Finding Her Voice

College student Lieu Tran organizes her peers for political action.

Although only 20 years old, Lieu Tran has survived a lifetime's worth of trauma. As a child, she worked in a factory in Vietnam to support her family. When Vietnamese soldiers invaded Cambodia, they sent Tran to a prison camp where she worked 19 to 20 hours a day, received little food and water, and endured regular abuse from the soldiers.

After two years, Tran fled to the Philippines where she reunited with her parents in a refugee camp. At the age of 12, she emigrated to the United States with her family.

During the past eight years, Tran, a senior at the University of Utah, has distinguished herself as a scholar and humanitarian. She has served on the Salt Lake Youth Government Council and volunteered for Utahans Against Hunger. Her story received national attention on the Rosie O'Donnell Show and earned her an NEA Human and Civil Rights award in 2001.

In 2002, Tran, an aspiring congresswoman, founded the Youth Leadership Coalition, a nonprofit organization designed to mobilize college students around political issues. Tran spoke with Tomorrow's Teachers editor Kristen Loschert about the important role college students can play in the political process.

What was it like coming to a new country and starting a new life?

It was another challenge. It was so difficult, because I had never been to school. In Vietnam, my family was too poor. So, when I came to the United States I didn't even know how to write my name. But, I taught myself, and now I'm hoping to finish school.

What does education mean to you?

I think it means a lot. It's kind of like a miracle happened to me. I never thought I would come to the United States and receive a free education and learn so much. For a poor family of immigrants, like my family, education is the only way that can free us from poverty and help us move up in society.

Why did you start the Youth Leadership Coalition?

When I lived in Cambodia, the Philippines, and Vietnam most of those kids take education very seriously, and they take voting very seriously. But, when I came to the United States, I saw that the youth here, even though we have the opportunity to vote, they never take it seriously. I feel like the youth in the United States are not very involved in government. So, me and my friend started the Youth Leadership Coalition so we could organize young people to go out and vote and get involved in government.

How does the Coalition accomplish that?

We host a big state conference where we get different senators or the governor to come and talk about why it's important for young people to be involved with government and why they should go out and vote. I'm hoping to get more members involved, especially this year because of the presidential election. I want the organization to be national some day. Most of the colleges in Utah are involved.

There are a lot of different operations out there that lobby for young people and youth issues. But, I never see any young people lobby for their own issues. As a young college student, it's better for me to lobby for my own issues, since I know them.

What advice would you give to college students about getting involved in politics?

Try to be involved in as many activities as you can. For us to change things, we need to have a voice. If you just sit around and complain, nothing will happen. And, if you have other people decide things for you, then you're basically giving your rights to other people to make the decisions.

Life is never designed to be easy; but, if you work hard enough, if you believe in yourself, if you believe in the things that you work for, they will happen. I never believed that I would see my family again. And, I never believed that I would receive this amazing education that public education has given me. So, you know, miracles do come true.