Linda Tran

"I was born to a very surprised couple in Dallas, Texas. They had been expecting a baby boy, and there I popped out, screaming my head off and missing a� well, you know what. My parents were wise in their ways and instead of giving me a traditional Asian name that would've tied up anyone's tongue, they named me Linda on the advice of a friend who said that the name meant "pretty" in Spanish. Many people confuse me for being Hawaiian, Filipina, or even half Mexican and half Japanese (huh?), but I am actually half Vietnamese (mom's side) and half Chinese (dad's side). I only lived in the Lone Star State for about a year when my family packed up and moved to Las Vegas, Nevada, in search of better job opportunities. It was there in Sin City that I thrived for the next eighteen years, and despite all the stereotypes, my life did not revolve around gambling, drinking, smoking cigars, and going to dollar peep shows - though I must admit that I've had my great share of fun and adventure on the infamous casino "Strip!" My parents split up when I was very young, so I only remember being raised by my mom and stepdad, though my real dad and I see each other often. I was an only child in the household (my half-brother lived in Vietnam with our relatives at the time), so I was a spoiled brat, to put it bluntly. I was showered with all sorts of family attention, toys, clothes, and pets and grew up in nice neighborhoods with lots of playmates. I was also somewhat of a troublemaking tomboy until junior high, when I ditched my grass-stained jeans and high-tops in favor of sundresses and sandals. (Hey, that's when I learned a few things about boys!) Nevermind the wardrobe change, though, because I am still a troublemaker at heart! My parents are strong believers in education and want me to have a better life than them, so they pushed me to succeed all throughout grade school. I was the ultimate goody-goody, always turning in my homework on time, volunteering for community service projects, running for student office, and organizing club fundraisers. I was the type of person who always juggled a million tasks at once, took on new challenges everyday, stressed out constantly, and survived on only four hours of sleep a night, and guess what - I still do! I was also taught to be extremely independent at an early age; basically, I was on my own by the time high school rolled around. There weren't too many teenagers out there like me� I filed my own taxes, knew how to change a flat tire, taught myself basic HTML programming, and packed a mean punch in my kickboxing class. I thank my parents now for pushing me to exceed what I thought were my limits. My most life-changing decision to date has been my big solo move to New York City at age nineteen. When you have to leave half your life behind to start a new one, it can be a scary experience, especially in an unsympathetic, fast-paced city like the Big Apple! I am currently on a full academic scholarship (yes, even models can be pretty damn smart), pursuing my first passion (art and design), and live the typical life of a starving college student. When I'm not running across campus to my next class or staying up late to finish last-minute design projects, I'm either on the computer (checking e-mails, working on my websites) or on the phone (driving up my long-distance bill) - or even both! If I'm lucky, I get to fly home on the weekends to see my family and friends. They are the most amazing people, my infinite support network. I love each and every single one of them" Linda