Dr Mykim Tran of Wake-Up Foundation: 5 Things That Should Be Done To Improve The US Educational System
Life skills: This will teach students the essential life skills to keep their life balanced to become successful students. For example, helping students learn skills to develop positive relationships is crucial because no matter where students are, they most likely will build relationships with their peers, teachers, parents, co-workers, etc. Also, students cannot escape their health, so they must learn to create healthy habits to succeed. However, many students today are stressed out because they neglect to take care of their relationships and health while going to school and work. Other skills that students should learn are problem-solving, creativity, and emotional intelligence, to make sure they are at their best selves to become successful.
As a part of our interview series about the things that should be done to improve the US educational system I had the pleasure to interview Dr. Mykim Tran.
Dr. Mykim Tran is a humanistic psychologist. She is on a mission to help individuals discover and use their strengths, talents, and passions to do great work and create a powerful legacy that will carry on for eternity. In the process, individuals will transform into the best version of themselves and reach their full potential. Dr. Tran is the founder and CEO of Wake-Up Foundation, a non-profit agency transforming individuals into social change agents to promote stronger communities. She received her bachelor’s degree in Media Communications from the California State University of Sacramento, her master’s degree in Health Psychology at Walden University, and her PhD in Humanistic Psychology at Saybrook University.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share the “backstory” behind what brought you to this particular career path?
I started my career as a speaker in 2010. My goal is to help teenagers and youth adults feel good about themselves. I use my education and experience to share about body image, health and wellness, and self-confidence with them. I encourage them that as long as they care for themselves, their body and mind, they will feel good about themselves. However, when I went into my master’s program in Health Psychology, I discovered that my strengths align more with mental health, specifically self-esteem. I believe that when individuals have mental health, they will have the self-esteem to overcome and achieve anything. In 2014, I self-published my first book, Self-Esteem Building: How to Live Your Life as You. As I continued my educational journey into my PhD program, I realized my passion for personal development and human potential, which is the essence of humanistic psychology. I uncovered that when individuals learn and develop, they will unleash their passion and life purpose, which they can use to help them reach their full potential.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
Throughout my career, the best opportunities presented to me were unexpected. For instance, I found Wake-Up Foundation because it was introduced to me by a friend. I asked him to help me market my career as a speaker, but he introduced me to the non-profit world and suggested I start a non-profit to support the community because he knew I was helping others. He told me that he had already set up all the legal paperwork for my non-profit, and all I needed is to look it over and approve it. Once I looked over the paperwork, I was excited to get started. It was one of the best decisions I ever made because I always see myself supporting my community but did not know how to do it initially.
Another example would be my career. I did not seek to become a humanistic psychologist. I discovered the area of humanistic psychology while in my master’s program learning about health psychology to motivate individuals to improve their health and well-being. I have similar great opportunities that were presented to me without seeking them.
From those experiences, I learned that my career path should never be set in stone, but it is a lifelong process. As a human being, you learn and involve daily, and your career and life should be the same. As you grow, your career and life should grow along with you. Do not be afraid to grab unexpected opportunities, even though those opportunities might not fit with your initial plan. For example, many individuals will develop a career plan early in their lives and believe they should stick with that plan for the rest of their lives. When a great opportunity manifest that does not fit their initial plan, they would dismiss it. As a result, they have missed a great opportunity.
Even though I always knew that I wanted to inspire others, I learned to have an open mindset to be flexible about what I will do to further my career. If not, I would not be doing what I am doing and where I am today. My initial plan was to become an international speaker and hold training and seminars worldwide, but a better plan was revealed to me, supporting students to reach their full potential.
We create our career plan at the beginning with the knowledge and skills we have. However, we will learn new things and meet new people tomorrow who will introduce us to new ideas and opportunities. We must have an open mindset to grab those unexpected opportunities.
I realized that if I can stay focused on learning and developing myself and my career in the moment, I will meet the right people and opportunities; even though I will not know what kind of people and opportunities they will be, but they will be great.
Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that will help people?
I am researching and conducting studies to learn more about students to help them succeed after graduation and beyond. My research goal is to develop a personal development program that will be mandatory for students before graduation. I have worked with many students who have expressed that they are not equipped with the skills to become successful after graduation and beyond. Therefore, a personal development program will teach students the essential skills to prepare for the real world.
As a humanistic psychologist, my goal is to make sure every student has the opportunity to discover their strengths, talents, and passions, so they can do great work and contribute to society. It will also help fulfill the K-12 public education system’s mission of preparing students to become productive citizens.
Can you briefly share with our readers why you are an authority in the education field?
My educations have helped me to discover my passion for humanistic psychology. Every education journey I have taken has helped me make better decisions to further my education, career, and life. I developed a passion for learning and understand what it takes to become a successful student and lifelong learner.
