BYU-Hawaii Career Connect: North Asia 2016

Alumni & Career Services
Career Connect Report
North Asia 2016
Image: “I’ll Go” © 2016 Geoffrey C. Lewis

Alumni & Career Services
17 August 2016
Dear Friends,
I am very grateful for the opportunity to lead Career Connect trips to Japan, Mongolia, China,
Hong Kong, and Taiwan, and even more grateful for the generous financial support of the
donors who continue to make these valuable excursions possible.
With a desire to visit each of my five areas this year (my first at BYU–Hawaii), I worked to
schedule and budget so that the maximum number of students could build connections with
employers for job and internship opportunities.
I have added many photos from this year’s travels to the following Google Drive folder:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B10OayAi9FhbQXZZODVKREpqNG8
I will continue to add a few more as they filter in. Due to space requirements, I anticipate that I
will need to delete them before too long, so please download and save the ones you would like
to keep.
The following reports on each of the areas I visited this summer provide some insights into the
success of the trips, the employer connections, and the hard work of the students. I look
forward to continuing to serve through this excellent program!
Mahalo,
Geoffrey C. Lewis, MAOL
Relationships Manager, Alumni & Career Services
Brigham Young University–Hawaii
Office: +1.808.675.4226 / Mobile: +1.808.561.4635
glewis@byuh.edu linkedin.com/in/geoffreyclewis

Table of Contents
Taiwan: 3–9 May 2016...............................................................1
Mongolia: 16–23 June 2016.....................................................3
Japan: 23-30 June.......................................................................5
Hong Kong: 30 June – 8 July ....................................................8
Chengdu, China: 15–22 July.................................................. 11
Beijing, China: 9-14 June; 15-22 + 27-29 July ................. 13
Final Thoughts .......................................................................... 15

1
Career Connect: North Asia 2016
Taiwan: 3–9 May 2016
The first trip of the year was to Taipei, Taiwan to join the BYU Management Society (BYUMS)
Asia-Pacific Conference and visit employers. Three
students participated:
1. Sister Anthea Kwan
2. Sister Yu-Chieh (Eva) Tang
3. Brother Ming Wei (Amulek) Yu
Networking & Professional Development:
The BYUMS Asia-Pacific Conference had inspiring
and motivational presentations and workshops led
by professionals with a focus on moral and ethical
leadership within the Asia-Pacific region.
Additionally, our students were able to network
with attendees from Taipei and throughout Taiwan.
Employer Connections:
In addition to the great networking opportunities
and professional development at the BYUMS
conference, the students also visited several
employers. Our time together outside the conference
was limited, so we went separately to most of the
appointments, which included Grant Thornton,
Marriott, Courtyard by Marriott, Taiwan Adventist Hospital, and ST Bio, Inc. (上鼎生技有限公
司), among others.
So far, one student (Eva) has graduated and secured employment. The other two have not
graduated yet, and are still exploring leads they generated during this trip.

2
The students on this trip worked very hard to schedule and arrange their time productively,
and also had great team spirit—as you can see from the photos!
Cultural Notes:
Attending church services in Taipei gave me a glimpse of what can happen when growing
areas become strong. I have been a member of a Mandarin-speaking branch of the Church in
California, and a member of an international branch in Beijing, but the power present in the
strong wards in Taipei was really gratifying.

3
Mongolia: 16–23 June 2016
Outside my own home, I have never in my life felt more loved, welcome, and cared for than
during my time with the Saints in Mongolia. The Career Connect there was extremely
successful, both because of that genuine charity, and
because of the great motivation and responsibility of
the three students who participated:
1. Sister Bayarsaikhan (Saku) Amarjargal
2. Brother Munkh-Od (Mo) Altansukh
3. Sister Erdene-Otgon (Eegi) Tsagaankhuu
These students helped me coordinate with the Self-
Reliance Manager in Ulaanbaatar, Brother
Baatarchuluun (Baataraa) Tumurbaatar. Baataraa
went above and beyond in helping us to set up
appointments with excellent employers, to schedule
a combined BYU–Hawaii/BYU Management Society
event, and to arrange a fireside to talk about the
blessings of preparation and obedience. Local leaders
President Odgerel and Adiyabold Namkhai were
also extremely helpful, as were senior missionaries
and the outgoing mission president.
The fireside was extremely uplifting spiritually, and
it included testimonies from five students heading to BYU–Hawaii within the next two
semesters; testimonies from our three participants and two other current students (who went
home to visit family and volunteer at the nationwide Youth Conference); my talk on
succeeding in the Lord’s way; and remarks from the Stake Presidency. Our students Saku and
Mo are a married couple, and I had the
pleasure of meeting both of their
families at the fireside. The pleasure was
even greater because that evening was
the first time Saku’s parents had come to
any Church activity.
Thanks to the excellent work of the
Mongolian students coordinating
directly with Baataraa and including
him in our planning meetings via Skype,
we were able to meet with many great
employers as a team. These include

