An Nguyen moved with his family to the United States at the age of 9 from Vietnam. He graduated from Portland State University with a bachelor’s degree in Biology. He completed further studies in pre-dentistry and evolution before discerning religious life. He taught Vietnamese in the local parish school and participated in the local diocesan discernment group before applying to the Society of Jesus. He completed First Studies at Loyola University Chicago. He completed his regency as a pastoral associate in the Newman Center at University of California, San Diego. Currently, he is studying theology at Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University in Berkeley, CA.