Like many international students, Ivy Ng was anxious—there were so many unknowns: leaving her family, leaving the familiar. How would she get by without her family and friends in Ecuador?
But Ivy, who is only 18, confronted and overcame her fears with a combination of grit and can-do spirit. Experience had taught her that “every time I step out of my comfort zone, I do just fine. Pushing myself is good,” she says. “It feels rewarding.”
Back in Machala, her hometown in Ecuador, Ivy had been an honors student competing for scholastic prizes in debate, creative writing, math, chemistry and English. To improve her fluency, she’d attended an afterschool English academy. But when she arrived at SMC, Ivy found it difficult to summon up her competence in the language.
With steely resolve, Ivy muscled on: she registered as a communication studies major, which would position her for career options in marketing, advertising and public relations, and build on her innate strengths of being multi-lingual (Ivy speaks three languages) and a natural “people person.” In addition to English, Ivy is fluent in Spanish, Mandarin, and Teochew, her parents’ dialect from eastern Guangdong.
With support from faculty like Julie Chekroun, Ivy has thrived in her challenging major. In December, she won second prize in a department-wide speech tournament.
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Ivy brought the same resilient, pro-active energy to the task of making new friends.
No sooner had she arrived on campus than Ivy started hanging out at the International Education Center. “I was so scared of not finding a community here,” she confesses.
Denise Kinsella, associate dean for international education, noticed her right away.
“Ivy introduced herself to me on the very first day,” Denise recalls. “Later, I saw
her introducing herself to students sitting alone. Over the next few weeks, Ivy gathered
these ‘solo’ students into a group of friends who continue to meet up in the third-floor
lounge.”
Before she’d even arrived, Ivy had already taken steps to ensure she had a community;
she launched a WeChat group, which later became a resource for new SMC students. It evolved into a space
where Mandarin-speakers could help each other out—sharing tips on choosing classes,
finding roommates, filling out forms. As word spread, “more and more people kept joining,”
Ivy says. The original group chat now boasts 145 members. In January, Ivy launched
a second group chat for Chinese students entering in the winter term. She’d benefitted
so much from the group chat, and wanted more students to have the same support.
By then she was already an IEC peer mentor, having been actively recruited by Denise, who saw Ivy’s outgoing demeanor and ability to communicate in three languages as a welcome addition to the team.
Though Ivy has many friends now, she continues to seek out newcomers. “During IEC activities,” Denise observes, “she’s always reaching out to students on the fringes, drawing them in and helping them feel welcome.”
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Born to Chinese immigrant parents, Ivy grew up in Machala, a port city of 300,000 in the Gulf of Guayaquil. Her father, a businessman, supported the family—three children in all. Ivy is the middle child in the Ng family. Growing up was an immersive, multi-cultural experience: Ivy and her sisters communicated in Teochew with their parents, and amongst themselves, they spoke in Teochew and Spanish.
The family would go for extended visits to see her grandparents. Her Chinese name, Yu, was chosen by her grandfather: it means “another feather, another piece of warmth.”
When choosing a college, Ivy picked SMC because of its reputation as California’s No. 1 school for transfer. She knew this because of family, who had also attended the college. Plus, there was the draw of LA’s culture, its sunshine, the ocean, and people.
Ivy’s dream transfer school is USC, with its renowned communications program, but she might opt for UCLA instead. She’s mindful of the cost differential.
“I don't want to be a burden to my dad,” she says. “It’s hard to support three daughters all attending universities overseas. Living here and calculating my expenses, I just feel like it’s a lot.”
With her usual can-do attitude, Ivy is taking money matters into her own hands. She won a $2,000 scholarship, and is applying for others. Academically, she’s working hard and succeeding—maintaining a 4.0 GPA whilst being part of the Scholars Program and the AGS Honors Society, where she serves as student relations officer. In her second semester, Ivy also stepped into a leadership role, as a commissioner in charge of activities with SMC Associated Students. And because she wanted to remember and be more connected to the Latina part of her identity, Ivy also joined the Adelante program.
Campus is quiet now, but Ivy is already busy planning club meetings for the International Student Forum. Come fall, she’ll advance from her current role as ISF publicist to the club presidency.
It takes courage and grit to shoulder so many responsibilities.
“I have to constantly push myself,” Ivy admits. “And I'll keep pushing myself,” she adds, flashing that bright, self-confident smile, “because I know it’s good for me.”
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SMC in Focus Volume X, Issue 4
Never Too Late
Ana Mora survived an abusive relationship and substance use and gained a fresh start in life at Santa Monica College. Read Article
Post-Game Strategy
From hoops to standard deviations, Kant and stellate ganglia, this outstanding Corsair has a proven gameplan for personal success. Read Article
Fostering Futures
As former foster youth, Sabrina Conner and Shirel Omidi have faced numerous hardships, which they are overcoming through their own resilience and support at Santa Monica College. Read Article
No Looking Back for Ma’isha Reid
This dedicated student services specialist & SMC alum deferred her dreams for decades. But she has zero regrets, and stands on the cusp of a brand-new chapter of her life. Read Article
Bragging Rights
An opera, advocacy for arthrogryposis, taking a trick horse onto national TV, awards, helping & feeding students, boundary-breaking dance. Read Article
Soaring in the Unknown
This Asian-Latina from Ecuador came to SMC with trepidations about the unfamiliar. Through grit and determination, she found courage to flourish in the unknown. Read Article