4
Ernst & Young, KPMG, BSB (electronics distributor),
Unitel, G-Mobile, Deloitte, Wagner, ITZone, Shangri-La
Hotels, and Oyu Tolgoi, the mining company which has
traditionally been the most important employer in the
country.
Several of the companies were so impressed with our
students that they were interviewed on the spot, and
some were even offered jobs after they graduate. At
this point, I do not have information on which
students have already accepted specific jobs; however,
it looks like they will each be able to pick from more
than one opportunity.
Working closely with local Self-Reliance services was really the
key here, and I will use it as a best practice moving forward.
Cultural Notes:
I knew that Mongolians eat a lot of meat, but I was surprised to learn that “vegetable soup”
means mutton soup … with vegetables. I also learned that every car is a taxi if they are headed
your way.
Visiting Mongolia was the first time I went to another country without speaking the language
at all, except for a few polite phrases. Many Mongolians speak English, but many do not. While
there, I bought a Mongolian book and started learning Cyrillic. I also have lined up tutors for
next semester so I can learn enough to get around on my own and be even more effective.

5
Japan: 23-30 June
It was so good to finally get back to Japan, 20 years after serving there as a full-time missionary!
A total of four students participated in this trip—three were sponsored with funding; one chose
to pay his own way to join us:
1. Brother Masafumi (Masa) Neki
2. Brother Daiki Sato
3. Brother Ibuki Kishi
4. Brother Seiya Kudo – paid his
own way
Four of us went to the Career Forum
together, and Masa joined us afterward
so he could first complete SAP
certification testing at BYU–Hawaii.
While waiting in line, I ran into several
other expats from various countries
whose optimism made me forget about
how sick I had felt that morning. As the
forum opened, I first collected brochures from key companies to take back to our students in
Hawaii, and then went to network with companies. Unfortunately, the medicine I had taken
started making me dizzy, and I had to leave early. Fortunately, the students stayed longer to
make good contacts and schedule interviews for the following days.
BYU–Hawaii alumnus Sanshiro Nagano helped us connect with a very high-powered BYU
Management Society luncheon hosted by Brother Douglas Hymas at BNY Mellon where the
President and CEO of Microsoft Japan
(Brother Takuya Hirano) spoke to us,
and we made some great contacts. We
also met with Darwin Halvorson and
Naoya Asai from Self-Reliance Services
at the Church office building to
coordinate our future efforts together.
Quite honestly, Brother Asai had offered
more help, based on more detailed
information which I failed to send amid
all the other communication and
planning. This is a key area for future
improvement.

6
Scheduling:
I intentionally left our schedule more open, so that our students could first attend the Tokyo
Career Forum on Saturday, and then have room to schedule follow-up interviews during the
next week. While this plan did work, thanks to the hard work of students scheduling follow-
up appointments, this still left each student with some free time to try and do cold contacting.
From this, I learned that it would have
been better to schedule meetings for
each day ahead of time, with each
student attending as available.
BYU–Hawaii Concert Choir
Performance:
We were fortunate that our scheduled
coincided with this marvelous
performance. It was an intensely
moving experience to hear the beautiful
choir from back home in Hawaii,
especially as they sang Homeward
Bound by Marta Keen. The flute, lyrics and
voices blended in a way that touched my
heart and brought me to tears. This has
become a firm building block in my
personal testimony of my divine origins
and eternal destiny as a beloved child of
God.
Both before and after the performance, it was also very moving to see so many old friends
warmly embracing one another. This little reunion with friends from near and far—students,
graduates, missionaries, returned missionaries, and others—gave me a glimpse of what our
heavenly reunion will feel like.
Here again, students met and networked with many local members of the Church who offered
to assist them in their job hunting efforts.
Connections we made during this trip include Microsoft Japan, Icon Partners (consulting firm
with two current BYUH alumni), Capgemini (consulting), Franklin Covey, Asurion
Technology, ManpowerGroup, and AIG. One student already accepted internships with the
Church Office and Icon Partners. I am waiting to hear about hiring news from the other three
students who had follow-up interviews from Career Forum.

