Ryan Liu - Attorney and Proud Son of Immigrants

A STORY OF IMMIGRANTS

My mother and her family fled the Cambodian genocide as refugees.

My father came from Taiwan via Argentina.

EDUCATION IS KEY

My parents left everything behind to come to America and create a better life for themselves and our family. I am a first-generation American and the first in my family to earn a college degree.

My parents told me and my brother that higher education is key to a better life and greater opportunities, even though they never got higher education.  

They always said “education is the only thing somebody can’t take away from you”. 

A FAMILY SETBACK

Making ends meet wasn’t easy. My parents opened a restaurant.

But they had difficulties and ultimately had to close it.

After their restaurant failed, my parents became vending machine operators. Their work involved a lot of heavy lifting, transporting, and fixing machines. It’s labor intensive. So, while my parents were hardworking, we were low-income. 

Given their commitment to education, my parents rented a small backhouse in Arcadia—an upper-middle-class suburb in the San Gabriel Valley—so my brother and I could attend great public schools. We squeezed into the one-bedroom home, with three of us sharing a bed. I grew up eating free meals in school and helping my father transport vending machines whenever possible. I knew that going to college could provide a better life, but I wasn’t sure how to pay for it. 

PURSUING A COLLEGE EDUCATION

During my senior year of high school, I applied to a public university, which offered me a full-tuition waiver and some financial aid. I was on my way—or so I thought. 

I filled out paperwork in the summer, toured the campus, and started looking at classes. But when I got my tuition bill, I was stunned. I realized the financial aid wasn’t enough to cover all the fees, like books, food, and housing. So, I drove to the university in my family’s vending machine truck and promptly withdrew. I was experiencing “summer melt“, when low-income students start to enroll in college but never attend. 

ATTENDING COMMUNITY COLLEGE

I was determined to go to college, so I drove straight to Pasadena City College and enrolled there instead. It felt like a setback. I was aware of a stigma with community college. I had worked so hard, only to end up there. 

My goal was to just put my head down, get all my work done, and transfer as soon as I could. I’m glad I didn’t do that because the two years I spent at PCC were some of the most eye-opening and transformative of my life. And I realized there should be no stigma attached to community college. 

At PCC, my professors were solely dedicated to teaching students. Their entire focus was on lecturing, advising, and helping their students succeed. With the smaller class size, compared to a four-year university, I got to know my professors and advisors. They became my mentors and later wrote letters of recommendation. 

AFFORDING A COLLEGE EDUCATION

By living at home with my family, I was able to save money while receiving a high-quality education at a fraction of the cost of a four-year school. And my flexible schedule enabled me to work three jobs while completing my studies. 

My hardworking classmates inspired me. 

I met veterans starting college after years of military service, student parents who balanced work while attending classes, and new immigrants who —like my parents — came to this country to build a better life for their families. 

I thrived at PCC, majoring in Political Science, interning on Capitol Hill, and serving in student government.

As class Valedictorian, I gave the commencement speech on graduation day with my parents looking on proudly. I thought of all the sacrifice and hard work they put forth to get to that day – the day that I became the first college graduate in our family. What’s more, that very morning, I received my acceptance letter to transfer to Yale University. Getting accepted to an elite private university was something beyond our wildest dreams. 

AFTER COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Of the two dozen Yale Transfer Students, only three came from community colleges. Most of the transfers were from other elite private colleges or flagship public universities. Many had gone to prep school. So, when I got to New Haven, I was in for a bit of culture shock. I moved into the dorm and for the first time ever, I had my own bed. 

I am now a graduate of Yale University, University of Oxford, and Yale Law School. I am not a self-made person. Everything I have achieved results from the sacrifice and encouragement of my parents and the education I received at Pasadena City College.  

During my two years at Pasadena City College, someone was always helping to push me forward: my parents, professors, and classmates. 

PCC paved the path for me as the son of immigrants and gave me the chance to afford college, become an attorney, and uplift my family.