Sam Tran

Background

About Sam Tran

I am a recent graduate of UMass Amherst, majoring in Political Science. My interests include public diplomacy, Vietnam and its checkered history, and U.S-Indo-Pacific local ties. I try to be a good citizen and put effort into being a decent person (làm người tử tế). It is hard to be exceptional and even harder to live a constant, decent life. I wish to bring an eclectic perspective into discourses. My profile's half-serious, half-jest plays on LinkedIn's reputation as an impersonal "networking" platform, where I expect (and wish!) you to be entertained before reflecting on the absurdity of the world we inhabit.* Isn’t it so crazy? Thus the serious part. In real life, I worked on projects that sought to remedy inequities at my alma mater, tutored at the writing center, and researched the diplomatic nuances between the peoples of the United States and Vietnam, among other things. “Decency” is the currency I value most, for its demand is high, while the supply has decreased in these polarized times. I am almost always open for coffee chat (being hyper-caffeinated since 8th grade) when keep pondering the question "Is there a substitute for victory," flipping the premise of Gen. Douglas MacArthur's quote. I occasionally update my reading list, which currently includes:"Miles to Go: A Personal History of Social Policy" by Daniel P. Moynihan,"The Unfinished Quest: India's Quest for Major Power Status from Nehru to Modi" by T.V. Paul, and "Sleepwalking Through History: America in the Reagan Years" by Haynes Johnson. Thank you for stopping by, and I look forward to connecting with you!*Poe’s Law.