Freshman Jayden Tran is beginning his first year as a reporter for Aquila. Tran’s main extracurricular is MMA, which he has a black belt in. He also enjoys playing video games, listening to music and reading manga in his free time. However, as he enters high school, he hopes to spend more time studying and going to the gym. This year, Tran wants to join UPA’s volleyball and/or track team so he can be more involved in school activities. He also hopes to join a few cultural or philanthropic clubs. Building a strong college resume is a high priority for him, as he would like to be a specialized doctor or lawyer. He hopes to follow in his brothers’ footsteps to be successful and make his parents proud. Both of Tran’s brothers attend or have attended UC Santa Barbara. Tran’s family and friends are very important to him because they help him get through the day. As a shy person himself, he values confidence in others as well as kindness. He spends a lot of time thinking about the kind of life he wants to live, inspired by Confucius’ quote: “Every man has two lives, and the second starts when he realizes he has just one.” As a journalist, Tran believes mental health is an important issue to report on because it is hard to know what people are going through beneath the surface.. He feels it takes a deep bond for someone to open up about how they truly feel. Tran is also interested in designing and aspires to do so this year.