Fairfield Middle School Student Khanh Tran Advances to International Braille Challenge Finals

Please direct inquiries to:

Zach Wigle, Superintendent

(319) 520-8082

zach.wigle@fairfieldsfuture.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 18, 2026

Fairfield Middle School Student Khanh Tran Advances to International Braille Challenge Finals

FAIRFIELD, IA — Fairfield Middle School student Khanh Tran has qualified for the 2026 Braille Challenge Finals, an international competition for visually impaired students.

Khanh qualified as a finalist in the sophomore category after achieving one of the top scores among more than 2,000 students.

The annual competition brings together international students to demonstrate skills in braille reading, comprehension, spelling, proofreading, speed, and accuracy. The Braille Challenge includes students from 37 states and six countries this year.

Khanh has continued to excel academically and personally while adapting to vision loss over the past several years. In addition to competing in Braille and abacus competitions, he is known for his enthusiasm for music and automobiles. In fact, he can identify the make and model of Hot Wheels cars by touch alone.

“Khanh approaches every challenge with determination, curiosity, and a positive attitude,” said Principal Carly Marten “We are incredibly proud of his accomplishments and cannot wait to see him represent Fairfield at the national level.”

The 2026 finals will take place June 25-27 at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. For more information about the Braille Challenge and the 2026 finals, visit braillechallenge.org.

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