Patty Liu – Director for ITASA West Coast Conference and Past President of UC Berkeley’s TASA

UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA

Who are you?

I was born in Taiwan and grew up in Cupertino, CA. I am currently a senior at UC Berkeley. Aside from studying Economics, I dedicate all my remaining free time to the Taiwanese American Student Association and volunteering. I am spontaneous and love trying out new things, ranging from food to extreme sports. One word that never fails to catch my attention is the word “new.” And my personality prompts me to try many new things not only in life, but also as a person and as a leader.

I have been involved in UC Berkeley’s Taiwanese American Student Association for the past seven semesters. I started out as the cultural committee chair and was the president last year. Currently, I am the senior advisor and am super excited for what the new generation of TASA will bring to the community. My next big project is my role as the Director for the 2011 Intercollegiate Taiwanese American Students Association (ITASA) West Coast Conference where I wish to continue making a difference in my local community and get people to care more about the Taiwanese American identity.

Tell us about your organization / project, your role, and its impact?

The first club I sought out when I arrived at the UC Berkeley campus was the Taiwanese American Student Association (TASA). My first impression was different from what I had expected. Even though everyone in the organization was amazing, I knew TASA was not at its full potential. TASA strives to promote unity and cooperation among Taiwanese Americans in the community by holding events that bring together people of all backgrounds and ideals united by a common cultural interest. However, this goal would be more easily achievable if more Taiwanese Americans were to know about us and join us in accomplishing this goal. Since that semester, I took on leadership roles that were available to me and learned as much as I could from the mentors around me. There are many amazing Taiwanese American leaders based in Berkeley, such as Ho Chie Tsai and Chris Chang, and they helped TASA become what it is today. In my junior year, I became the president and challenged my team to tasks that were never accomplished before. In one semester, we hosted over thirteen events, which included hosting a Charity Concert with Wong Fu from Taiwan for Morakot Typhoon, a Chinese Lunar New Year Banquet held jointly with Academy of Art at SF, and a Career Panel of Taiwanese American Professionals in the Bay Area to provide guidance to Taiwanese American students. None of this would have been possible without my amazing team and incredible mentors. With the resources available in Berkeley and a new generation of officers, I am confident that TASA will continue to thrive.

Where do you find your inspiration and motivation as a student leader?

I believe passion is the most fundamental aspect of a leader. With all the responsibilities that a student juggles, without passion, it is hard to motivate yourself and to an even lesser extent, inspire others.