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My name is Luis Liang; I am grateful for having friends and family that supports me and loves me.
The past 2.5 months have been filled with lots of emotions as I was making the important choice to pursue my MBA.
When my family and I moved to the US in 2004, I never imagined being able to graduate from UC Berkeley with my bachelors. I used to sell buddha keychains at my parents’ Chinese restaurant at 12 yrs old and I worked at the flea market since I was 14 yrs old to pay for community college.
Statistically, as a Mexican-Chinese, gay, undocumented man raised in a low-income household by a single mom, the chances of me graduating college were minimal. Fast forward, here we are - MBA Class 2023! (See personal statement below).
Getting an MBA is expensive. Tuition is $154,000 for the entire program ($3,650 per unit * 42 units required). I am paying 50% ($77,000) with savings and work.
I am figuring out how to raise the other $77,000 with scholarships and loans. Scholarships and financial resources for grad school as a DACA recipient are little. I am holding on the loans for now because I am afraid DACA might go away and I could lose my job.
I am a powerful, loving and honest leader with the purpose of creating opportunities for future generations. I would appreciate it if you fund my dream and if you share the link with your networks.
With love and gratitude,
Luis
GO BEARS!
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Haas MBA Personal Statement
Some days, I wake up with fear. Fear of deportation. Fear that ICE could knock on my door and take me away.
In 2004, my mother, three little sisters, and I moved to Orange County from Mexico. I entered high school as a sophomore without knowing any English, but wanted to honor the sacrifices of my mom by excelling academically.
My dream came true when I was admitted into UC Berkeley and awarded the Regents and Chancellor’s Award, a full-ride scholarship given to the top 2% of students. Due to my immigration status, the award was rescinded and I was forced to decline my acceptance.
Breaking out of my comfort zone, I created an organization called Fullerton Dream Team to support undocumented students. I raised $70,000 and was re-admitted into Haas. In 2012, I graduated.
Little did I know, that was just the beginning. As a first-generation graduate being deemed ineligible to work, I felt lost, but I knew I wasn’t alone. After collaborating with community leaders and other undocumented professionals, I co-owned an LLC consulting firm that provided services to non-profits. My projects ranged from managing the finances of public policy organizations to teaching immigrant business owners how to build a business plan.
My life took a turn when President Obama passed DACA, extending opportunities previously unavailable to people in my situation. A door of possibilities opened up and led me to a job at Salesforce, helping non-profit organizations leverage technology to amplify their impact.
Being the first DACA employee at Salesforce motivated me to use my voice in a space where underrepresented groups lack a sense of inclusiveness. I worked with the Office of Equality on a podcast about Diversity and Inclusion, served on the leadership board of multiple Employee Resource Groups, and came out of the shadows by sharing my story on a video called “Proudly Me.”
Some days, I wake up with confidence instead of fear. Confidence for graduating college as a low-income, undocumented man, raised by a single mother. Confidence in making corporate social responsibility a priority in Corporate America. Confidence in me.
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The past 2.5 months have been filled with lots of emotions as I was making the important choice to pursue my MBA.
When my family and I moved to the US in 2004, I never imagined being able to graduate from UC Berkeley with my bachelors. I used to sell buddha keychains at my parents’ Chinese restaurant at 12 yrs old and I worked at the flea market since I was 14 yrs old to pay for community college.
Statistically, as a Mexican-Chinese, gay, undocumented man raised in a low-income household by a single mom, the chances of me graduating college were minimal. Fast forward, here we are - MBA Class 2023! (See personal statement below).
Getting an MBA is expensive. Tuition is $154,000 for the entire program ($3,650 per unit * 42 units required). I am paying 50% ($77,000) with savings and work.
I am figuring out how to raise the other $77,000 with scholarships and loans. Scholarships and financial resources for grad school as a DACA recipient are little. I am holding on the loans for now because I am afraid DACA might go away and I could lose my job.
I am a powerful, loving and honest leader with the purpose of creating opportunities for future generations. I would appreciate it if you fund my dream and if you share the link with your networks.
With love and gratitude,
Luis
GO BEARS!
---
Haas MBA Personal Statement
Some days, I wake up with fear. Fear of deportation. Fear that ICE could knock on my door and take me away.
In 2004, my mother, three little sisters, and I moved to Orange County from Mexico. I entered high school as a sophomore without knowing any English, but wanted to honor the sacrifices of my mom by excelling academically.
My dream came true when I was admitted into UC Berkeley and awarded the Regents and Chancellor’s Award, a full-ride scholarship given to the top 2% of students. Due to my immigration status, the award was rescinded and I was forced to decline my acceptance.
Breaking out of my comfort zone, I created an organization called Fullerton Dream Team to support undocumented students. I raised $70,000 and was re-admitted into Haas. In 2012, I graduated.
Little did I know, that was just the beginning. As a first-generation graduate being deemed ineligible to work, I felt lost, but I knew I wasn’t alone. After collaborating with community leaders and other undocumented professionals, I co-owned an LLC consulting firm that provided services to non-profits. My projects ranged from managing the finances of public policy organizations to teaching immigrant business owners how to build a business plan.
My life took a turn when President Obama passed DACA, extending opportunities previously unavailable to people in my situation. A door of possibilities opened up and led me to a job at Salesforce, helping non-profit organizations leverage technology to amplify their impact.
Being the first DACA employee at Salesforce motivated me to use my voice in a space where underrepresented groups lack a sense of inclusiveness. I worked with the Office of Equality on a podcast about Diversity and Inclusion, served on the leadership board of multiple Employee Resource Groups, and came out of the shadows by sharing my story on a video called “Proudly Me.”
Some days, I wake up with confidence instead of fear. Confidence for graduating college as a low-income, undocumented man, raised by a single mother. Confidence in making corporate social responsibility a priority in Corporate America. Confidence in me.
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