His parents worked their whole lives in a Chinese restaurant so he wouldn’t have to.
Waldo Yan’s parents worked at a Chinese restaurant for years so that he could have a better life, toiling nights…www.latimes.comm
I had the absolute pleasure of supervising Waldo Yan while he was an Instructional Programs Supervisor at UCLA. He brought a positive and humble energy to the job that was both calming and much needed in what was sometimes a fast paced, stressful environment. When so many students have crossed your path over a couple of decades in Higher Education, it’s hard to have favorites. But, life is hard… so there is little doubt of me naming Waldo as one of them.
Check out Waldo in this awesome promo video for UCLA Instructional Programs.
UCLA Martial Arts – Videos | Facebook
UCLA Martial Arts, Los Angeles, CA. 783 likes · 14 talking about this · 549 were here. The UCLA Martial Arts Program is…www.facebook.com
Waldo reminded me of his passion for food in his last message to me on Facebook. He expressed a message of thanks for a couple of small lessons he was able to garner from his time working with me and also of how we would each design our ultimate Thanksgiving meal! There is nothing I find more satisfying than a student that finds their passion.
Working at UCLA we are surrounded by some of the brightest minds of the nation, from doctors and lawyers to engineers and business professionals, but for some reason I find a little more satisfaction when someone who has the choice of some of the more usual vocations but instead chooses what to some might seem something not as promising. To me that resonates with living a life true to yourself, true to whatever drives you and true to that which resonates with your soul, not necessarily what society expects from you. To me this personifies Thriving in todays world, as opposed to a fancy title, large signing bonus or salary package…to me this shows true integrity.
Watching this video over 3 years since he graduated was a welcome reminder of what an excellent human being he is. Just a 100% solid citizen that without a doubt cares 150% about the people he serves. With the current affairs and state of the World right now I think that people like Waldo should be lauded for their efforts and contributions to making the World a better place….one plate at a time! 🙂
Originally published at medium.com