In our alumni spotlight series, learn about Harvard graduates' most meaningful experiences from college, and how Harvard impacted their professional and personal paths after graduation.
Hometown & Current City: San Francisco Bay Area
House Affiliation: Pforzheimer
Concentration and Secondary Field: Government and International Relations
Current Job Title/Company or organization: New York Times Best Selling Author and Executive Producer
What was your professional path after college? I thought I would work in public service, and began my career working for US President, the Elizabeth Dole Presidential Exploratory Committee. After that I went to work in the US Congress, Senate Judiciary Committee, before going to Columbia Law School. After law school, I thought I would become a law professor, and clerked for the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit and practicing at Sullivan & Cromwell LLP. While I was on maternity leave with my second child, I started writing novels. For the next ten years I would write at night and work during the day in venture capital at Intel Capital and artificial intelligence, negotiating multibillion dollar deals on Wall Street and in Silicon Valley and hosting Intel’s Artificial Intelligence podcast featuring leading industry experts including Andrew Ng, Facebook's Chief AI Scientist Yann LeCun and US Congresswoman Robin Kelly. I also served with the Partnership on AI working on ethics and AI.
My novel Loveboat, Taipei was published by HarperCollins in 2020, followed by Loveboat Reunion in 2022 and Loveboat Forever in 2023. The first novel has been adapted to the Paramount+ top comedy film Love in Taipei, and I served as an executive producer, bringing together all my skills in tech, finance, working with talent and storytelling.
How did your academic experience at Harvard guide you in your post-grad pursuits? My work draws from my studies in government and international relations, as well as some of the earliest classes in ethnic studies. I learned how to deeply research and master new areas as well as subjects with which I was already familiar.
What was a favorite class you took and why? I took an art class focused on the architect, Frank Lloyd Wright. It was one of the most fun classes I'd ever taken, and I enjoyed studying visuals of the buildings he designed, and taking personal field trips to visit homes he'd designed. We also watched the film The Fountainhead, based on the novel by Ayn Rand. It opened my eyes to the power of art and affirmed its place in the world of scholarship.
Did you have any research/internship opportunities and/or professor/mentor relationships that were influential? I wrote my senior thesis on China under the guidance of Professor Roderick MacFarquhar, a former member of the British Parliament and director of the Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies. As an immigrant girl from Ohio, I was astounded that I had access to someone of his vast experience in leadership and scholarship. He met with me every other week, advising me not just on the thesis, but on my adventures on several research trips to China.
What were you involved in extracurricularly? I served on the Student Governing Board of the Institute of Politics, as co-president of the Asian American Christian Fellowship, co-publicity chair of the Chinese Student Association, and sang with Radcliffe Choral Society.
How did your extracurricular activities impact your Harvard experience? And have they had an impact on your post-grad life? I learned so much about politics and leadership in my time serving at the Institute of Politics and with the Asian American organizations. It was incredible experience, a safe place to make mistakes, and I have continued to build on those lessons since. And the alumni are amazing! When I was filming Love in Taipei in Taipei, I reconnected with my former head of Radcliffe Choral Society, who was serving as the dean of Taipei American School. She hosted me at the school. My former president of the CSA -- as well as so many others I met through these organizations, they have been an incredible support for the launch of my novels and film, as it is a fulfillment of the work for representation that we did as students on campus.
What is a favorite memory of Harvard House life? The Pfoho dining hall was a cozy place and I loved being able to come down in my pajamas for breakfast, especially Sunday brunch. I was introduced to so many kinds of cuisines through the Harvard Dining Hall that I still enjoy with my family to this day.
What is your favorite Harvard tradition and why? I love coming back for reunions! It's a wonderful way to stay connected to my classmates and watch how we all grow over the years.
What advice do you have for someone applying to college? Apply widely and be open to a variety of college experiences. You will land well, and wherever you go, you can find friends, resources and opportunities that will launch your career.