2024 Recipients
Emily Chang
Cellular, Molecular, and Developmental Biology | Yale University
Emily Chang is an incoming freshman at Yale University who plans to major in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology. She is Taiwanese American with both her parents being immigrants from Taiwan and speaks Chinese fluently. Emily is determined, passionate, and strives to utilize her leadership skills to better the organizations she participates in. She attended Glen A Wilson High School where she participated in various extracurriculars such as HOSA-Future Health Professionals, Science Olympiad, and chamber choir. Emily has earned various accolades in both science and music, including piano competitions, Science Olympiad state medals, and HOSA national finalist titles. Outside of school, she plays piano, was an animal rescue adoption coordinator, and conducted viral research at UCLA. In college, Emily hopes to further her knowledge in biology through research but also widen her skillset in other fields such as data science. She wants to study abroad and utilize the abundance of opportunities college offers her. She plans to pursue either medical school or a PhD in life sciences after graduation. Emily hopes to become a college professor with her own research lab one day, but is also open to a career in medicine or biotech. During her free time, she enjoys hanging out with friends, listening to music, and making miniatures. She would like to thank all the adults, mentors, and friends in her life that have helped guide her to where she is today, as well as the Asian Pacific Community Fund and Open Bank for supporting her college journey.
Emily Su
Health & Societies | University of Pennsylvania
Emily Su is an incoming freshman @University of Pennsylvania, from Long Island, New York! She’s always been interested in STEM, and throughout high school, she’s really enjoyed exploring biology, math and environmental research, and competitive problem-solving. Now that she’s entering university, she plans to apply these interests career-wise. Her intended major changes every day – but as of today, she’s planning to double major in Health & Societies and Economics, and hopefully (crossing her fingers) Mathematics. Her future plans aren’t too clear, but she’s looking into med school or something in econ!
Outside of academics, Emily has a passion for education and the environment. She’s led a few projects based in her hometown, which all seem to merge into the same goal: teaching the younger generation valuable lessons to improve smaller communities, and, hopefully, our world! She hopes to start similar initiatives at Penn, and despite how large her goal is, she finds fulfillment in the small steps :).
Some contradictory fun facts that sort-of-but-not-really define her: Emily loves to bake, but doesn’t eat the sweets she makes (she’d rather share!). She is the least active member of her gym class, but plays badminton and has recently started going to the gym. She is internally an ISTJ-T personality, but she tries her best to be social and extroverted. She used to be very quiet but has a pretty loud laugh and has gotten pretty comfortable (she thinks) with public speaking. And finally, since the state of your room is the state of your mind: her room is messy and chaotic (she’s working on it), but she thrives on an organized schedule and to-do lists.
Garrick Lu
E-Business | California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Even though Garrick wasn’t initially interested in business, school has given me a different outlook. Garrick Lu is a rising sophomore at Cal Poly Pomona. Garrick’s major is E-Business which focuses on helping companies manage their supply chains. As to why Garrick chose to attend college, a college degree tends to lead to higher education and income. Friends and family recommended that Garrick attend Cal Poly Pomona for its job opportunities. Another reason why Garrick chose Pomona is that the school is close enough to go back home every other weekend. Being able to go home and enjoy a home-cooked meal was important to mental health. A “business” moment that inspired Garrick to be a business major was a school stock market competition. Seeing the poster in the library, Garrick decided to go for it. Food that would be served during weekly meetings also helped Garrick’s decision to attend. The competition would last a quarter of a year. The competition would have the user use fake money to buy into an online stock market simulation. Garrick ended up investing in Facebook, Adobe, Cisco, and two other tech companies. You know what was surprising? That quarter, Facebook was the best performer which won two awards, namely the Greatest Return on Investment and the Most Consistent Portfolio. Garrick aspires to be a business analyst that helps companies improve their supply chains. The degree aligns with Garrick’s goal as it offers a broad education. From a young age, one of my interests was business. Learning in depth how a company might function furthers understanding of how business might operate in real life. To sum up, Garrick chose Cal Poly due to job opportunities, proximity to home, and different course offerings.
