and her five siblings very independently. “They do not participate in our decisions much. Instead, they encouraged us to practice our agency righteously.”
Enkhtuvshin seeks to serve others in different ways, she said. She served for the BYUH Mongolian student club for several semesters as a vice president and treasurer. She also performed the song “Hide” in a video for the Mongolian Especially for Youth (MEFY) project.
According to Bayasgalan Sukhbaatar, a sophomore from Mongolia majoring in business management and creator of MEFY, the organization is a media production project where talented Mongolian youth saints create Church songs in the Mongolian language.
Sukhbaatar said there is not a lot of Christian music in the Mongolian language, so he decided to fill the gap by making one song and video every year since 2016. This year’s song is “Hide,” which was chosen, translated and sung by Enkhtuvshin. The song is about not hiding faith but instead showing it and helping others to find the truth.
The song is found on YouTube, titled, MEFY Nomuna - Hide, or through this link.
See the Adobe Spark version here: https://spark.adobe.com/page/Vl508LJNdHVc5/