Christina Chao got her Bachelor’s in Family and Consumer Sciences/Consumer Affairs, a degree she pursued because, as a new student, she discovered a passion for protecting people’s rights and empowering them with information. One of her professors in the Consumer Affairs Option, Tom Yi Cai said, “Christina approaches solutions in innovative ways and incorporates real-world issues into her analyses,” and that’s just the kind of quality that made her the 2015 Wolfson Scholar nominee for the College of Health and Human Development.
Every year, each college at CSUN nominates an exceptional student for the Wolfson Scholar Award. The student must demonstrate significant contributions to the university and the community, and Chao is exemplary. Chao told us that when she started her education at CSUN she wasn’t sure which career path to follow. But thanks to the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP), she was able to meet with an advisor and talk about her interests. As Chao and her advisor got to know each other, Chao came to discover the pathway she wanted to pursue: Advocacy for others.
Through her coursework and community-based projects and experiences, Chao found her way and her voice. She told us she takes pride in working with consumers helping them find their courage to speak up against injustice.
Though she says she can’t pinpoint a single incident that sparked her interest in Consumer Affairs, she says the curriculum provided momentum that led her where she needed to go. “The classes I took made me really enjoy what I was learning. The major overall was very interesting and practical. I was always interested in helping people and majoring in consumer affairs is just one way of helping,” she said.
She says she discovered a passion for protecting people’s rights and a desire to empower them. Fast forward to today, Christina is volunteering for the Los Angeles County Department of Consumer and Business Affairs assisting litigants with small claims and sharing available resources. “Having given the litigants advice and having them thank me for my help is very satisfying. Many of them told me that if it wasn’t for the service that the County provided, they would be lost and wouldn’t know what to do,” Chao said. “It is very satisfying for me knowing that I was able to help someone who truly needed help.”
We asked her if she has any advice for new university students. “There were times when I wanted to give up but I stuck with it and five years were gone in a blink of an eye. So don’t give up! Come to college to meet people and try new things and learn new things. This experience will change your life and college can make you a more well-rounded and better person.” Christina Chao is living proof.
Jean O’Sullivan with Tami Abourezk
Su2015