James Bowden
Mechanical Engineering | Purdue University
James Bowden was raised in Louisville, KY by his mom, a single parent who immigrated from the United States from Toufen, Taiwan. He spent a bit of his early childhood growing up in Taiwan with his grandparents, great-grandfather, aunt and uncle, and cousin—four generations under a single roof. Upon his occasional returns to Taiwan, he realized that he had left a part of his identity after living in America. That’s why James strives to remember his Taiwanese heritage, including the temple visits and morning markets that shaped his youth. This scholarship gives James a better opportunity to seek higher education and pursue his passions without being set back by financial barriers. In the fall, James will be a sophomore at Purdue University majoring in mechanical engineering. His fascination with space exploration and robotics throughout his life has given him a passion in engineering design. James’s goal is to become a mechanical design engineer specializing in sustainability because he believes that the future hinges on sustainable practices, especially in the engineering industry. James is incredibly grateful to the Taiwanese American Scholarship Fund. College is a fundamental step in pursuing what he hopes to achieve in his life in the realm of mechanical engineering, and the TASF scholarship brings him closer to achieving that.
Josselyn Lee
Art History | University of Michigan
Hello! My name is Josselyn Lee and I am from Ann Arbor, Michigan. My parents were born and raised in Taipei, Taiwan but immigrated to the United States during the late 1990’s. I will be attending the University of Michigan as a rising freshman majoring in Art History during the fall of 2024. Growing up, I have always loved learning about different pieces of art and visiting museums. However, over time I realized that many different Asian cultures were heavily underrepresented in a lot of museums in the United States, including Taiwan. This lack of representation is what inspired me to major in Art History. During my time at the University of Michigan, I plan to research and learn more about art from Taiwan and various other underrepresented Asian cultures. With this education, I hope to become a museum curator and finally bring the spotlight onto these underrepresented Asian cultures and diversify the art world. This way people can finally learn about the fascinating history behind each one through their beautiful art, and other young Asian Americans like me are finally able to feel the pride and connection of seeing their culture displayed in a museum. Thank you so much to the Taiwanese American Scholarship Fund for providing me with this amazing scholarship that helps relieve so much of the financial burdens the cost of attending university would place. It will help me be able to focus a lot more on my studies and chase this dream of mine.
Kyra Chen
Biology | Brown University
Hi! I’m Kyra Chen (陳秉綺) and I’m from San Mateo, California. Though I was born in the US, both my parents are from Taiwan. I’ll always fondly remember visiting our relatives in Taiwan as a child, enjoying the best street food, practicing my Mandarin and Hokkien with close family. I’m incredibly honored to be selected as a TASF scholarship recipient! Thanks to TASF, I will be attending Brown University this fall with financial burdens eased. Currently, I’m planning to pursue a degree in Molecular Biology in preparation for medical school. Whether I’m observing a plate of cells under a microscope or studying from a textbook, biology always fascinates me. There is a unique beauty to the millions of biological mechanisms that keep us alive and healthy, and one day I hope to not just study them—but to use what I’ve learned to heal.
I love to appreciate the beauty of our world through both scientific inquiry and artistic exploration. In my free time, I enjoy animation, 3d modeling, costume/prop design, jewelry making, and papercrafting—but the artistic pursuit that has my heart is drawing. Coming from a lower-income background, I understand the struggle of accessing opportunities. Knowledge is best shared, and I’ve worked to bring resources to my community. I hope to continue bringing the resources and knowledge I gain in college and beyond to communities who need it. With the financial support of TASF, a bright future of learning, creating, and sharing is well within reach.
Maggie Chen
Environmental Science | University of Washington
Maggie Chen (陳嘉妍) was born and raised in Ringgold, Georgia, and both of her parents are from Taiwan. Her dad is from Kaohsiung, while her mother is from Tainan. During her childhood, many summers were spent visiting family in Taiwan, and she created some of her fondest memories exploring the AC in FamilyMart and 9×9. Now, as a recent high school graduate, Maggie plans on attending the University of Washington in the fall to major in Environmental Studies. With this degree, she aims to understand the nuanced relationship between food and the environment. After spending over two summers meal-packing, she realized food insecurity has large, adverse effects on any community and wonders about its relation to our surroundings. On top of this, Maggie plans on minoring in either biochemistry or writing. Her passion for writing was fostered by her love for reading and subsequent involvement in the National English Honor Society, where she recently published an article highlighting LGBTQIA+ authors. In addition, her biochemistry passion arose from her time as a Project SEED intern, where she was immersed in chemistry projects ranging from Protein DNA analysis to Photo-Dehydro-Diels-Alder reaction discovery. These experiences uncovered new curiosities, and Maggie decided that her time in college necessitated academic exploration to build a strong, interdisciplinary background with Environmental Studies. After earning her bachelor’s degree, she hopes to attend law school to study Environmental Law. Eventually, she aims to focus on enacting change in conservation policy that will drive sustainable production, and thus greater equity to food.
