By Vivian Le
Graduating FVHS in 2006 with little to no idea with what he wanted to do wit his life, he attended Orange Coast Community College, Golden West Community College, Santa Ana Community College and Irvine Valley Community College in an effort to find his calling. To fulfill his parents’ vision of raising a doctor, he graduated from West Coast University and became, ironically, a dental hygienist. He quit after one year.
FVHS alumnus Johny Tran, with business partner and former owner of
Confection Jimmy Nugent, opened the non-dairy ice cream store Hug Life in Garden Grove to defy the standards of the ice cream industry and common
misconceptions about veganism.
“We wanted to create a product where people could realize that we don’t always have to have animal products in our diet to live,” said Tran. “We created a product, which was ice cream, that for a long time people thought [you needed milk or eggs for]. We’re here to change that perspective. Here we are, creating completely plant-based ice cream that doesn’t come at the cost of an animal.”
Tran spent the first fourteen years of his life as a vegetarian; a plant-based
lifestyle was all he ever knew until he decided to experiment with different diets. Although he thought he enjoyed consuming animal products, he quickly realized that it didn’t feel right. That being said, he never liked the word “vegan.” Instead, he sees himself as a normal person doing their best to avoid animal products.
“Back when we were younger, we had this idea,” Tran said. “because we were living a plant-based lifestyle, we felt like a burden to our friends going out to eat, because every time we’d eat they’d be like, ‘Oh, what can you eat, grass?’ or ‘Oh, they have salad for you.’ It got annoying, so we decided to create a product that everyone can come in and eat
and enjoy.”
During his time at FVHS, Tran never excelled academic standards; however, he was involved in basketball for three years.
“In [FVHS], it was up and down, a love-hate relationship,” said Tran. “During the time where I went to [FVHS], I thought I hate school, and I thought I hated every moment of it, but looking back it was the best four
years of my life. I think the main things that where I didn’t want to go to school or there were times I didn’t want to continue playing basketball, but being around the environment at Fountain Valley High School brought me to where I am today.“
For the time being, Tran’s main goal is to continue growing Hug Life, getting his products into everybody’s hands and spreading awareness of the non-animal product diet.
“I know for the [FVHS] students out there, sometimes school can be mundane, or you can feel like you don’t want to go to school anymore but just keep your mind in the grand scheme of things,” said Tran. “It builds your character, your attitude and your demeanor. Just hang tight and enjoy the ride.”
This story was published in the 2019 Red Magazine. Stop by room 306 for a copy.
