by Ashley Cheung, Principal & Founder of VPG
Miya used to frequent my parents’ Chinese restaurant in Lawrence, Kansas. A woman in her mid-70s and the wife of a famous Japanese American pharmaceutical chemistry professor at the University of Kansas, she always specifically requested for me to wait on her table. Miya had watched me grow up there since I was in high school. As a young first-generation immigrant working my way through school, I welcomed Miya’s interest in my personal and academic life. We became great friends and maintained contact even after I graduated with my master’s degree and moved from Kansas to Washington, DC. Miya was like a grandmother, and we spoke on the phone every other weekend. Miya worked as the executive assistant to the chief of the Madison Free Library for six years in Wisconsin.
Her most significant contribution had to be raising four incredibly accomplished children, professors, medical doctors, and lawyers. She also assisted her husband with his work at the University of Wisconsin and the University of Kansas for nearly 40 years. She was a great hostess to scholars, and the students respected her for both her kindness and wealth of knowledge. Miya read people well, and I supposed she saw something in me early on.
For the first three years after I graduated, I found the time to visit Miya, and we had a long talk about how I managed my professional life with my career and ambitions. As an accomplished professional herself, she shared her hard-earned wisdom with me and often asked me if I wanted to be a small fish in a big pond or a big fish in a small pond.
Somehow, Miya knew me so well – that I tend to work twice as hard as everyone else. She continued to encourage me beyond my university years and eventually offered to pay for part of my Paralegal Certificate program at George Washington University. I declined her generous offer several times before accepting. She was very determined to see me succeed, so if there was anything she could do to get me there, she’d do it.
I cherish the marathon chats we had discussing life, politics, culture, racial issues, and our world views. It was enlightening for me, as a young professional, to continue to receive so much encouragement and support from someone who understood the challenges I faced as a first-generation immigrant and as the first college graduate from my family. And while I had plenty of support from my friends and family, Miya somehow knew how to fill in the cracks that I didn’t realize needed to be filled in.
After earning my paralegal certificate, I continued to visit Miya at her home back in Kansas, where we easily picked up conversations just as they left off. Over the years, I noticed that weakness and tiredness slowly crept in, though our conversations remained as vibrant and meaningful as our days back in my parent’s restaurant.
A few more years passed, and one day, I received a letter from her attorney. When she passed away, she left a small inheritance to wish me well. She was determined to continue to support me even after she was gone. I will be forever grateful for Miya, her words of wisdom, her support, and her friendship. She was truly one-of-a-kind, and I wouldn’t be where I am today if it weren’t for her.
Micro Learning Moment (MLM): There are people we meet on our journey who inspire us to reach for more than we ever thought possible. One such person is Miya, my mentor during my college years and as a young professional. Miya believed in me even when I struggled to believe in myself. With her unwavering financial support and encouragement, I learned to embrace my potential and to pursue my dreams with confidence.
Miya's mentorship shaped not only who I am today but also who I aspire to be. Through her guidance and scholarship, I discovered the importance of lifting others as we rise. Inspired by her example, I am now committed to paying it forward, sharing the knowledge and encouragement Miya imparted to me with the next generation. Just as she believed in me, I strive to ignite that same belief in others, fostering their growth and nurturing their dreams.
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