Diana Lieu ’79, right, and her family have built a legacy of giving at UCI.
Diana Lieu ’79, right, and her family have built a legacy of giving at UCI.
No matter where life takes them, some Anteater alumni never really leave UCI. This is especially true for multigenerational Anteater families.
Growing up, Diana Lieu ’79 often worked at her parents’ grocery store with her sister after school. During down time and after store hours, she would help restock shelves and complete her homework. Her priorities were always study, work and then maybe extracurricular activities.
For extra income, her mother worked as a seamstress, bringing home extra pieces to sew. For Lieu and her three siblings, the emphasis was to do well in school in the hopes of qualifying for a scholarship to a university. “It was understood that we should all go to college,” said Lieu. “Not only did we need to go to college, we needed to find the most cost-effective way of funding our way through.”
Scholarships and student loans enabled Lieu to consider a UC program, in addition to the Cal State system, with UCI as her top choice because of its impressive biology program and beautiful campus.
“The value added by a UCI education, in our family, is immeasurable. Given what the university had done for each of us, my siblings and I felt it was time to give back.”
“When my parents learned that I was accepted to UC Irvine, they were ecstatic,” recalls Lieu. “For the first time in our grocery store’s history, my parents closed the store early so both of them could attend my high school graduation.”
When Lieu graduated from UCI in 1979, the university was only 14 years old. And a lot has changed. “I have seen UCI evolve over the years to become a highly ranked school, innovating and expanding to meet the needs of a changing world,” said Lieu. “My son [Darren] flourished in this new environment.”
But Lieu and her son are not the only Anteaters in the family. Two of Lieu’s siblings received their Ph.D.s at UCI. Lieu’s husband, David, received his medical degree here. And it is no surprise that many of Lieu’s nieces and nephews have also graduated from UCI, bringing the total to eight family members with UCI degrees.
“When my parents passed away, I noticed at the family gathering that many of us have a connection with UC Irvine,” said Lieu. “The value added by a UCI education, in our family, is immeasurable. Given what the university had done for each of us, my siblings and I felt it was time to give back.”
Together, the four siblings created the Thomas and Lillian Ma Endowed Scholarship in their parents’ honor. The scholarship supports students who are the first in their families to attend college and are first- or second-generation immigrants.