I also saw the great benefits of education beyond landing a job or career. Education has become a personal development journey for me. The knowledge and skills that I have learned have inspired me to use them to create social change.
Many individuals fail to believe in education because they are not utilizing it successfully. There is a right and wrong way to do anything, and education is no different. Many students have the wrong mindset about getting an education. They often believe that education is just an end to help them land a job or develop their career. While that is still important, students need something more to motivate them to continue their education journey. Education should be an exciting journey because with new knowledge, students can develop new ideas and visions to improve themselves and society. Students will be motivated to use their education to do great work and become productive citizens when they have a positive mindset for education.
Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the main focus of our interview. From your point of view, how would you rate the results of the US education system?
Even though there is ongoing improvement in the US education system, it is not improving fast enough to meet the demand of the 21st century. Society is changing rapidly because of the internet and the advanced technology we have today. Society is also moving up the hierarchy pyramid in promoting and creating meaning and purpose. For example, if you pay attention to any successful company, it has a cause and mission to improve society. However, the current US education system was designed to fulfill the 20th century, helping students obtain a job and earn a living to survive, and it has succeeded. However, the 21st century is not only about surviving but also about thriving. The US education system should develop a different approach to motivate and inspire students that education can help them create meaning and purpose to meet the demand of the 21st century. Also, many employers today are looking for passionate individuals with a great vision for their careers.
Since the US education system fails to keep up with society, many students are unmotivated to pursue and continue their education. Many youths today do not believe that education is worth the journey anymore because they do not see a return for them to thrive in the 21st century.
Can you identify 5 areas of the US education system that are going really great?
Core subjects: Teaching students English, math, science, history, etc., are still important. Those are the foundations to help students become successful in life. For example, students becoming proficient in English is vital because success often requires knowing how to read, write, and speak English. Math, science, and history knowledge can also be helpful in daily life situations. Even though students might not use those skills daily, having those skills can be beneficial when needed.
A broad range of topics: It is great to see schools introducing more topics for students to learn from. Students should be able to learn and test out different things, which can help increase their self-understanding and the world.
Afterschool programs: Access to afterschool programs for students K-12 has helped support students and parents. First, students can continue to get support in after-school programs. Second, afterschool programs support working parents, as many are unavailable due to working hours.
Diversity and inclusion: This have been shown to see a greater increase at the college and university levels, which is essential. America is becoming a global society, and it is crucial to include and give every student the opportunity to be seen and heard.
Financial aid: It is great to see that students are given the opportunity to pursue higher education through the support of financial assistance. Financial aid is available to students to continue their education if they desire to do so. The government is improving to make it affordable for students to repay their student loans.
Can you identify the 5 key areas of the US education system that should be prioritized for improvement? Can you explain why those are so critical?
Improve curriculum: Besides the core subjects, students need to learn essential skills to go through life successfully. Today, students are exposed to more things than their parent and grandparent generations because of the internet and the rapid changing of society. Therefore, students need to know how to manage those things successfully. However, more students are becoming stressed out because they lack the essential skills to use their knowledge to adapt to society successfully.
Improve school meals: Students spend most of their days at school, and what they eat will significantly impact their learning ability. Many students are still learning on an empty stomach. Therefore, more education and awareness should be implemented on the importance of healthy eating for students’ success at all levels (elementary, middle, high school, and college) and give students more access to healthy nutrition.
Improve parents’ engagement: Better programs are needed to educate and motivate parents to get involved in their student’s learning. The parents will always have the most impact on the student’s success. When parents show great interest in their students’ work, students will have more support to learn and succeed.
Provide more cultural resources and programs: Since America is becoming a global society, it is crucial to provide more cultural resources and programs to meet the demand of the growing demographics. Many students do not seek support because they believe their unique backgrounds and challenges will not be understood and supported through existing programs.
Provide more meaningful educational experiences: Students need to see that there is more to education than providing them with a job or career. Students need to see that their education can help them make a difference in the world because that is where society is moving toward. The great thing is that no matter what kind of education students pursue, it can provide them meaning and purpose if they are allowed to learn, understand, and apply successfully.
How is the US doing with regard to engaging young people in STEM? Can you suggest three ways we can increase this engagement?
Technology Age: We are in the technology age, and young people need to have a foundation knowledge of science and technology to succeed in the 21st century. This does not mean young people should pursue a career in the STEM fields, but they should have the basis to help them through life successfully.
Promote creativity: STEM education allows individuals to build things from their imagination, which is the essence of creativity. With proper learning and application, students can apply the same knowledge and skills to develop ideas to solve their daily life problems.
