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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 29, 2001

News Release

Utah High School Student Honored by the National Education Association

A Vietnamese teenager who has experienced the abject misery of servitude, deprivation, and wanton killing in war-torn Cambodia, but has triumphed to advocate the value of education in the United States, will be honored by the National Education Association (NEA) on July 3 at the Association's annual Human and Civil Rights banquet at the Los Angeles Westin Bonaventure Hotel.

NEA President Bob Chase will present Lieu Tran of West Valley City, Utah, with the Ellison S. Onizuka Memorial Award before an expected audience of 2,000 educators.

A mere 17 years old, Tran has transcended her years of anguish to distinguish herself as a humanitarian, honors student and ardent supporter of public education.

Born in Phan Thiet, Vietnam, Tran was a child laborer by the age of seven. She spent her days tamping sulfur, aluminum dust and coal into firecracker tubes. When Vietnamese soldiers invaded Cambodia, she was conscripted and forced to cut wood, sew uniforms, and clear military camps of dead rodents. During this period, she witnessed the killing of her brother, sister and several childhood friends.

Tran was later sent to a prison camp, where she and other children worked from 5 am until midnight and survived on one meal a day. During the confusion of the battle, Tran, along with 50 others, managed to escape to the Philippines by boat. Absent food and water, 30 escapees died before the boat finally arrived. Then sent to a refugee camp, Tran miraculously found her parents.

The reunited family immigrated to Salt Lake City, Utah, where Tran enrolled in school for the first time - at age 10. Though initially unable to understand English, she persevered, and now maintains a 3.9 grade point average as a junior at Highland High School. She is also a member of the National Honor Society.

Tran has served on the Salt Lake Youth Government Council, volunteered for Utahns Against Hunger, organized several service projects for city beautification, and translated for volunteers and social workers delivering food and aid to local Vietnamese families.

A recipient of many awards and accolades, including a recent appearance as a "Super Kid" on the Rosie O'Donnell Show, Tran imagines herself a future Congresswoman, whose message will continue to be: "Education is the key. It frees us from poverty and suffering."

Tran's award is named after Ellison S. Onizuka, the first Asian/Pacific Islander chosen by NASA for the astronaut program, who credited public schools for his career. He was later killed aboard the space shuttle Challenger, but his legacy of appreciation for public schools lives on.

Presented for more than 30 years, the NEA Human and Civil Rights Awards recognize educators and others from a variety of backgrounds who have fought effectively for human and civil rights advances. NEA's Annual Meeting, which draws more than 9,000 delegates, will be held July 2-7 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

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The National Education Association is the nation’s largest professional employee organization, representing 2.7 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support personnel, school administrators, retired educators, and students preparing to become teachers.