Anna’s Story: Finding Joy At Gum Moon

Living in Chinatown in the 1990's, Yen Tran saw a sign announcing childhood development programs at Gum Moon and decided to enroll her then three-year-old daughter Anna. Yen saw the joy her daughter got from the program and enrolled her in several other Gum Moon programs over the years.

“I was an only child so I remember loving playing with the teachers when I was little, being in the classroom setting with other kids, and making friends,” says Anna. “Gum Moon is also where I was first exposed to learning English as we spoke Chinese at home.”

Anna recalls enjoying the weekend art classes, and a fishing trip where she and her classmates caught a fish so big the teacher-assistants had to help them reel it in.

“It really felt like my second home,” says Anna. “I loved it, and it helped my parents too who both worked full time and could pick me up after work.”

Since going through the programs as a child, Anna has stayed involved with Gum Moon, volunteering in the summers as a teacher’s assistant. “It felt like going back to when I was a kid,” says Anna. “It felt great to be able to go back and do that for the kids.”

Anna also volunteers at Gum Moon’s annual dinners, helping to decorate, serve food and sell raffle tickets. “I have a close connection to the Gum Moon staff and enjoy seeing and working with the children,” says Anna.

Today, Anna is a first year student at UCLA and is considering becoming a math teacher or working in education policy for her career.