Tiffany Liao '16

1. Please tell us a little about yourself!

I grew up in Southern California and graduated in 2016 with a Computer Science major, Chinese minor. My parents are Taiwanese and from a young age, have always encouraged me to speak in Mandarin at home. Unfortunately, I didn't take it super seriously as a kid. It wasn't until college that I saw the value in being fluent in another language, and began studying Mandarin more seriously. 

2. Why did you decide to become a Chinese Language and Literature major? How did it shape your experience at Wellesley?

I decided to minor because I have always been interested in Chinese culture, having grown up in a fusion Asian American household. I often spent summers in Taiwan growing up and would get a short glimpse on these family vacations. The courses at Wellesley also were extremely appealing, I remember taking a Japanese film course and a Chinese history course that focused on strong females. 

3. What are you doing now?

I am a UX researcher at Google now. I work on mobile ads which doesn't have much to do with Chinese history. But I have used my Mandarin language skills to conduct user interviews with users based in Taiwan/China, which gives me further insight into how folks there may use our technology differently. 

4. How has your Wellesley experience and your major influenced your life/career after college?

Studying Chinese in college has made me realize I really want to work in East Asia. One of my dreams is to spend 2 years in London, 2 years in Taipei, and 2 years in Tokyo before I find a place to set as a my base. I'll let you know how feasible it is in a couple years.