California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Sean Yu has made his professional mark in the world of finance. As part of his impact, the alumnus ('99, Political Science and Management and Human Resources) has contributed significantly to the university he credits with helping him grow stronger in facing challenges.
As an undergraduate student, Mr. Yu faced financial difficulties and had to secure student loans and work part-time to help pay for his degree. Today, he serves as the managing director and leader of The Sean Yu Group at Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management in Pasadena, California. Forbes, On Wall Street and Barron's repeatedly have named him a top financial advisor. Mr. Yu, who also earned a master's degree in International Relations from the University of Chicago in 2002, has demonstrated a commitment to life-long learning by pursuing additional licenses and certifications in his field.
Mr. Yu is dedicated to serving the Cal Poly Pomona community. From 2016 to 2018, he was on the Cal Poly Pomona Foundation Board of Directors' investment committee. He transitioned to a similar role on the Cal Poly Pomona Philanthropic Foundation Board starting in 2018. He has participated in Professor for a Day and served as a guest speaker several times.
He has given generously to the College of Business Administration and the College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences with contributions totaling $1.8 million. Mr. Yu has established endowments to benefit student travel, internships in human rights and justice organizations, creative activities in the Political Science department and scholarships for underprivileged students. His endowments honor his faculty mentors, Professors Emeriti Sid Silliman and David Speak.
His philanthropic efforts also have helped college students and communities nationwide. He co-founded the Taiwanese American Scholarship Fund, committing $1 million and pledging to help raise more than $4 million. The organization has benefited 100 students nationwide, supporting first- or second-year undergraduate students with a Taiwanese background living in the United States.
He earned the Asian Pacific Community Fund's Philanthropy Leadership Award in 2015 for helping the organization create a donor-advised program that has raised $10 million. He also is the co-founder of the Chinese Finance Association, which has more than 150 active members from various areas of the financial services industry.
For his exemplification of the core values of Cal Poly Pomona and his dedication, in work and his life's purpose, to being a life-long learner who is fully engaged in discovery and creativity, the Board of Trustees of the California State University and California State Polytechnic University, Pomona are proud to confer about Chung-Hsieo (Sean) Yu the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters.;