The Journey Continues: A Q&A with Lucy Yu '17

What college or university are you currently attending, and what year are you?

I’m currently a senior at Cal Poly Pomona.

What major/minors will you graduate with?

I’ll be graduating this May with a BS in hospitality management and a minor in Chinese.

What inspired you to study and pursue these areas of interest?

Ever since my junior year at Santa Catalina, I knew I wanted to study hospitality. I didn’t realize that I could study two of my passions at once and was excited to add a minor in Chinese. My love for the Chinese culture began with Mrs. Bo Covington when I was in eighth grade at Santa Catalina. Mrs. Covington continued to spark my passion to learn Mandarin for the five years I studied with her, and I credit her with the achievements I’ve been able to make.

What other experiences (academic or otherwise) have you enjoyed in college?

As a freshman, I joined Zeta Tau Alpha sorority and was bitten by the leadership bug. I started out by chairing a few committees and then served as vice president my sophomore year. Working as the Collins College of Hospitality Student Government senator my junior year set me up to run for and eventually become president of the student body at Cal Poly Pomona. For the past year, I have led our 29,000 students and helped manage a $30 million nonprofit company, Associated Students Inc.

What do you see yourself doing after graduation?

I am so excited and ready to begin the next chapter of my life. However, that excitement does come with nerves! I got the “entertainment bug” during my senior year at Catalina when I helped out the theatre department by volunteering to open and close the curtain during the spring musical, The Pajama Game. Being backstage was so fun that I’ve continued to volunteer backstage with other theatre productions whenever possible. My hope is to meld my hospitality degree with the entertainment industry, ultimately working on large-scale productions. But graduating after a world-wide pandemic isn’t exactly the best time to find a job, so I’m doing all I can to stay positive, make connections wherever possible, and learn as much as I can along the way.

What does a "day in the life of you" look like right now?

Something I have learned from this pandemic is how important it is to take care of yourself. Setting some time aside every morning for a walk helps me to power through the rest of the day. Once my school and workday start, I sit in four or five meetings, which usually involve my student government team, my university president, and occasionally state legislators or senators. The latter are typically speaking about how to better our university and support our students. In addition to my many student government Zoom meetings and calls, I have to remember that I am a student, which means logging into a virtual class or two a day. Around six o’clock, I’ll knock out an hour or two of homework, then meet up with a few friends or head out to Los Angeles and maybe treat myself to a nice dinner and dessert. Finally, I head back home and get a good night’s rest to try and conquer the day all over again.

You were involved in many clubs and extracurriculars at Catalina. How did those interests carry over to your college experience?

I was on the volleyball team for four years, and my best friend and classmate Jessica Oh and I founded the International Culture Club when we were seniors. I didn’t continue with either of those activities in college, but instead joined the Zeta Tau Alpha sorority and eventually student government.

What broader life lessons did you learn at Catalina that have served you well in college?

Santa Catalina was an academically challenging environment for me. I learned how to study and push hard to achieve my goals. Four years in the Upper School taught me how to be a leader and how to work in a fast-paced environment. People are always amazed at how I can walk into just about any situation with my hand extended for a handshake and look them in the eye (thank you, Mrs. Pollacci!) and introduce myself (thank you, Journey Day Elevator Speech practice!). I think that confidence was deep down inside and Catalina helped “tease” it out of me in a way that I could apply over and over.

What advice would you offer to new students at Santa Catalina?

(1) The amount of effort you put into your extracurriculars, friendships, and classes will be the amount and volume of experiences you get back. (2) Try something new. Even if it scares you, even if you think you won’t like it, try something new. Don’t be closed-minded; life is too short. (3) Be present. High school goes by very quickly, in part because you’re having so much fun but also because you’re always so busy and working hard. Be present and stay present. Enjoy the little moments of dancing in Study Hall but also focus on the lesson that is being taught in front of you so you can perform well on your exam later.

If you had to describe Catalina in three words, what would they be?

Empowering, family, competitive.