7
Cultural Notes:
As we traveled around Tokyo and met with Church members, the handsome, clean-cut young
students and their older supervisor (me) were often mistaken for full-time missionaries. I found
this to be true as well, and was thrilled to get a photo of Daiki and Ibuki walking down a street
in shadow with the sunlight falling on them.
I learned that just because the train
says “Narita Airport” doesn’t mean
it’s the right train. When I realized I
had taken the slow train instead of
the express, I got off and was
blessed to find a very kind taxi
driver who got me to the airport just
in time.
I also learned that although I’m
biased toward eating Hiroshima-
style okonomiyaki (my favorite
food from my time as a missionary),
Kansai style can be quite delicious
as well.
My wife joined me for the last few
days, so we paid for an extra room
from our family budget, and then
got to take a whirlwind day tour of
Tokyo together, as well as visit the
temple (closed, but still beautiful),
the Church office, and the BYU–
Hawaii Concert Performance with
students. Side note: my wife has
returned to school at BYU–Hawaii,
so it was quite valuable to get her
mature insights on the Career
Connect trip.

8
Hong Kong: 30 June – 8 July
This was another amazing trip. The students gave good support to each other and to me,
helping to wrap gifts for employers, planning transit times and routes, and finding good places
to eat. One student (Nelson) even brought
some non-perishable snacks and drinks to
our hotel (which had no refrigerators) so
that we could eat at home instead of going
out on the Sabbath.
1. Sister Wai Sze (Grace) Chong
2. Sister Wing Sze (Simba) Lai
3. Brother Wai Kuen (Steven) Wong
4. Brother Chun Man (Nelson) Tai –
paid his own way
The most helpful student on all of these
trips was Simba Lai, who I had not met
before she applied for the Career Connect.
She was chosen primarily due to a strong
prompting I felt when I saw her serving at
a BYUH employee awards dinner.
Considering how very hard she was
working, I was pleasantly surprise to find
out later that Simba was serving there as a
volunteer.
When later I posted on the
Hong Kong Student Chapter
page that our office was
hiring a student worker to
help me in my
responsibilities, Simba
immediately began tagging
friends she felt needed a
good job. After much
prodding, she eventually
applied and was chosen for
the position in our Career
Center, where has worked
hard for the past few
months.

9
Like the students who did excellent planning in Mongolia, the many happy reunions of
students and friends at the BYUH Concert Choir performance in Tokyo, and many others, I
have witnessed in Simba’s effort, diligence, and faith in Christ what President David O. McKay
referred to as “genuine gold”.
Students, especially Simba Lai, scheduled many of our appointments. Additionally, BYU
Management Society leaders Kyle Wong and Annie Wong (no relation) were active planning
partners who were instrumental in arranging a professional development session, dinner with
local mentors for our four students, and several good contacts.
Employers we met with include Sai Kung District Community Center, Hong Kong Young
Artists Academy, White & Case (legal firm), BlackRock (investment firm, currently employs
BYUH alumni), AIA Insurance (with BYUH alumni), Langham Hospitality Group, Diners
Professional Translation Services Limited (owned by Church members), KPMG, JW Marriott
Hotel, CASH Financial Services Group (currently employs BYUH alumnus Kyle Wong), and
Lion’s Club. We also dropped off a gift for our contact at Hong Kong Disney, who was on leave.
Brother Steve Lundgren, who leads the employment effort for our Hospitality and Tourism
students had previously arranged a relationship with Disney, Langham, and Marriott, among
others.
We had a very interesting meeting with Brother Allen Andersen, Managing Director at Peace
Field Limited (a strategic and operational financial advising company). He is not only happy to

10
help with job connections in Hong Kong, but also in Mongolia where he has done business for
many years.
Finally, Brother Leon Au, the Church’s Self-Reliance Manager for Hong Kong, was very helpful
at arranging appointments for my last day in Hong Kong, when he returned from travel.
Additionally, students continued to visit other employers with Brother Au after I left Hong
Kong.
I have not yet heard back from students about job offers.
Cultural Notes:
After living in Japan and China, I thought I knew what a crowded city was like, but nowhere I
have been compares with Hong Kong. The buildings were incredibly tall, with air conditioner
condensation constantly raining down on the sidewalks below. I was also impressed by the
efficiency of the subway system, particularly the convenient transfers.
I was impressed both by the Hong Kong Temple and by the large, multi-story Church Office /
chapel building where I could attend an English service (where I ran into BYUH alumni I knew,
and got to be the second testimony bearer in the meeting to greet the congregation with our
beloved “Aloha!”) and then move to the Mandarin Sunday School classes to see an old friend
visiting from Taiwan. The Church there is truly an international family.

