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Armwood High School Graduate Overcame Mother's Slaying

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By LIZ BLEAU

The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 3, 2008

TAMPA - For some students, graduation is an accomplishment. For others, it is a triumph over circumstance.

Truong Tran, 17, graduated Monday from Armwood High School despite a senior year that began with the violent death of his mother, Cuc Thu Tran.

Tran arrived home from school Sept. 16 to find his mother missing from their Seffner home. Her body was discovered several days later in a burning van 13 miles away.

"I knew something was wrong when I came home and saw her cell phone and all her clothes for work spread out on her bed," the teen said.

Authorities eventually arrested 25-year-old Kenneth Ray Jackson and charged him in her death. His trial is pending.

Truong said his mother was his "everything."

"Everything I am proud of comes from her," Truong said. "I have some flaws, but all the good things come from her."

A single mom, Cuc Thu Tran worked long hours during a six-day work week but always kept tabs on her sons, Truong and his younger brother, John, 11. An older brother, P.T., 23, was living in Massachusetts in the fall when word came that she was missing.

After their mother's death, P.T. was arranging for Truong to live with an uncle in Jacksonville to complete his senior year and compete for Florida scholarships.

But Armwood guidance counselor Linda Santos and Principal Marc Hutek had another plan.

"He needed his friends and his support system," Santos said, "and people would not know him in a new school, and he might miss out on scholarships."

They were persuasive. P.T., who had just gotten engaged, put his life on hold and came to Florida to be with his brothers so Truong could complete his senior year at Armwood.

Truong accepted his diploma Monday night, one of 350 Armwood graduates taking to the stage at the University of South Florida Sun Dome.

"There were days when I had times of despair and did not want to go to school, but my mom never wanted me to miss, so I made myself go," he said.

Truong ended the year with perfect attendance and a 6.07 GPA, sixth in this class.

Hutek noted that the graduating class had 84 honor graduates, 40 percent of the class earned Bright Futures scholarships and members have been awarded more than $10 million in scholarships.

Truong will go to the University of Florida on a full Florida Opportunities scholarship.

"The support I received was a group effort," Truong said. "My friends would sense if I was having a bad day and I knew I could openly cry on their shoulders."

Reporter Liz Bleau can be reached at lbleau@tampatrib.com or (813) 865-1557.

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