From China to NAU, HRM student fulfills his dream of lifelong study abroad through the 2 + 2 program – NAU News

Luyi Liu grew up in the “small town” of Dandong in China. (Small is relative in this case – the population of the city on Yalu compared to North Korea is 2.45 million according to the 2010 census.)

Since she was little, Liu wanted to study abroad in the United States. Everything she did – the classes she took, the good grades she had worked so hard in – was done in the hope that one day she would find an opportunity that would enable her to experience.

Liu with her parents in China

She had all of her ducks in a row. And when she was offered the opportunity to enroll in the 2 + 2 program – a dual degree program in which students study for two years in their home country and two years abroad and earn degrees from both universities – jumped them to the opportunity. The only problem? Studying abroad is expensive. Her entire family, including parents, aunts, uncles, and grandparents, stepped in to help Liu achieve her lifelong dream.

“Thanks to the generous contributions of my family members, I can afford this program and finally have the opportunity to experience life abroad,” she said. “I can’t achieve anything without their support and love. I am so lucky to be born into such a fabulous family. “

The decision to register on the Flagstaff Mountain Campus was an easy one for me. The Shanghai Business School, which she attended in China, has a long history of working with NAU and creating avenues that make learning abroad accessible. Liu, who brought the American name “Lily” with her, which she had acquired from her first English teacher more than 15 years ago, enrolled in the NAU’s hotel and restaurant management program.

NAU HRM class

During two years at NAU, she gained experience both in and outside the classroom. She participated in the Job Shadow program and was able to follow various hotel management teams to learn what the hospitality industry is really like. She was also one of several selected to take the Amangiri Site Visit trip for an inside look at the operation of the resort. And she continued to give her education everything that earned her the Hyatt Hotels Arizona Group Scholarship and the NAU Academic Achievement Award.

“I love NAU, I love life here, the people here, everything here. Every moment here is a precious memory for me, ”she said. “But when I have to pick the most important one, I was told at that moment that I was accepted into the NAU’s MBA program and received a graduate assistant position, which proves that all my dedication and hard work has paid off. “

Liu (right) with friends she made at NAU

Liu believes her NAU education will help pave the way for her future. After graduation, she plans to extend her two-year stint in Flagstaff to earn a Masters degree with the hope of one day owning her own resort.

“NAU has really broadened my horizons. It tells me that there are so many possibilities in this big world and there are so many things waiting for me to explore. The future is full of uncertainties, but once we move forward, nothing can stand in the way of our bright future. “

Carly Banks | NAU communication
(928) 523-5582 | [email protected]