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Subiaco senior appreciates his parents’ sacrifices

John Tran earns 4.0 GPA, played the leading role of Jesus in the musical "Godspell"

Published: May 27, 2015   

By Aprille Hanson
Associate Editor

John Tran (left) plays the role of Jesus in the musical “Godspell.” The Subiaco Academy senior is graduating with a 4.0 GPA and will attend Hendrix College in the fall.

As a cradle Catholic, 18-year-old John Tran has heard the story of the Passion of Christ for most of his life. As a senior at Subiaco Academy, he was shocked to learn that he would experience this Biblical account in a whole new way — as Jesus, in the musical “Godspell.”

“When I was leaving my followers behind because I was going to be crucified, giving them my farewells, one of the actresses there was crying so that kind of made me cry. I was already teary and then the next person got teary too. Some people in the crowd got emotional,” Tran said. “I actually just went in and auditioned for any part. I wasn’t expecting Jesus. I usually just go for one of the smaller roles … I felt very flattered and felt like I was not doing a good job.”

However Tran, who graduated from Subiaco May 16, admits he did get positive feedback from the role. His humble nature can likely be traced back to his family history, as a first-generation American. Tran’s father Nghi Van Tran and mother Tu-Phuong Tran both immigrated to the United States from Vietnam before they met.

His parents had three children and took turns working long shifts at Dassault Falcon Jet.

“Since things were always given to me because they worked so hard I didn’t even realize how hard life actually was. ... Little by little I began realizing my parents worked a lot harder than I did.” John Tran

Growing up in Little Rock and attending St. Theresa Church and School, Tran got an eye-opener during a family trip to Vietnam when he was in sixth grade.

“I did get to see where my mom grew up; it was very small,” he said. “I thought the house I live in in Little Rock was small and I went to Vietnam and this house was even smaller. I was shocked because my mom had a lot of siblings.”

Both Tran and his older brother were able to attend Subiaco Academy because of his parents’ hard work.

“I really didn’t recognize their sacrifice. Since things were always given to me because they worked so hard I didn’t even realize how hard life actually was,” Tran said. “When I came here (to Subiaco Academy) I began by doing a little volunteer work myself. Small sacrifices with my time to work with the monks, volunteer work with student council. Little by little I began realizing my parents worked a lot harder than I did.”

At Subiaco, Tran did “a lot of discernment” searching deeper into Catholicism and the exploration of other faiths.

“I never went deeper than what the Bible said” on the surface, Tran said. He added that learning about other faiths and the truths they hold created a spiritually challenging, yet enriching senior year.

“I gained some insight into my faith. This insight opens up more questions. I feel closer but at the same time farther from God. There are so many questions I suddenly have and it takes time for me to kind of look for the answers.”

When Tran wasn’t busy volunteering with the monks, he was involved in other activities, including Thieu Nhi, a Vietnamese youth group in Barling.

“I’m teaching little kids about the Eucharist, certain parts of the Catholic faith, fundamental stuff,” he said.

Tran also is an altar server and has been involved in theater productions since freshmen year while maintaining a 4.0 GPA. He’s received several scholarships and awards this year, including Subiaco’s Martin Shriver Award and the Father Hugh Assenmacher Award.

At the all-boys boarding school, Tran said he enjoyed the “closeness you can have with your peers here.” Tran, who will attend Hendrix College in Conway this fall, said he’ll never forget the lessons he’s learned at Subiaco.

“What I’ll probably miss the most are the monks and all the faculty members who are here,” Tran said.

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