Khuyen Tran

Khuyen Tran had never considered a career in nursing. She attended Doherty Memorial High School’s Engineering and Technology Academy in Worcester, Massachusetts, and thought she’d become an engineer.

Then her grandfather was hospitalized during her sophomore year of high school.

“During those days in the hospital, I witnessed nurses doing their jobs, and some provided better care than others,” Tran says. “I decided that I wanted to become a nurse who spreads kindness and positivity, especially in the hospital when patients are going through something traumatic.”

She researched reputable nursing programs and found UMass Lowell. After visiting the campus and nursing school, Tran felt that she belonged here.

“I really liked the campus and could see myself going to school here,” says Tran. “South Campus has a big lawn with trees, which seemed like a good place to hang out after classes.”

Tran also toured the Donna Manning Nursing Simulation Laboratories and has since participated in many scenarios that involve patient simulators that mimic real-life cases.

“The simulation lab helped me develop my critical thinking and problem-solving skills, which I’ve already used in my clinical rotations,” says Tran. “I was able to practice all these skills until it became natural to me, which built my confidence in caring for patients.”

Tran credits her educational success to the support of her family and nursing faculty.

“My professors all seem to love their job, which makes learning fun,” says Tran. “I feel like they are always there to help me and want me to succeed.”

Tran’s grandfather has since passed away. After graduating, she plans to honor him by expanding health care offerings in Vietnam, where her grandparents lived before emigrating to the United States.

“I plan to establish a free clinic in the district of Phuoc Long so that people don’t need to travel so far to a hospital,” says Tran.