Meet a Staff Member

10 minutes with…. 

Nhu Quynh Tran

Educating for Justice Leader and Teacher

How long have you been at Marian: Been at Marian College for? 

This is a trick question! This will be my fifth-year teaching at Marian College, but I was also a Marian graduate, class of 2013!

1. Tell us a little about your life outside of teaching/working? Eg. Family, hobbies. Passions 

I live a very basic life outside of work. I enjoy spending majority of my free time outside, whether that be out for a walk in the neighbourhood or exploring a new corner of our beautiful city. I especially love spending time with my nieces and nephews, they are little menaces, but they bring such joy to my life.

2. How did you end up teaching/ working at Marian College?

After graduating from my teaching degree, I stumbled across an advertisement posted for a position at Marian College. I thought it would be a good opportunity to reconnect with the teachers that once taught me, but also to now share my newfound knowledge and give back to the community that once supported me.

3. What do you like most about teaching/working at Marian College?

What I appreciate most about working at Marian College is the connections I have been able to establish with both staff members and students. There is never a dull moment at the college!

4. What are the biggest challenges facing teachers today?

There is simply not enough hours in the day to get everything done. Once you finish one thing, there’s always a next thing to work on. I speak for a lot of teachers when I say, even when we are sick and we need to take a day off, we are filled with so much guilt knowing our students are without us this day.

5. What are the biggest challenges facing teenage girls today?

The standard of beauty and rise of social media is my biggest concern for teenage girls today. It’s scary to think about the different pressures our younger generation goes through, thinking they must act or look a certain way instead of simply enjoying their youth.  

6. Favourite food & drink?

I can never pass up on any type of pasta with an endless amount of parmesan cheese, this is a weekly staple in my weekly dinners. However, nothing beats a home cooked meal from my mother. She could literally cook anything, and I’d be unbuttoning my top button!

7. Favourite holiday destination?

My beloved city, Prague! I was lucky enough to have visited Prague last year where I spent my days riding in the countryside and spent my nights captivated by the city’s beauty.

8. Favourite TV show & Movie?

I find myself playing reruns of Desperate Housewives, Ugly Betty, How I Met Your Mother, Brooklyn Nine-Nine or Scrubs most of the time! However, an oldie but a goodie, 10 Things I Hate About You.

9. If you weren’t a teacher, what would you be?

I honestly cannot see myself doing anything other than being a teacher.

10. Which 5 people in history would you like to invite to a dinner party?

Albert Einstein, Stephen Hawking, Cleopatra, Marilyn Monroe and Freddie Mercury.