At a hybrid event hosted by the Seattle Formosa Association of Student Cultural Ambassadors (FASCA), students from various regions of FASCA gathered to hear guest speaker Mason Yu’s presentation on his experience as a former United States diplomat on November 15. In attendance were FASCA students across many chapters in the United States, Director Wei-Zan Wang of the Culture Center of TECO in Seattle, and Seattle FASCA mentors Tiffany Kan and Joyce Wang. The event was hosted by Senior FASCA member Emily Kan.
The event featured guest speaker Mason Yu, who is a former United States diplomat and currently serves as the Director of Human Resources, Finance, and Operations at the University of Washington Global Innovation Exchange. He spoke about his cross-cultural experiences serving as a diplomat, describing what his work entailed. Reflecting upon each of his experiences being stationed in Singapore, Kaohsiung, Shanghai, and many more areas, Yu gave a preview of what life as a diplomat was like. Yu’s presentation sparked interest among students in potentially pursuing this career.
In addition to speaking about his career, Yu also offered insight to the youth that he was speaking to. He emphasized the importance of setting healthy habits from the start, talking about the different mindsets that he developed throughout his career.
Not only drawing from his career, Yu talked about what had led him to becoming a diplomat. He said that he did not discover this career until he found passion in political science classes at the University of Washington, and would not have come to where he is today without the help of the people around him.
Following his presentation, FASCA members had a chance to ask Yu about his career during the question and answer session. Several FASCA members posed questions regarding Yu’s experiences, takeaways, and advice he would give to them.
This event was inspiring for the participants, as they gained helpful insight and strengthened their understanding of global affairs. FASCA members look forward to more hybrid events like such where overseas Taiwanese youth can connect and learn about opportunities for cultural exchange in future careers.
