Redwood Shores, CA (October 2, 2024) — The Love Boat Alumni Initiative held its 2024 reunion last weekend, bringing together nearly 80 alumni from across the U.S. who were past participants of the Overseas Chinese Youth Language Training and Study Tour Program, also known as the Overseas Compatriot Youth Taiwan Study Tour. Held at the Grand Bay Hotel in the San Francisco Bay Area, the reunion was sponsored by ORIENTED.COM – a global network of international professionals interested in Asian business and partnerships – that was also established in Taiwan.

The energy at the reunion was riveting throughout the night as alumni reconnected with old friends and met alumni from different years, all of whom share a bond that only they can understand. Laughter could be heard from across the room as people perused the old Study Tour yearbooks and memorabilia that were on display. Agnes Lew Heiman from the inaugural class of 1967 made a surprise appearance. Clifton Chang, class of 1969, sent greetings from Los Angeles via video. And Valerie Soe, filmmaker of the Love Boat: Taiwan documentary, was also in attendance.

The highlight of the reunion was guest speaker and OCAC representative Cindy Liu, Deputy Director of the Culture Center of the Taipei Economic & Cultural Office in San Francisco.

"When the Study Tour Program officially ended in 2013 after an incredible 46-year run, the important link and deep connections that had been forged between OCAC and the global alumni community was invariably lost," said Christine Hsu, founder of the Love Boat Alumni Initiative. "Having Deputy Director Liu speak at our reunion on behalf of OCAC – for the very first time since the program ended – was a pivotal moment for us all. The reunion not only reconnected alumni with one another but with the very entity that created this extraordinary network."

What had started out as a "soft power" effort by the Overseas Community Affairs Council (OCAC) in Taiwan had unintentionally morphed into one of the most positive, life-defining experiences for the more than 10,000 now baby boomers and Generation X'ers who attended the program. Many went on to found prominent companies and organizations on both sides of the Pacific. Some became leaders in business, government, and education, and still others are high-profile personalities in film, media, and entertainment.

"As the Love Boat was before my time, attending the reunion gave me the opportunity to meet a number of alumni from different years, and to learn more about the cultural and historical significance of the Study Tour Program," said Deputy Director Liu. "I was genuinely touched by their stories, and I too felt a real connection."

Liu continued, "Given the Love Boat’s rich history with the OCAC, I look forward to re-establishing relations with this global alumni community and exploring ways in which we can collaborate and work together towards our common goals."