The class of 2025 is getting ready to say goodbye to The Preuss School UC San Diego after more than seven years of hard work and dedication. One of these hardworking scholars is senior Bens Tran (‘25) who has been the boys Varsity lacrosse team goalie and an active member of clubs Science Olympiad and Fitness club.
How do you feel Preuss has prepared you for your future?
“Preuss has provided me opportunities such as scholarships, internships, and college prep to ultimately get me into a good four- year college. I hope to become a successful mechanical engineer and come back to donate to scholarships to help out the future generations.”
What do you believe are some of your best academic successes during your high school career?
“My most notable academic success during college is getting an internship for General Atomics over the summer, giving me invaluable experience about mechanical engineering and adding to my resume. The most notable project I designed there was how I worked with nanowires and polymers in the General Atomics lab.”
How has playing lacrosse impacted your life academically and what are some skills and lessons you have learned?
“Lacrosse has positively impacted my life academically because it improved my work ethic and forced me to have a good schedule to balance practice as well as academics. I also learned that no matter the outcome, whether we win or lose, there is always valuable learning experience to be gained. Lacrosse will further impact my life because of the leadership and communication skills I gained after playing lacrosse for four years.”
What type of struggles have you faced throughout your academic career and how have you overcome these sorts of challenges?
“My greatest struggle was probably AP Physics, where I had to study a lot at home for the AP test and struggled on the quizzes and tests. I overcame this through all my study sessions and after school tutoring I participated in. This is definitely one of the most difficult classes that Preuss has to offer and I recommend taking this if you are going into Engineering/STEM.”
What type of career field are you interested in?
“I plan on working as a mechanical engineer at mainly startup companies. I want to focus on Coding because that is the main reason I want to become a mechanical engineer. If mechanical engineering does not work out, I would like to do freelance CAD work, 3D printing and designing for different customers.”
What colleges have you been accepted to and what are your plans for college?
“I only applied to a few colleges, but I will be attending UC Berkeley in the fall. I plan to major in mechanical engineering and apply for as many internships as possible. I also plan on participating in different clubs related to engineering such as electric F1 cars and tower building.”
What advice would you give to all the underclassmen?
“One piece of advice I would give underclassmen is to start preparing for college very early into your high school career. This means preparing for and taking the SAT early, giving yourself plenty of time to study and retake. Make sure to do internships and work with college advisors to bolster your college application, giving you the best chance to get into a good college.”