Diversity: There should be more diversity of young people in the STEM fields. Most of the young people in the STEM fields are Asian Americans. We need to break the stereotype that STEM fields are only successful for Asian Americans. This stereotype has discouraged other young people who are not Asians from pursuing STEM careers. We must develop young people’s mindset that anyone can succeed in the STEM fields.
Can you articulate to our readers why it’s so important to engage girls and women in STEM subjects?
Girls and women also need to learn how to become successful in today’s technological society, so it is essential for them to have the foundation knowledge of STEM education to succeed in their professional and personal lives. In addition, girls and women think differently than boys and men, which means they can bring new ideas to innovate to move society forward.
How is the US doing with regard to engaging girls and women in STEM subjects? Can you suggest three ways we can increase this engagement?
Diversity: Engaging girls and women in STEM education will promote diversity. STEM education is still seen as a male industry. This has discouraged girls and women from pursuing STEM education, even though they might have the strengths and talents to succeed. We must give girls and women the same encouragement and opportunity to enter STEM education as boys and men. Furthermore, there should not be an age limit when girls and women should pursue a career in the STEM fields.
Mentorship: More mentorship for girls and women are crucial to help them pursue education and careers in the STEM fields. When girls and women see a lack of female role models in the STEM fields, they tend to have lower self-confidence because they do not know if they can become successful or not and might feel like they do not belong. In addition to mentorship, sharing successful female stories in the STEM fields can encourage girls and women to enter the STEM fields.
Education: Educate and provide girls and women with opportunities to learn and explore the different subjects and ways to use STEM knowledge and skills. There are many ways to apply science, technology, engineering, and math skills. They must learn how to combine STEM skills with their unique talents to succeed.
If you had the power to influence or change the entire US educational infrastructure, what five things would you implement to improve and reform our education system? Can you please share a story or example for each?
If I have the power to influence the entire US educational infrastructure, I will incorporate a mandatory personal development course at all grade levels. The personal development course will include the following:
Humanistic career explorations. This will teach students to discover and use their passion to do great work and become productive citizens. It is essential to understand that students are not born knowing their passions until they learn the right strategies to unleash them. Students will also learn humanistic traits to help them reach their full potential.
Hand-on experiences: This will allow students to test their knowledge and skills immediately to discover their passions. The more students delay in applying, the lower the chance of them realizing what their passions are. Students testing their ideas will also increase their self-understanding to help them make better decisions.
Become researchers: This will teach students how to discover solutions to problems. The world is filled with gaps that need answers. Finding solutions to issues also help students create meaning and purpose to meet the demand of the 21st century. Becoming a researcher does not mean students must get a PhD, but having the mindset to look for solutions to problems not given to them. Students must have a curious mindset and look for answers regularly. Of course, it would be an extra benefit if students want to become researchers with their PhD because it will give them a better chance to research and find solutions to solve world problems. In return, everyone and everything benefits when students become researchers. It will provide students with a sense of meaning and purpose that they matter in the world, and society and the world will become a better place.
Life application: This will teach students how to use their learned knowledge and skills in all life areas. We must teach and show students that learning has many benefits besides employment and career. For example, students can use their writing skills to write in subjects they are passionate about and teach them that writing skills can help them in their daily lives. It is also important to show students that reading skills can also help them daily because everywhere they go, they often must read something. The more benefits students realize and receive, the more motivation they will have to want and continue to learn.
Life skills: This will teach students the essential life skills to keep their life balanced to become successful students. For example, helping students learn skills to develop positive relationships is crucial because no matter where students are, they most likely will build relationships with their peers, teachers, parents, co-workers, etc. Also, students cannot escape their health, so they must learn to create healthy habits to succeed. However, many students today are stressed out because they neglect to take care of their relationships and health while going to school and work. Other skills that students should learn are problem-solving, creativity, and emotional intelligence, to make sure they are at their best selves to become successful.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” Mahatma Gandhi
Education will always be important because it teaches us things we never know. It is impossible for us to learn everything because new knowledge is being discovered daily. The more you learn, the more updated information you have to help you make informed decisions. And that is why becoming a lifelong learner is critical to life’s success.
Live refers to application. It has taught me not to procrastinate in applying my knowledge for two reasons. First, knowledge without application becomes useless. Your career and life can only improve through applying. Second, life is short, not because we do not have time to do things but because we have so many goals and dreams that we want to pursue in our lifetime. We will unlikely to achieve all our goals and dreams in our lifetime, but that is okay. I believe that if we do our best daily in learning, doing great work, and moving forward daily, we can still live a fulfilling lifestyle.
We are blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US, with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them 😊
The person I would want to meet is Oprah. I have always admired her since I was young and going up. I just want to have tea with her and enjoy her presence.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
Website: www.mykimtran.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mykim-tran-phd-74296534/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063786394076
Thank you so much for these insights! This was so inspiring!
