My values and strengths are paving the way for my future
Posted onBy: Martin Tran, Spring 2017 Braven Fellow at San José State University
Throughout my life, I have admired my Vietnamese-American family’s ability to work hard and be incredibly creative. They take pride in their work and they look to the future, which has set a strong example for me as I progress on my academic and career pursuits.
My mother, in particular, is a very hard working person who continues to ensure that my brothers and I live a wonderful life. As a child, my mother created a loving environment. She and my grandma ensured that my brothers and I learned about our culture through conversations, food, and other practices. She immigrated to America in the 1980s with her family and held various real estate roles such as being a co-owner of Corliance and Innovia in the early 2000s. Because of this, she and my father are well-respected in the Vietnamese community in San José.
I have always admired her skills in communication, mathematics, and building relationships. She can carry positive conversations with every person with whom she comes into contact. Her commitment to health, family, and being a well-rounded person are great qualities of my mom. My mother is one of my role models and I am inspired by her life story and the choices that she makes every day.
I have learned so much from my family and have also learned the importance of leadership, networking, and team building through my involvement in student organizations, student government, and my Braven Brand Ambassador role. I believe these qualities, in addition to the hard work and creativity my mother instilled in me, will continue to assist me further in my career aspirations in library services and education.
I have taken on leadership by becoming a Braven Brand Ambassador, where I recruit Humanities students at San Jose State University to join Braven as they prepare themselves to land a strong first job. Through participating in Braven, I was able to connect with various professionals from different career paths such as education, technology, business, and finance. All have given me valuable advice on how to navigate careers and weigh the advantages and disadvantages.
Through engaging in team building, I have learned the values of diversity, trust, and building relationships. Prior to becoming a well-known individual at Evergreen Valley College and San Jose State University, I was a very reserved person. Now, just like my mother, I am able to engage with professionals, professors, and peers.
Looking forward, my future career aspirations are in library services and education. I want to have a career that involves working with students to create opportunities and advocate for their needs. I want to help students find programs on campus or use resources that are available at the library. I know that the creativity and hard work that my mother instilled in me and the experiences I have had in college will prepare me to launch strongly into my career.
Connect with Martin on LinkedIn