May 24, 2005 :: No. 218

Julia Tran always knew she wanted a career in health professions, and she enjoyed helping people. Throughout her college studies at Cal State Fullerton, she has successfully married these two goals — participating in blood drives, adopt-a-family programs, walks for multiple sclerosis and breast cancer, and a World AIDS Fair.

For more than a year, Tran also served a clinical care extender internship at Queen of the Valley Hospital, assisting nurses and looking after patients.

For these efforts, Tran will be honored with the Kenneth L. Goodhue-McWilliams Award for Outstanding Community Service in the Health Professions. The annual award will be presented Friday, May 27, during CSUF’s annual Honors Convocation.

“I like doing a lot of things, the idea of helping people,” says the biological science major, who serves as president of the Student Health Professions Association. “I started doing community service while in high school. When I came to Cal State Fullerton, I just got into it.”

In addition to her volunteer efforts, Tran has been a top scholar, being named to CSUF’s Dean’s List since 2001 and a member of Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society since 2004. She has been honored with SHPA’s 2004 Outstanding Officer Scholarship and was the student group’s 2003 Most Valuable Member. She has conducted research in plant genetics with a biological science faculty member and worked as a “mad science” instructor in a private after-school program.

Tran, who came to America at age 5 as a Chinese immigrant from Vietnam, says that through her volunteer efforts, “I realized that I’m more fortunate that others…that it was important to cherish life.”

The Rowland Heights resident hopes to attend optometry school after she graduates in 2006.

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