UPAAN Onward & Upward with Justin Tran
Justin Tran is a UPA graduate of 2023. He is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree at Cal State East Bay in Finance because of his longstanding interest in the stock market, real estate, banks, and how businesses function. He is interning at Withum, as a Tax Accounting Intern, where he analyzes tax documents to identify potential tax liabilities and accurate reporting for his clients. Additionally, he is interning with Project Destined, as a Private Equity Real Estate Intern where he is underwriting three multifamily deals in both team and individual settings, and competing in a private equity-style pitch competition.
Are there resources you wish you had used more at UPA?
Teacher’s office hours for when I was struggling in their classes.
What are some of your most memorable high school moments?
Prom, senior trip, school rallies, male pageant, and having fun and goofing off with friends
What challenges did you face at UPA, and how did you overcome them?
When I was still in high school my goal was to play collegiate soccer since I’ve been playing and traveling nationally with my club and training with semi-pro players to try to get recruited for Division 1 programs, however, I unfortunately tore my ACL in my knee and to this day (2 years later) I’m still experiencing pain from it. At the time I was devastated and never felt so helpless because all my Division 1 and 2 offers from universities were rescinded since no team would take on an injured player. As you can tell, I had to give up my sport and move on but looking back at it, I believe it was one of the best things that could’ve happened to me otherwise I’d probably be chasing a dream that was too out of reach. If I played college soccer, I would’ve tried to play professionally and the truth is that I would be wasting my time since I most likely wouldn’t be good enough to make it to the big league.
Did you feel that UPA’s courses helped you explore and learn more about your interests?
Yes, I feel like UPA is a “free” private school in which you get the curriculum you would get at a private school but it’s free of charge since it’s a charter school. I feel like it’s something students take for granted. What made me choose my major in finance was taking economics with Mr. Williams since he made it easy to understand and fun.
How did you transition from high school to college or the workforce?
Moving for collage was a big shock at first since I was living on my own and had to be responsible for myself and my livelihood, however, I adapted to the change fairly quickly since I had a plan of what I was going to do in college alongside with my goals; all I had to do was execute.
What advice would you give students considering your career or college path?
For students who want to work in high finance, they must: start early and stay on task, network with industry professionals by building meaningful relationships, join relevant clubs/orgs/societies, and develop an interest and understanding in these three things: people, sales, and numbers.
What high school skills or lessons do you still use today?
Public speaking, I’m pleased that I did in-class presentations since I’m no longer nervous when I do them in the work field or in college.
How do you suggest students balance academics, extracurriculars, and personal life?
It depends on what they want to do in life. If they want to major in computer science at Stanford then the truth is that they’re not going to have much of a social life. It’s the tradeoffs that you make that you must assess to see if it’s worth it. However, from my experience I always make time for balance by using a Google Calendar and setting my entire week, this way, I’ll always try to make time for myself, my friends, and my family.
