DURING CHILDHOOD SUMMERS, Mika Liu could look up from the green before an important putt and draw inspiration from her grandmother, who often flew from Taiwan to see Mika play.
There was strength in that, and Lisa Liu's support was even more meaningful because of the kind of woman she was – a philanthropist for health care and education. She stressed the importance of understanding the circumstances of all people and to explore within ourselves how we can help them in whatever way we can.
"My grandmother and my parents taught me through the examples of hard work, humility and the importance of giving back and contributing to society," Mika said.
As Mika's golf success grew in her middle school years in Beverly Hills, California, she saw her grandmother's health diminish through cancer. Lisa's passing was "a traumatic event for me," Mika said. Also around this time, Mika learned that her three-year-old cousin, Katie, was inflicted with neuroblastoma, a rare type of cancer that mostly affects children.
After a three-year battle, Katie survived. However, those ordeals helped shape Mika, who vowed to help those with cancer and, in turn, began to see her own power in helping others.
Now a Stanford junior, Liu is working with her family to provide reusable filtered cloth masks to medical and law enforcement personnel during the COVID-19 pandemic.
When the SARS virus hit in 2003, Mika's father, Stephen Liu, donated thousands of masks to Taiwan. As an orthopedic surgeon, he understood the dangers medical personnel faced in being at the frontlines of an epidemic.
When COVID-19 hit, it seemed right that the Liu family would find a way to help once again. Their uncle, a doctor, was among frontline healthcare workers who contracted the virus during its initial wave through California. Another uncle, also an M.D., described the severe lack of personal protective equipment that healthcare professionals had at hand while treating patients and trying to combat the virus themselves.
Mika learned from media reports and doctors that many healthcare workers contracted COVID-19 through reused masks and a lack of proper protection.
"It's a lonely battle," Mika said. "A lot of nurses and physicians were told to reuse disposable face masks for up to two weeks, even keeping them in paper bags because of the shortages. Each time my uncle came home, he thought this might be the last time he saw his family."
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MIKA'S BROTHER, Seiji, co-founder and chief operating officer of IFGfit, a posture perfecting activewear company, recognized the importance of personal protection equipment and redirected the company's manufacturing facilities to produce a washable filtered face mask.
Mika helped reach out to hospitals and agencies, and even physician groups on social media, and received resounding responses for assistance. She helped assemble and package the masks and distribute them to frontline workers. The masks have gone to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, St. John's Health, Adventist Health, Mary Washington Health, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and others. Some have gone to law enforcement agencies in Ventura and South Pasadena, and even Miami, where Mika's brother, Seiya, is in medical school.
The Lius continue to receive word-of-mouth referrals from physicians, government employees, police officers, and business executives, and the manufacturing helps keep the workforce in place. Altogether, they have donated more than 10,000 masks.
Mika has felt a calling since witnessing the battles faced by her grandmother and cousin. She never forgot that Katie, "always had a smile," despite an unbearably painful and degenerative form of cancer.
"I really wanted to do something," Mika said. "One thing within my power was I could raise money and help others. I wasn't going to be a doctor, but at least I could do this."
As a young teen, Mika became involved in a leadership program through the American Junior Golf Association and organized golf tournaments and school events to raise money and awareness for cancer, with proceeds benefiting the Nicklaus Children's Hospital in Miami.
"I learned there is a face behind every statistic," she said. "It was powerful to be immersed and exposed to this."
As the winner of the 2015 Thunderbird International Junior tournament in Scottsdale, Arizona, Liu was awarded $1,000 for charity and donated it to the Nicklaus Children's Health Care Foundation. The same year, she received Nicklaus Foundation Leadership Award
Liu is the youngest of four collegiate golf siblings. Her brothers played at Harvard and sister Marika was the 2015 Ivy League Player of the Year at Yale. Mika has represented the U.S. in international competition since 2013 and aspires to become a professional golfer. She is a big reason why Stanford will be an NCAA contender at the next renewal of golf season.
Photo by Cody Glenn/Stanfordphoto.com.
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AMONG SIX MAJORING in East Asian studies, Liu has learned Mandarin Chinese and Classical Chinese, and is learning Japanese.
"Having these language skills opens up a lot of doors," she said. "It's also personally gratifying for me because my mom's Japanese and my dad's Chinese. Knowing the languages gives me roots back to my family."
After golf, Liu plans a career in finance with a focus on health care. She's interested in researching ways in which health care systems can better respond to medical supply allocation – lessons she's learning today – and how economics play into it all.
For the moment, Liu awaits the opportunity to play golf again. Two courses she usually plays – Hillcrest Country Club and the Los Angeles Country Club – remain closed. Instead, she and Seiji spend hours hitting into a net in their yard.
"You can hit short irons and drivers into it," she said. "I'm practicing my technique right now, and working on my backswing, getting onto a good plane. I'm also working on shifting and having a really solid impact."
Stanford's 2019 season ended in the NCAA match-play quarterfinals. Although Andrea Lee and Albane Valenzuela – two of the world's top amateurs – chose to turn pro, the Cardinal found its footing in 2019-20. When this season was called on March 12, the Cardinal was ranked No. 8 and coming together for a postseason run.
"We had great leadership from Coach Walker," Liu said of Margot and Mitch Milias Director of Women's Golf Anne Walker. "And we had a strong team with a lot of depth. All of us have competed at a high level, many on national teams. I knew we could be great and that we'd have a chance at the Pac-12 and national championships. Those were my goals.
"Now, that the season's ended, I know we're still trying hard, whether with our fitness or practicing our swing, so that we're ready when it starts again."
At Stanford, Liu found an extension of the service she began a few years before. Through a Cardinal Course through the Haas Center for Public Service, Liu volunteered at the Samaritan House in Redwood City, which offers free medical care to those in need.
Liu's focus was the food pharmacy, fulfilling orders to supplement healthcare with a nutritional food selection that included organic vegetables, grains, and meat. Liu made an effort to get to know the patients and hear their stories.
"It's important to not be stuck in your own bubble," she said. "The thing my parents always told me was to be appreciative and grateful of others. I've had this instilled in me since I was young. Now, I'm in a position to help others."
Liu has a gift of empathy, and a willingness to see others through their eyes. It's a deep understanding that wasn't cultivated on her own, but through the watchful eyes of those like her grandmother, who taught Mika lessons that will remain with her forever.
Photo by Bob Drebin/ISIphotos.com.