Olivia Liau
Computer Science | University of Southern California
Hello! My name is Olivia Liau (廖佩筠), and I’m a rising sophomore at the University of Southern California.
As a Taiwanese-American, I’m a product of my parents’ immigration to the U.S. from Taipei, Taiwan, and their endeavors that inspire everything I do. My father, 廖湧祥, taught himself English, earned his PhD in theology, and fought a hard battle with Parkinson’s before passing away in 2018. Since his death, my mother, 盧靜瑶, has single-handedly managed a personal business to provide for our family. They’re the strongest people I know; because of them, I’m proud of my Taiwanese heritage. My father’s struggle with Parkinson’s revealed the harsh nature in which neurodegenerative diseases impact patients — and indirectly, their families. It has become my ultimate career goal to ease the pain caused by these devastating conditions. Through the field of computational neuroscience, I hope to engineer technological innovations that help others reclaim control of their lives.
Alongside working toward degrees in Computer Science and Computational Neuroscience, I’ve immersed myself in research: My works encompass developing algorithms for RNA sequencing, neuron detection, and transcriptomics analyses. I’m also passionate about volunteering at retirement homes and spreading awareness of neurological diseases. As I continue my undergraduate career, it’s truly an honor to be recognized by TASF, whose support has actualized my dreams of pursuing my PhD, joining a laboratory as a neuroscientist, and eventually unraveling the brain’s complex intricacies. With TASF’s patronage, I’m excited to fully dedicate myself to my career and future contributions to science.
Ruby Wu
Civil Engineering | Cornell University
In my hometown in rural Taiwan, frequent earthquakes have led to landslides, causing damage to homes in our peaceful neighborhood. The same issue persists in my current home in California.
I plan to study civil engineering in college to reduce the damages caused by natural hazards.
It wasn’t until high school that I began to understand that such dangers could be prevented. I explored how second-order differential equations are applied in tuned mass dampers, addressing forces like seismic waves and wind to stabilize buildings.These familiar concepts account for forces in nature, from vibrations to wind, stabilizing buildings. The connection between engineering and disaster mitigation became clear.
This is what I hope to learn in the Civil Engineering program of the college I attend, concentrating on civil infrastructure. I am interested in applying mathematics to engineer resilient city solutions that can withstand natural hazards. I aspire to take classes like Structural Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering and join a research team, where they model earthquake shockwaves. There, I can learn how to mitigate the effects on buildings, expanding my understanding of stabilizing buildings influenced by seismic waves. I can join the Structural Engineering and Materials Research Lab to investigate retrofitting buildings to survive earthquakes. I hope to continue learning about natural disasters mitigation by taking classes like Uncertainty Analysis in Engineering. There, I can delve deeper into how structural reliability can be achieved through mathematical calculations. I aim to better understand how structures, more than just tunnels, carry loads.
Ting-Jui Chang
Electrical Engineering | Arizona State University
Ting-Jui (TJ) Chang is an Electrical Engineering student at the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University. Starting with Electronic Snap Circuits, TJ developed an early interest in circuits and electricity, which ultimately led him to choose electrical engineering as his major. In the future, he plans to do an accelerated graduate program offered at ASU to get a master’s along with his bachelor’s degree. Currently, he is interested in developing new technology for the biomedical field, and his goal is to research and improve electronic communications in biomedical devices.
For campus activities, TJ is most notably involved with the Asian/Asian Pacific American Student Coalition (AAPASC), an umbrella organization that unites over 20 AANHPI-affiliated student organizations at ASU. As a coalition and a member of this coalition, we support our member organizations, organize inclusive events for the entire coalition, and foster alliances with various groups on campus. For example, TJ helped organize and program the main signature event of AAPASC held at the end of the year; Culture Fest. This event features our member organizations, student performers, and popular AANHPI artists for ASU’s Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (AAPHIM). More information can be found on AAPASC’s Instagram page, @aapasc.asu.
Outside of academics, TJ likes going to the gym, playing video games, cooking up new beats in music production, practicing new balisong flipping moves, and messing with his 3D printer.