Mai-Linh Tran ’04
When Mai-Linh Tran enrolled at Milton Hershey School as a sixth grader in 1997, she carried with her the weight of a difficult chapter in her family’s story and an emerging strength that hinted at everything she had yet to become. After her parents divorced when she was only six years old, Mai’s mother moved the family to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, to live with her sister. It was that same aunt who urged her to consider MHS, a place where Mai could access opportunities that her family simply couldn’t afford. Her mother made the difficult decision to send her—and, a few years later, her brother Anh-Son Tran ’11—believing they would grow in an environment that could both challenge and support them.
Mai immersed herself in the MHS community, driven by a desire to stay actively engaged. She was brought into the MHS Visual and Performing Arts stage crew by Bob Schelhorn to paint for various school performances. Growing her involvement over the years, she started to design and build sets, running sound and lighting, painting backdrops, and being available to support whatever the shows needed. Those technical skills she later brought with her when she worked in Villanova University’s black box theater. Her hands-on interests extended to other unique MHS experiences, including serving as a mounted patrol officer for Campus Security. During senior year, she spent her co-op with PennDOT’s district bridge design unit. She also explored her professional passions early through the Business Career and Technical Education program area under the mentorship of Rick Francis.
At Villanova, Mai continued her pattern of intentional engagement, taking on roles that strengthened her leadership skills and broadened her experience. Majoring in Management Information Systems, she served on executive boards and joined groups that helped build professional networks, develop career-minded habits, and understand the importance of reputation. To someone on the outside, her level of involvement might have seemed like a lot, but for Mai, each activity was another opportunity to learn more about herself. Those experiences, layered on top of the foundation she built at MHS, taught her what balance truly looked like. Staying engaged showed her that balance isn’t about doing less, but about finding purpose in the things that make you feel most alive.
“Whether in school or in my career, staying involved has always helped me center myself,” Mai said.
After graduating from Villanova, Mai spent a formative summer in Vietnam and initially planned to join the Peace Corps. When that opportunity didn’t materialize, she felt discouraged—but not defeated. She pivoted instead into the workforce, taking a role with SigmaCare in health care technology, assisting their implementation of electronic medical records. The work was demanding, supporting doctors and nurses on systems her company built, but it laid the foundation for her future in Information Technology (IT). She went on to build experience with Prudential Financial’s Annuity Division, focusing on quality, internal metrics, and performance measurement tools. With the help of her Prudential mentors, she found opportunities within the company to become more involved professionally and served on teams and task forces in order to continue learning outside of her normal role. Outside of work projects, she served on their volunteer and multicultural committees.
What she gained at Prudential led her to her next position at Linx-AS, a consulting firm specializing in Systems, Applications, and Products. Specializing in Product Lifecycle Management and Environment, Health & Safety, she coordinates with Recipe Development in food manufacturing. Mai immediately felt at home with Linx-AS, describing it as a family-like environment. Mai’s role changes with each project, from proof of concept, to blueprint, implementation, data migration, and programming alongside developers.
“It’s a constant journey to continue to learn,” Mai said. “To be able to adapt to different clients and needs, you need to be able to find opportunities to add to your knowledge base and not be afraid to ask for help from someone who’s been down that path.”
Her role eventually brought her back to The Hershey Company, which had partnered with Linx-AS to implement software rollouts and upgrades. That collaboration ultimately gave her the chance to travel across the country supporting clients in Georgia, Connecticut, Chicago, Michigan, Minnesota, and beyond.
Throughout her professional journey, one thing has remained constant: the lifelong community she built at MHS. Friends like Trachanda García ’02, Chris Day ’03, Larray James ’04, Theresa Rex ‘04, and Daniesha Hunter ’04 have been part of her world from childhood into adulthood, forming a circle of people who understand her in a way only fellow “Milts” can. Their stories mirror her own, growing up together, navigating similar experiences, and carrying forward the lessons they learned on campus. To Mai, the “Milt family” is more than a phrase; it represents a bond strengthened by shared history, unwavering support, and a sense of belonging that has followed her through every phase of her life.
“These friendships are an extension of my family,” Mai said. “We’re always there for each other.”
Mai encourages current students to seize every opportunity; build strong habits, get involved, volunteer, and explore a wide range of interests. If the first couple of tries aren’t that great, don’t let that stop you from trying it again. When she felt stagnant early in her own career, she pursued projects that would strengthen her resume, reached out to colleagues for guidance, and looked for hands-on learning wherever she could find it. Those choices ultimately prepared her for the role she holds today.
As an MHS alumna, Mai understands how powerful it can be to step into unfamiliar spaces and welcome something new. She’s learned that saying “yes” to opportunity—whether trying different activities, learning new skills, or leaning into moments that stretch your abilities—is often how people discover who they are and who they want to be. Growth, and the reward that comes with it, often lives just on the other side of challenge.
“My brother and I didn’t choose the circumstances we came into the world with or why we ended up at MHS,” Mai said. “Poverty doesn’t define or show one’s worth. There’s nothing to prove. Self-worth is something you find along the way.”
Mai also emphasizes the importance of nurturing a life that extends beyond her professional world. For her, that sense of fulfillment comes through movement and exploration—whether she’s practicing jiujitsu, teaching yoga, training in muay thai, biking, trying new foods, snowboarding, golfing, or traveling to new places.
The story that began at MHS has evolved into a far-reaching career in healthcare IT, finance IT, and enterprise software, where Mai is creating a legacy of meaningful outcomes. She carries with her the mentorship and community she first found on the MHS campus, a foundation that continues to propel her path forward. With every new experience, she builds on that early sense of possibility, demonstrating how what begins at MHS can resonate throughout a lifetime.