A Sunny outlook
A Sunny outlook
- May 15, 2015
- Decorated international studies student chosen to speak at 2015 social sciences commencement ceremony
It’s been a rewarding spring for Sunny Liu. In the past three months, the international
studies, anthropology and public health science triple major has been awarded the
School of Social Sciences’ Order of Merit Award, selected as a 2015-16 Coro Foundation
Fellowship finalist, and named one of two speakers for the 2015 School of Social Sciences
commencement ceremony—what she says is one of her greatest achievements to date.
Having moved to the United States from China with her family when she was a preteen,
Liu understands the sacrifices her parents made to ensure a better education and life
for her, and she doesn’t take any part of that for granted.
“Compared to most of the world, who still live in poverty on less than one dollar
a day to sustain their life, I feel very privileged to receive a higher education,”
Liu shares. “And I feel responsible to utilize my opportunities … so I can move on,
either to higher education or a future career where I can contribute to helping people.”
Her interest in helping others stems from her own transition as a child coming to
an unfamiliar country where she did not know the language. Because of this struggle,
she understands firsthand what it’s like to feel silenced. The realization that there
were people all over the world who, with or without language barriers, were not able
to make themselves heard fueled her true passion to advocate for those who are unable
to do so for themselves.
Since arriving at UCI as a freshman, Liu has channeled this passion into dozens of
work and volunteer opportunities that helped her to earn her place at the podium this
June, including work as a peer academic adviser in the school’s Office of Undergraduate
Student Affairs, serving as campus director of UCI’s UC Haiti Initiative, and traveling
to Nepal as a volunteer medical intern. But balancing so many opportunities was not
always so easy for her.
“Earlier in school I felt very burnt out,” Liu says. “I had a very difficult transition
because when I came in I was a biological sciences major and that’s what my parents
wanted me to do, but I’ve always felt like it wasn’t really what I wanted.”
In order to convince her parents that she was more likely to excel in a major that
she enjoyed, Liu began taking courses in international studies, anthropology and public
health science and took on as many extracurricular opportunities as she could. It
worked, but trying to gain her parents’ trust led her to take on a bit too much at
one time, so she now encourages fellow students to maintain a better balance.
“I think I definitely have the tendency to push forward a little too much and get
burnt out,” she admits. “I work in the social sciences office, and I always tell students
who tend to be overachievers to sometimes to take a break because I don’t want them
to burn out the way I did. And taking a break doesn’t necessarily mean not moving
forward. … I think regardless of what you do, as long as you have a purpose in mind,
it’s still going to be valuable.”
Passing on these pieces of wisdom to fellow students is second nature to Liu, who
also notes that faculty members are significantly under-utilized resources for struggling
students.
“I always had the feeling that I had to do all of my readings and know everything
before I went to speak to a professor, but they are great resources. They know a lot
of connections, they know a lot of opportunities and they are more than happy to refer
you to all these opportunities if you are willing to tell them about your interests
and ask for their guidance. I think that is one thing that I wish I had realized earlier.”
Now that her degree is on the horizon, Liu is able to look back on her college career
with more clarity, but she is also looking forward. She was presented with several
fellowship opportunities, but has decided to join the Peace Corps as a youth development
and health education volunteer in Fiji. Ultimately, she believes that taking a temporary
step away from academia will help her to gain a new perspective on what she wants
to do and set her objectives.
“I think that goal setting is a very good habit to have, just so you are looking forward
to what you want to accomplish,” she advises. “And once you have that goal, it is
much easier to figure out the in between and do it one day at a time.”
Right now, her goal is to finish her career at UCI with flying colors and deliver
an inspiring commencement speech in front of her friends, faculty and family—who just
so happen to be celebrating the 10 year anniversary of their arrival to the United
States.
“A big part of my parents’ decision to move was so that I could receive a better education,
and it was a very difficult transition for them,” Liu says. “So it will be great having
my family here to see me speak.”
“Without their support I wouldn’t have come so far.”
—Bria Balliet, School of Social Sciences
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