Sophia Trac: ‘It’s really empowering.’
Sophia Trac is a senior majoring in elementary education at the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities. She is a Vietnamese-American who’s recently been accepted into the elementary education teaching MEd and initial licensure program at the university.
“I would describe myself as hardworking and pretty motivated. I strive to push myself academically, and I try to bring others around me upward with me. I’ve grown up in Minnesota my whole life. The U just seemed like a really good option for me, and their education program is amazing as well, so that’s why I majored here.
“In high school, I took a class where we were able to be a teacher’s assistant in an elementary school, and I really loved that entire experience. We got to make backboards and then also work with kids, do one-on-one reading sessions. And it was really fun for me, and it was really rewarding. And then I went into tutoring for a year and a half-ish, and then I went into daycare, and I have just always loved working with kids.
“Both my parents are immigrants, so I very much grew up in a Vietnamese cultural house and not an American cultural house. My parents weren’t super Americanized. We very much celebrated our culture and learned about Vietnamese culture. So seeing how it’s impacted my community has been really hard, and seeing how I have to make sure both my parents are still doing OK because I don’t live with them, and seeing all the small businesses closing their doors for the time being, it reminds me of the impact of COVID-19.
“I think the Minneapolis community has come together a lot more within the last couple of weeks to support each other and to support the small businesses that are opening their doors up and are standing with the protesters. An Indian food place in Minneapolis was handing out food to protesters. Same with a lot of other ethnic restaurants within Minneapolis and the surrounding areas. They’re doing a lot of business and seeing the community come to them. So they’re able to donate and able to keep their doors open. It’s really empowering.”
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Interview by Isabelle Curry
