Five-Minute Feature: Winnie Yu, Director of Communications for Advancement and Community Engagement

Get to know the Empire State University community through this rapid-fire interview series that bridges professional accomplishments and personal interests. What makes Empire State University exceptional? The unique people behind the work. Five minutes—starting now!

What led you to your career path?

As a child, I always enjoyed reading and writing, and was especially fond of magazines. In second grade, my mom gave me money for the school bake sale, and I spent it on copies of YM, a magazine for young teenagers. So even though I always said I wanted to be a doctor, my actions suggested otherwise.

I wound up going to Syracuse University to study magazine journalism, and worked as a magazine editor, newspaper reporter, and freelance writer. When it was time to get a “real job,” I landed at the NYS Department of Health, then made the leap to higher ed by going to SUNY System Administration and in 2021, arrived here at SUNY Empire.

What is your favorite thing about SUNY Empire?

I love meeting and talking to our alumni! SUNY Empire has an incredible and growing pool of graduates who have taken their degrees and gone on to do great things, whether it’s in their careers or in their communities. Many of them have lived very interesting lives.

I’m thinking of Alborz Noorani ’16, who came to us after being banned from a college education in his native Iran for being of the Baha’i faith. He is now training to become a surgeon in Toronto. There’s also Edwin Gibson ’12, who overcame his stutter to become a prolific stage actor and member of the award-winning cast of “The Bear.” And Dora Cervantes ’18, ’19 and Julie Frietchen ’18, ’19, close friends who came to SUNY Empire together and have since achieved high level positions at the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. I could go on and on.

Our alumni are wildly talented and are out there making an impact. Many also have very fond memories of their time at SUNY Empire and will reel off names of professors and mentors they had.

What’s one moment in your career you’re especially proud of?

I actually have two. One was early on when I was just out of college and working as an intern at The Wall Street Journal. I wrote a story about the challenges that Asian American managers face, and the story landed in the European and Asian editions. Back then, there was no Internet, so this was the equivalent of going viral!

The other special moment grew out of a book I wrote for the American Academy of Pediatrics called “Autism Spectrum Disorders: What Every Parent Needs to Know.” Though I collaborated with two pediatricians, I did all the research and writing, and I knew almost nothing about autism when I started. I was thrilled when the book won the 2013 Medical Book Award from the American Medical Writers Association, in the Public/Healthcare Consumers category.

Why is it important to share alumni and donor stories with the university community?

This is so important! Alumni and donor stories go hand in hand when it comes to demonstrating the impact and importance of what we do at SUNY Empire. Alumni stories showcase the accomplishments and talents of our graduates; donor stories demonstrate the impact of philanthropy on our students as they make their way to becoming alumni. Of course, many of our alumni are donors, who want to pay it forward by giving back.

Sharing these stories with our university community affirms that the work we do every day — no matter how seemingly insignificant — is making a huge difference in the lives of our students, as well as their families, communities, and chosen professions.

What’s a quote or saying that resonates with you?

Again, I have two. In college, I had a magazine professor named John Keats who told us that every story should be summed up in this way: “What in 10 words or less is all this nonsense about?” In other words, the essence of a story should always be easily summarized. It really applies to anything we write or present. His quote later became the title of a book about his thoughts on good writing, compiled posthumously by one of his students.

The other quote comes from Helen Keller: “Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much.” Her words speak to the power of collaborating. Whether it’s colleagues coming together on projects, neighbors uniting to protest something in their community, or friends and family working in harmony to face a challenge, there is always strength and power in numbers.