Julie Tran

From the classroom to the gym, Julie Tran builds community for students to stay active and make new friends on campus.

If you’ve walked the Lachine Canal on an early Saturday morning, perhaps you’ve spotted Julie Tran. A fierce member of Concordia’s dragon boat team, Julie hits the water regularly with her teammates turned closest friends.

Born in Montreal, the fourth-year Teaching English as a Second Language student is deeply involved with Concordia’s vibrant community. When not dragon boating or leading campus tours as a Student Ambassador, you can find Julie at the gym, where she organizes games of dodgeball, volleyball, badminton and more as co-founder of the Concordia Recreational Sports Club.

What does the average day in your life look like?

I dedicate my weekends to sports like dragon boating or the Recreational Sports Club. During the week, I'm just in class, attending lectures, working on assignments, and all the basics of university life. Sometimes I tutor. There’s no average day, but I do really look forward to the weekends because that’s when I do sports.

How did you get involved with dragon boating?

I tried to join clubs like roller skating and anime club, but things didn't work out. Then a friend introduced me to the Concordia Dragon Boat Club. There's no fitness tests or any sort of tryouts. It's open to every level, so as a beginner I didn't feel intimidated. The whole sport is 20 people in a boat at the same time. During the summer, we practice twice a week, and compete in races against other schools like McGill or Marianopolis. In the winter, since the canal is frozen, we paddle indoors in a simulation tank. I was able to form tight-knit friendships through dragon boating and I hang out with them all the time because we have a common interest.

What inspired you to start your own club?

Through the friendships I made in dragon boating, my friends David, Karam and I co-founded the Concordia Recreational Sports Club with the idea of trying out new things for fun. We signed a contract with a local college’s indoor gym and meet up every week to play sports like basketball, badminton, volleyball, soccer, salsa dancing, ice skating, swimming and even Quidditch. We wanted an adult physical education class because a lot of us miss the fun games we used to play in childhood.

What is the Teaching English as a Second Language program like?

My classes are great and the Teaching English as a Second Language program is unique. My program director, Teresa, takes care of us. Every year we have mandatory meetings with her and an academic advisor to discuss our goals and create a schedule for the upcoming year, like courses, electives and internships. It feels like we’re being guided and not left on our own to figure things out. There’s a maximum of 20 people in my classes, so you make friends easily because you see everyone in the same classes and form tighter-knit friendships.

Want to know more about Concordia, Montreal or Teaching English as a Second Language? Chat with current students like Julie to see what life on and off campus is really like!