With a 4.0 GPA and a studious approach to his academics, An Tran is on his way to achieving his goals for his senior year — to be in the top 10 in his class rankings and score a 5 on all of his Advanced Placement exams.
An’s AP courses include world history, biology, statistics, chemistry, language and composition and U.S. history. He participates in several extracurricular activities, including three years as a member of Key Club, three years participating in Quiz Bowl and one year as a member of National Honors Society.
Quiz Bowl, he said, has been the most influential activity he has been a part of during his high school career.
“It has allowed me to meet and interact with many different students of different grades, which had helped me to feel more connected to the entire student body rather than only my only grade,” An said. “It also enabled me to meet Dr. Tim Harris, who has helped me immensely during my senior year.”
An’s favorite teacher is Mr. Matthew Johnson, who taught honors biology.
“He has an extremely funny and relaxed personality that helped me to enjoy honors biology much more than if he hadn’t taught me, and made me look forward to coming to school every week day,” An said.
Going into his last year of high school, An has some wisdom to share with his younger peers: “It is never bad to prepare and complete tasks early,” he said. “When the due date is near, the task to be done will often reveal itself to be more complex than it originally seemed.”
In his free time outside of school, An enjoys playing video games and listening to music.
An is the son of Yen Ha and Tien Nguyen. He has a sister, Thu Tran, who is 22. The family resides in Buford.
An said his mother is the most influential person in his life.
“She has made many sacrifices with a single-minded determination to raise me,” he said. “I wouldn’t be half the person I currently am without her.”
After graduation, An plans to attend college before applying to medical school with plans to become a cardiologist.
The Buford City Schools Student of the Week spotlight is made possible by the generosity of the City of Buford.