Software engineer looks to help others through mentoring as well as published book of financial advice

While computer and software engineering has long been a natural fit for Paul Tran, helping people has been an underlying passion.

Currently a senior data and software engineering manager with Ovative Group, the St. Cloud State University alumnus has previously worked for Chewy, Amazon, Emerson Automation Solutions and MTS Systems, among other companies. He has worked on projects such as Li-Fi — where internet connections are made through light, remote parameter controls, analytical software for seismic and ground vehicle simulations, among numerous others.

“I’ve always known I should do something with computers; it's just very natural for how I think. I don't know if logical is the right way to put it, but I'm good at connecting those dots. I think software is the future, and even the present now,” he said. “I think as people are in the industry longer, they realize it's also very much an art. There’s no right way to do things — there's elegant ways of doing things, and there's not-so-elegant ways of doing things. As you get better, it’s almost like you're painting a really, really complex picture. I'm really into building things with my hands, and building things from scratch, and software — in my opinion — is the perfect world for that, because you can build almost anything. It’s almost like Legos for the virtual world.”

Throughout his career in the software engineering world, some instances have been more stressful than others. As a mental escape, Tran started working on a book some years ago about another subject he’s passionate about: finance. The end result was him publishing “My Little Book of Big Money: Simple Financial Tips for a Worry-Free Future” in 2024.

“I want to help people in general, so the best way to do that is by trying to teach them something important, and I think personal finance is extremely important,” he said. “Knowing the importance of money and how it impacts people's lives; there's probably not a whole lot of topics in someone's life that will keep you up at night, but money is definitely one of those — especially if you don't have enough of it. I personally grew up, what I would consider to be, poor. I saw the importance of money; I saw how it impacts people's lives negatively as well as positively. I just really wanted to try and pass that on as best I could.”

Tran said he’s excited about the feedback he’s received on the book, and it’s fulfilling to hear how people are changing the way they manage their finances in order to better provide for themselves and prepare for their futures.

“I really think the more people that read (the book), the better off they are forever, and then hopefully their kids will be better off. They'll be able to do all these things, because they have a little bit more money to do it,” he said. “It really is like a little more freedom. If you're working two to three jobs just trying to make ends meet, you don't have a whole lot of freedom to even focus on how to make your money work for yourself.”

In addition to helping others through his book, Tran also works to mentor those in his field.

“I try to get folks to see their full potential. Imposter syndrome is something that is so rampant, especially in engineering. In many places, the expectations are extremely high. Everyone around you — it's just kind of a given — are some of the smartest people in the world, so it's fascinating to become a manager in those spaces and listen to people

and actually have them talk to you,” he said. “I would say that's probably my biggest goal, is just trying to elevate those around me to reach their dreams, their goals.”

Tran would go as far as saying mentoring has led to one of his highest achievements. One of his current mentees is about to graduate with her degree in computer science. An Army veteran and a woman of color, Tran has been mentoring her for years and said she started out with serious imposter syndrome thanks to society tearing her down. He said her pending graduation is the “most proud moment” in his life.

Tran credits some of his mentoring skills to his professors at SCSU. While earning his bachelor’s in computer engineering as a transfer student and then his master’s in engineering management from the University, one of his professors helped Tran land his first two internships.

“The professors there are second to none,” he said.

He also credits St. Cloud State with giving him a solid foundation before starting his career, and said he would be hard-pressed to think of a class that hasn’t been put to use in his field.

“It’s fascinating how much all of these things that you learn actually will get used,” he said. “I think I use pretty much everything I've ever learned in school at some point and it’s always helped me out in some way.”

Tran continues his relationship with his alma mater as a mentor and as an industry advisory council member. He encourages students and graduates to work hard, make sure to always learn — not memorize, and to believe in themselves.

“I think success is directly correlated with how hard you work, and I think those that work hard are the smartest people in the world,” he said. “I think good things happen if you work hard for them.”