Today we’d like to introduce you to Thanh-Nha Tran.
Thanh-Nha, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I first joined the Teen Council when I was a freshman in high school. After strolling through the rows of bookshelves, I stumbled upon a Teen Council flyer and decided to attend the first meeting. I immediately fell in love with the cause and the people. I loved volunteering at our monthly events, designed to inspire families to come library and develop a passion for reading. The next year I ran for Vice President so that I could be more involved in the behind the scene planning. It was a great new experience for me that taught me much about organizing events and being a leader. By my senior year, I felt confident enough in my skills to run for President. So far, I have been extremely excited about our progress. We just finished hosting our annual Haunted Library, and had our highest attendance yet! I am hopeful to see what the future brings for Teen Council and what new projects we will take on next.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
This year as President, I have had to take on more responsibility and be more heavily involved in planning events. While I love working on all the behind the scene projects, there were many times where I struggled with my commitments towards Teen Council, and balancing my commitments with school and my other extra curriculars. However, I soon learned the importance of relenting some control and delegating more tasks to the other Teen Council members. Even though, I was hesitant at first for fear of things not going perfectly, learning how to delegate has been beneficial to my own stress levels and has allowed some other members to take on more responsibility and learn how to become better leaders. Overall, it has improved the quality of our events, as well as allowing us to complete more projects.
Please tell us about the organization.
Scripps Ranch Teen Council is a non-profit organization. We are a group of teenagers dedicated to creating and hosting monthly events at our local library to foster a better sense of community and encourage young children to be excited about coming to the library and about reading. From cultural celebrations to art shows to holiday events, there is always something for everyone to enjoy. Our most popular event of the year is our Haunted Library. After the library closes, we transform the place into an interactive haunted house. This year we had close to 300 participates, and we already have plans for how to improve for next year.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
On my tenth birthday, I had the opportunity to swim with dolphins at Seaworld. Dolphins are my favorite animal due to how intelligent and cheerful they are, it was a dream come true. I got to “teach” them tricks, pet them, feed them, and swim with them. The feeling of gliding and twirling through the water with a dolphin right beside me is one I will never forget. Afterward, my parents treated me to a special lunch where I was able to dine with Shamu. I got to spend the rest of the day hanging out with my family and seeing all of the attractions.
Contact Info:
- Address: 10301 Scripps Lake Dr, San Diego, CA 92131
- Email: srlteencouncil@gmail.com
- Instagram: srteencouncil
Image Credit:
Melissa Giffen
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