When Ryan Liu first learned he’d made Forbes’ 30 Under 30 List in Education, he was stunned but not distracted.
“I’m deeply grateful to be recognized by Forbes,” he said, recalling the moment he received the news, “but it doesn’t change the work that needs to get done.”
Forbes 30 Under 30 is an annual list published by Forbes magazine, consisting of 1,230 people under 30 years old. The American list consists of 600 people, with 30 selected in 20 industries each. The list is considered harder to get onto than getting into Stanford or Harvard (or even Yale and Oxford!) due to its extremely low acceptance rate. There’s no one way to get on the list. Candidates are evaluated by Forbes staff and a panel of independent, expert judges on a variety of factors, including (but not limited to) funding, revenue, social impact, scale, inventiveness and potential.
Liu’s inclusion on the list—announced the same day Forbes journalists staged a walkout over labor conditions—not only highlighted the distinction of the honor but also reflected the complicated, shifting terrain of media and academia he must navigate.
Liu never considered such recognition the ultimate goal of his public and academic efforts. Instead, he remains focused on service and developing projects that make a meaningful difference in the community.
Before being elected to the PCC Board of Trustees this year, first-generation community college student Ryan Liu has cultivated a diverse range of professional experiences that combine legal expertise, educational advocacy, and community engagement. As an Associate at Cooley LLP, he refined his skills within a global firm working at the intersection of law and technology.
During this time, he also served as a Transfer Advisor at Pasadena City College, guiding community college students through the process of transitioning to four-year institutions. Liu now clerks for a U.S. Court of Appeals judge, a role that hones his legal expertise and understanding of policy. Ultimately, he hopes to leverage his background to shape educational governance so that more students—particularly those from working-class and immigrant families—can access opportunities that once seemed out of reach.
Liu’s story starts with his immigrant parents, who sought a better life in the United States. His mother escaped the Cambodian genocide as a refugee, and his father, born in Taiwan and raised in Argentina, left behind everything he knew to start over in Southern California. Liu grew up near Arcadia, where money was tight, but hope was abundant. His parents believed education was the key to a brighter future. Eventually, Pasadena City College (PCC) would be the first to open that door.
Despite social and economic pressures that were stacked against him, Liu remembers feeling a sense of belonging the first time he walked the PCC campus. He found a community that believed in its students, no matter their background. Encouraged by this welcoming environment, Liu enrolled and thrived, eventually earning a bachelor’s degree and J.D. from Yale Law School and a master’s degree from Oxford University in England.
As PCC Trustee representing District 6, Liu wholeheartedly endorses the PCC dual enrollment classes that are currently in local high schools, making higher education more accessible at an early stage. He is also an advocate for reviving the PCC satellite campus in Rosemead, reducing long commutes that can turn a 30-minute drive into a two-hour journey without a car. He believes that making education accessible at every turn can change entire communities.
Early in his career, Liu noticed that students often lacked straightforward information on navigating higher education. Many never realized their full range of options. To address this, he created an online FAQ resource with practical guidance on everything from selecting schools to finding financial aid.
“A lot of students were asking the same questions,” he says. “So I decided to consolidate that information.”
He plans to keep updating these resources as the educational landscape evolves, all while balancing public service and a legal career.
Liu knows many students struggle with “imposter syndrome,” those who believe they don’t belong in certain academic spaces. He urges them to apply anyway.
“If you even have a remote interest in pursuing a competitive school, apply. You shouldn’t be the one that says no.”
Liu’s own journey, starting at community college and moving on to some of the world’s top institutions, illustrates what can happen when you don’t close doors on yourself.
Liu stands as both a policy-minded leader and a mentor who still remembers what it felt like to be uncertain about his future. As a young trustee, Liu is closer to being a student than most who take on the elected role that retirees typically fill.
Barely out of his undergraduate years, Liu feels he has an advantage in understanding the needs of modern students and a clear vision of how to meet them. Now recognized on Forbes, Liu balances ambitious planning with on-the-ground mentorship. From scholarships and bond-funded facilities to dual-enrollment classes in local high schools, every initiative points back to the students he aims to serve. PCC changed his life, and he’s committed to ensuring that it—and institutions like it—continue changing lives for generations to come.
