Abraham Tran's family members were Vietnamese refugees. His family's story inspired him to pursue a career in law.

CAMDEN — The work ethic and values Abraham Tran carried with him
on his journey through Rutgers University, first as an undergraduate in New
Brunswick and then as a law student in Camden, were established long before he
was born, and on a very different kind of journey. 

Tran’s parents were Vietnamese refugees who escaped their country
in 1978, only a few years after the end of the Vietnam War. His father, Nguon
Tran, had fought for the South Vietnamese army and was sent to a re-education
prison camp by the North Vietnamese after the war.

  “They tossed anyone who opposed the
government, anyone who fought for South Vietnam, into a POW camp,” the younger Tran
says. “My father spent some years there, but he was able to escape.”

In fact, Tran’s father captained a small riverboat carrying his
family, including Tran’s two older sisters and other refugees, across rough
seas before crashing into Malaysia, where they lived in a refugee camp until several
American families sponsored them and brought them to New Jersey.

Tran was born in the United States soon before his family gained
their U.S. citizenship.

 “My parents came here with
nothing,” Tran says. “My parents valued education and they worked really hard
to get my sisters and me through school in East Brunswick.”

After graduating from East Brunswick High School, Tran earned
bachelor’s degrees in political science and communications from Rutgers–New
Brunswick. On May 17, he will graduate from the Rutgers School of Law–Camden.

“One thing that has been so important to my family and me is that
you can get to where you want to go with hard work and by a good supporting
network of people willing to take you under their wing, like the sponsor family
that helped my family,” Tran says.

It’s just one reason why he became involved in various community
service activities at Rutgers–Camden, such as the Marshall-Brennan program,
which empowers Camden youth to become effective citizens.

“I’ve always liked to teach and one of the ways I wanted to give
back was through the school communities here,” Tran says.

The law student hopes to work in health law after he graduates and
has gained valuable experience through internships with several local law
firms.

“We were always taught to work hard, but to also do noble things
and to give back,” Tran says. “My parents always wanted me to do something with
my career that allowed me to be involved with my community and that’s one
reason I chose to pursue a law career.”

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