Vivian Tran was born into a Vietnamese immigrant family, who made countless sacrifices in order for her to achieve her own “American Dream” as they once hoped for themselves. Despite the difficulties and struggles that her family faced, they managed to find a way for her to do all the things that would allow her to excel and grow, either through music lessons, tutoring, or summer programs. So Vivian knew that once she grew up, she wanted to to give back not just to her own family but to the rest of her Vietnamese community, who engraved into her the values of determination, diligence, and dedication.
She started to volunteer at Viet Aid, a Vietnamese community center that aimed to teach children and adults the Vietnamese language and culture. Vivian later moved on to volunteer at the Dorchester Municipal Court, where she was able to assist and meet not just Vietnamese people but people of all background in the community of Boston.
She assisted in the Clerk’s Office, where she felt fortunate enough to meet so many kind and intellectual clerks, judges and attorneys, who were all passionate in serving the people of Dorchester. The clerks taught her about the criminal justice process and the legal system, and she had the chance to observe and understand trial sessions in the courtroom, and they guided her with being able to write and process forms. Vivian progressively formed her own voice in the office, where she became confident and efficient with her work, her co-workers, and the public. Surrounded by hard-working people who truly enjoyed their occupations in public service, it heightened her interest in possibly working toward the same career. A career where she is able to defend and help others with her own voice, something she always desired to do as she was growing up. With being able to meet and aid the people of her community every day, she experienced the sense of fulfillment when assisting people of all race and background to seek their rightful justice.
Vivian believes that participating in the Ward Fellowship would offer her the same sense of fulfillment she felt while working at the court. This enables her to pursue her interest of public service as a career and learn more about the government and functioning of our city. With the Ward Fellowship, Vivian hopes to be able to use her individual voice to support not just people of the Boston community, but the peers and students of her school.