LIFE ON HIMES
Servant, Humanitarian The following is an excerpt of Ranieri’s
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6 JESUIT PERSPECTIVES • WINTER 2021-22
���������������� , per usual, sat among his
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���������������������������������������������� Jim Ranieri, while also
maybe letting his mind wander to all that had
been going on in his life.
Perhaps Tran was thinking about his recent
acceptance to Notre Dame. Or how, as a twoyear
starting offensive lineman, he had helped
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few weeks before.
Or maybe Tran was looking ahead to his
academic day. A phenomenal student, Tran's
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in the fall semester his lowest average in any
course was a 94.6, and he earned a 98.3 in AP
Latin. Tran also is a stellar saxophone player in
the Jesuit orchestra. And he is a leader in the
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���������������������������������������������������������������������������������� also
established their own service initiative a few
years ago, providing care packages to the
homeless.
So, Tran had a lot on his mind. But as Ranieri
kept speaking, about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.,
and about Anne Frank (citing her famous quote,
“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a
single moment before starting to improve the
world”) eventually, slowly, Tran realized what
was happening: he was being introduced as the
recipient of the Florida Holocaust Museum's
Anne Frank Humanitarian Award, which is
given to a student who has shown exceptional
compassion through service and humanitarian
efforts.
Tran with Jesuit principal
Mike Scicchitano '01
presentation:
This award goes to a student who has
shown exceptional compassion through
service and humanitarian efforts. They
live the Museum's mission in bringing
hope and positive change to their school
and the world.
We would now like to recognize and
honor this senior. ... He is a member of
Agmen Christi and has travelled to Belle
Glade to work with the migrant children.
He is member of the Pro-Life Club and
traveling to D.C. for the March for Life.
He has volunteered with the Special
Olympics.
He and his brother (Noah Tran ’20),
through their compassion and a simple
conversation with a man on the street
corner, developed a project to create
care packages for the homeless. They
gather donations and create a small
package of goods (water, hand sanitizer,
toiletries, and food). The idea is that you
can keep a few packages in your car
and give them out when you encounter
someone on the side of the road in need
of help. But what is really neat is beyond
just handing out a package from your
car window, they make it a point to have
a conversation as well.
When Jonah’s older brother left for
college and the pandemic hit, the easy
thing would have been to just give up on
the project. But Jonah has kept it alive
despite these hurdles. He realizes that
"the smallest act of service can have a
big impact on someone's life.”
Jonah Tran ’22
receives the
Anne Frank
Humanitarian
Award from the
Florida Holocaust
Museum
Jonah Tran '22 and his family
after he received the Anne Frank
Humanitarian Award