​​As the son of immigrant parents from Vietnam, Hoang Anh Tran's life has not been easy. He and his family have lived barely making ends meet, surviving at times on welfare. Hoang Anh helps care for his ailing mother, who is paralyzed due to a severe neurological disease. These experiences strengthened his resolve to become the first in his family to go to college.

Today, Hoang Anh attends California State University, San Bernardino majoring in nutrition and food sciences where he consistently makes the dean's list and maintains a 3.5 GPA. He has volunteered at a hospice program, offering support to terminally ill patients. He also volunteers at Camp Conrad-Chinnock and Fight for Air Walk in Riverside. He is a member of both the Nutrition Student Association and the National Health Education Honor Society.

​Hoang Anh plans to go on to medical school and become a primary care doctor to provide general health care in low-income communities.​