11
Chengdu, China: 15–22 July
This was a successful trip, especially with the help of contacts connected to BYU–Hawaii. The
following students participated in this Career
Connect:
1. Brother Jason Wald
2. Sister Linwen (Christine) Yao
3. Sister Ping Liu
Employers we visited include Demen Renli
Hotel, Travel Link Marketing, EF English First,
China Merchants Bank, and Chengdu Hexie
Education. I also connected with Balboa City
School, (a subsidiary of Aston Education
Group) through a member of the international
branch of the Church in Chengdu.
Jackie Fu, one of our recent alumnae from the
eight-month Asian Executive Management
(AEM) Program, works at Demen Renli Hotel, a
converted historic residence in Chengdu’s
famous Wide and Narrow Alley (Kuanzhai
Xiangzi). Another alumna of the AEM program, Beryl Ma (who volunteered in our office here at
BYU–Hawaii), referred us to her colleagues at Diaoyutai Boutique Hotel Chengdu, a very
beautifully designed hotel in the same historic area. Both hotels are very interested in long-term
partnerships with our school.
One of the best connections our students
made was Ping getting us in touch with
Ms. Betty Leung, Director of International
Partnerships at Chengdu Hexie
Education. She and her husband had
previously been at BYU–Hawaii and BYU
Provo. Ms. Leung not only
enthusiastically welcomed us to her
organization, but also introduced us in
person to her colleagues at other local
businesses!

12
Student Connections:
We were fortunate that our time in
Chengdu coincided with a wedding
ceremony for current BYU–Hawaii
students Shipeng Ni (from
Chengdu) and Jiyoon An (from
Korea). It was wonderful to be there
not only to witness this special
event, but also to meet several new
students who are joining us at
BYUH in the coming months.
Cultural Notes:
Chengdu is a very clean city! Not only does it not have the dusty air of northern cities like
Beijing, there is also hardly any litter on the ground. (The only exception to cleanliness is that
smoking cigarettes is a major pastime there.) The pace of life is also slower than other cities,
with more of a focus on spending time with friends and family than on rushing around for
work.
Although Chengdu is famous for spicy Sichuan cuisine, it is in fact possible to eat non-spicy
food there, though everyone will encourage you to eat spicy. We learned that the favorite dish
for hosts is hot pot—in fact, we ate hot pot four times in five days! It was delicious, though I
would not recommend it as an exclusive diet.

13
Beijing, China: 9-14 June; 15-22 + 27-29 July
(Travel without students)
Using our department’s travel budget, I started
my travels in Beijing, since both my wife and I
lived there previously and have some contacts
there. During the first week, I visited the
consulting firm Korn Ferry Hay Group and EF
English First, where I taught English several
years ago. It was wonderful to reconnect with
old friends and find opportunities to help our
BYU–Hawaii students.
My wife introduced me to Travel Link
Marketing (TLM), where a good friend of hers
had worked previously, and we also got
connected to TLM’s office in Chengdu.
I also had the opportunity to network with
international members of the Church in Beijing.

14
Diaoyutai State Guest House:
My wife and I were also privileged to visit
Diaoyutai State Guest House (the equivalent of
the White House guest quarters in Washington
DC, on a much grander scale), part of Diaoyutai
MGM Hospitality where Beryl Ma (AEM
program alumna) works. The organization is
currently expanding, with several new hotels
planned or under construction, and is very
interested in partnering with BYU–Hawaii to
hire interns and recent graduates.
Since normally only heads of state and hotel
staff are allowed to enter, we felt it was a great
honor to represent BYU–Hawaii there.
My second and third trips to Beijing (15-22 July;
27-29 July) ended up focused more on catching
up, both because I was a bit under the weather,
and because it turns out that July is not the best
time to network with Church members in Beijing,
since the chapel was full of summer visitors, while
international residents were all visiting home!

15
Final Thoughts
There were many spiritually significant experiences on this trip. I came to feel more than ever
before that the Lord’s hand is over this work, and that “all things work together for good to
them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). I
received angelic support not only from family, Church members, and the excellent students
who traveled with me, but also from strangers I met in airports, in train stations, on airplanes,
and elsewhere.
I know that the students who participated in each of these trips grew significantly from the
experiences. Even those who have not yet had job offers were able to gain firsthand knowledge
of the process of networking and meeting with potential employers. They also met and
networked with supportive alumni who can continue to support and mentor them as they
work to establish themselves in ways that will allow them to be of service in the kingdom of
God. We are especially grateful for the generosity of the Yamagata Foundation in making this
great effort possible. It is truly a great work!

BYU-Hawaii Career Connect: North Asia 2016

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