print header, cpp news

CPP NEWS

Alumnus Contributes $50,000 to Help Broncos Affected by Wildfires

Alumnus Sean Yu

Members of the Bronco family wanting to help students, faculty and staff enduring the devastating impact of wildfires that decimated large swaths of Los Angeles will have their donations matched.

Alumnus Sean Yu (’99, political science; management and human resources), and his wife Christine, have pledged $50,000 to match donations given to the Bronco Care Basic Needs Initiative, which supports CPP students in crisis, and the newly established Bronco Employee Relief Fund to support faculty and staff. Yu’s donation will be evenly divided between the two funds. The wildfires have affected more than 100 students. In addition, around 15 faculty members have experienced total or partial loss of their homes, and the university has received notification of 35 employees that have been affected in some capacity by these events, according to Employee & Organizational Development & Advancement/Human Resources Operations.

While the student fund has been around since the COVID-19 pandemic, the fund for employees adds a level of support for faculty and staff that hasn’t been previously available, said Brooke Fessler Owens, director for Leadership Annual Giving.

“The wildfires have inspired the creation of a new program that will help support employees as they face not only this current crisis, but other needs should they arise,” Fessler Owens said. “The establishment of the fund for employees offers an opportunity for Cal Poly Pomona to provide a full culture of care not just for students, but for our faculty and staff as well. It closes that loop so that we can support all of our own, both students and employees.”

Yu, a distinguished alumnus and honorary doctorate recipient, has invested heavily in Cal Poly Pomona, generously giving his time and contributing to efforts that he cares about deeply.

From 2016 to 2018, he served as a member of the board of directors’ investment committee for the Cal Poly Pomona Foundation, transitioning to a similar role on the Cal Poly Pomona Philanthropic Foundation board in 2018.

He has donated more than $2 million to the university, mainly to the Department of Political Science. As managing director and leader of the Pasadena-based The Sean Yu Group at Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management, Yu has established endowments to benefit student travel, internships at human rights and justice organizations, creative activities in the political science department, and scholarships in honor of his favorite faculty members Professors Sid Stillman, David Speak and John Lloyd.

“Sean Yu has long shown his dedication to the university and his desire to make a difference in the lives of his fellow Broncos,” Fessler Owens said. “This generous contribution to help students and employees facing so much loss in the wake of the wildfires is a further testament to how much he cares about his Cal Poly Pomona family. We are beyond appreciative of his efforts and generosity.”