Written by: Marie K. Levie, Commercial Appeal, June 2004

As a TV news reporter and anchor, Tran Bui covers all sorts of exciting storires for ABC 24/UPN 30.

But Bui's own life is suitable for a headline news story.

Bui was 3 years old when she boarded a boat to America with her parents and two sisters.

The family left Vietnam the day Saigon fell-April 30, 1975-leaving everything and everyone they knew behind.

Their boat was found by the U.S. coast Guard and the family was assigned to several refugee camps, eventually ending up in Fort Smith, Arkansas.

While there, Bui's parents struggled to provide a good life and education for their children.

"As a Vietnamese girl in the United States after the Vietnam War, I had a lot of insecurities and fears," Bui said. "I wondered if people hated seeing \me in their country. Did I remind them of the horrors or the war that took their loved ones?"

Enrolled in private schools with almost no other Asian-Americans, Bui attempted to Americanize herself as much as possible, eventually losing touch with her Vietnamese heritage.

It wasn't until her TV career began that she stared asking questions and learning the details of the journey from Saigon.

"It's taken years of denial, but today I not only accept my heritage, I embrace it," Bui said.

Bui's career in TV began by chance when she took over a friend's hours as a news assistant for a local station in Fort Smith, primarily as a way to make money while getting her degree in business administration from Arkansas State University.

Her first big break came when an anchor mentor gave her a chance to put a story together entirely on her own, which she watched air that night. She later worked at a TV station in Tallahassee, Florida, then came to Memphis.

As her career has blossomed over the years, Bui said she most values the excitement of meeting people and experiencing something different every day. She also appreciates the opportunity to affect people's lives.

Bui has received several awards for her work from the Associated Press in Arkansas and Florida, as well as a Media Award on Education Reporting from the National Stuttering Foundation here in Memphis.

"The most amazing stories are the ones that make people think twice about their lives or encourage people to help others," Bui said. "Those are the stories that make me feel like I'm contributing to society."

Recently Bui got an opportunity to interview Morgan Freeman in his hometown of Clarksdale, MIssissippi, where he owns a restaurant and club.

Bui, a fan of the actor, said he was down to Earth and friendly, spending several hours hanging out with her and her friends.

"In today's society, there's no actor with his grace and dignity that I can think of," Bui said. "It's his humble beginnings; I think that's why I like him so much. He came from nothing and now he has all this and he still wants to stay around."

In addition to her career, Bui takes time to volunteer for several organizations including the Memphis Multicultural and Religious Affaris Office, MPACT Memphis and the Commission on Missing and Exploited Children.

Recently Bui and her husband Scott Smith celebrated their one-year wedding anniversary. She is thankful for the life she enjoys.

"If I were to die today, I would still have more blessings than my parents ever dreamed for me when they brought me here from Vietnam."