Michael Yung-An Yu Endowed Scholarship in Communication

Proudly Announcing the Michael Yung-An Yu Endowed Scholarship in Communication

The Department of Communication is honored to announce the Michael Yung-An Yu Endowed Scholarship in Communication. This scholarship was established by a generous University of Maryland, College Park Communication alumnus to honor Yu’s tremendous legacy of a person remembered as “an ordinary man who did extraordinary things.”

The scholarship will provide need-based financial support for undergraduate students within the Department of Communication in the College of Arts and Humanities. Preference will be given to students who were residents of Prince George’s or St. Mary’s County at the time of enrollment, the communities where Yu lived, worked, and raised his family.

Michael Yung-An Yu (Mike Yu) grew up with few resources but a heart full of purpose and a passion for uplifting his family and community. Although he eventually lived just a stone’s throw away from College Park, his journey began much further away.

Yu developed a formidable work ethic early in life while toiling in the rice paddies of his hometown in Hangchow, China. A World War II veteran, he earned the rank of captain in the Chinese Air Force. After settling in Maryland, Yu worked tirelessly, becoming an unbreakable foundation of hope, love, and resilience for his large family. He went on to sponsor many relatives, helping them move to America in pursuit of education and a better life.

Yu was entrepreneurial at heart, determined, relentless, and self-taught. While he never had the opportunity to finish high school, he built a successful aeronautical export-import firm that supported his six children as they pursued undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral degrees. Three of his children attended UMD. 

Yu’s family recalls the many people who benefited from his sacrifice and generosity. He instilled in them the values he held dear: “living positively, practicing selfless devotion, treating everyone like family, being constantly curious, working hard, working smart, reading voraciously, and never reducing the value of a penny (or a grain of rice!).”

In his 70s and well into his 90s, Yu found a new purpose training for the Maryland Senior Olympics. He demonstrated the same grit and discipline that defined his entire life, ultimately earning nearly two dozen gold medals.

Throughout his life, Yu asked for nothing in return. He exemplified a value-driven life focused on faith, family, and uplifting others. He was deeply passionate about creating educational opportunities for the next generation. 

The Michael Yung-An Yu Endowed Scholarship in Communication will allow the Department to provide students with vital financial support to achieve their academic and career goals. Go Terps!