Christina Tran

My name is Christina Tran, and I was born and raised in Loudoun County, Virginia. I am
currently a sophomore at the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University,
majoring in Public Administration, double concentrating in Administration and Management, and
minoring in Data Analysis. Yet contrary to most government students engaging in heated political debates
or striving to become a politician, I am driven to promote social equity and build more sustainable
communities as an aspiring urban planner after obtaining a Master’s in my field.

Despite the conflicting perspectives around me, I was always eager to find solace in what truly
mattered most. During the first semester of my freshman year, I was thrilled to receive my acceptance into
the Civic Fellowship program at George Mason University, serving as an intern at a nonprofit partner site
supporting children and young adults with disabilities. This role exposed me to coordinating data while
transforming clientele and employee information into visual charts. It reminded me of taking Honors
Physics in my senior year of high school, a class I never thought I would enjoy as a humanities-minded
student. Yet it was through creating dynamic graphs and inputting numbers from acceleration or vector
labs that I firmly appreciated the field of statistics.

 

Eventually in the Spring semester, I declared my minor in Data Analysis after realizing just how all-encompassing my major was, aiming to integrate my data-driven side in social equity systems. As I enter my next year, I have supplemented my involvement in two new student organizations: being Secretary for Be the Change, a UN Sustainable Development group in which I plan on advocating for safe and inclusive communities, and No Lost Generation, serving as a Policy Advocacy Officer to help refugee students navigate their path to higher education.

 

Alongside these rewarding experiences throughout my first year and moving forward, I’ve
simultaneously taken it upon myself to seek part-time opportunities to provide for myself financially
with my fellowship in order to help compensate for the cost of college. I am not a debater, follower, or politician.

 

My ultimate motivation lies not in policies that divide with political polarization, but in those that unify.

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