David Ryu ’99

Posted On - August 24, 2015

In May 2015, when David Ryu ’99 was elected to the Los Angeles City Council to represent District 4, he became the first Korean American to hold a council seat in Los Angeles. His journey to this position began with his childhood near Los Feliz, Calif. After getting accepted to UCLA, Ryu’s parents encouraged him to pursue a career in medicine, but he would ultimately find his calling in advocacy and community service. After graduating with a B.A. in economics from UCLA, he went on to earn a master’s in public policy and administration from Rutgers, and later became a Netkal Fellow at USC’s School of Social Work.

Ryu is the immediate past president of the Asian Pacific Alumni of UCLA and has a long record of civic and community service. With a career in community-based mental health care, he has tackled issues including healthcare access and chronic homelessness. Ryu also has local government experience in public health, housing, children and family services, transportation, and senior services.

The new councilmember is a political outsider who aims to put neighborhood concerns first. He believes in “listening to all stakeholders, starting first with residents and communities.” Ryu suggests that this methodology is “the best way to ease conflicts and create a positive environment for growth and economic development in the city.” He is excited to be a member of Los Angeles City Council and help people every day with the issues that matter to them.

David Ryu recently took some time to share his story and recall the experiences that led him to where he is today.

On choosing to attend UCLA:
I went to a very small high school. It was a brand new school and we were all in one building so I was yearning for the classic American college experience – as you see in movies or on TV. I wanted to go to the biggest school possible in Los Angeles, where it’s hustling and bustling, where I could meet people from different backgrounds and neighborhoods. I wanted to experience it all – from the classroom to football games and rallies, you name it, I wanted the whole college experience.

On his experiences at UCLA:
I had been to UCLA before, as a high school student, and UCLA was the only school I ever wanted to go to. When I got there it was everything I wanted it to be. I took as many classes as possible. I was involved with everything I could get my hands on. My experiences at UCLA really shaped me into the person that I am today and shaped my career path. I went into UCLA like a good, immigrant Asian American – my parents brainwashed me into becoming a doctor and I thought that was the only thing I could be. I went in as a pre-med bio major. I think biology was the most popular major, as a freshman that is, and at my orientation – I think there were a good 600-700 students in the auditorium – the chair of the department said, “Look at the person to your right, look at the person to your left, no offense, but they are both not going to be here. They are both going to change their mind.” We were all looking around at our friends and saying, “No. We’re going to stay pre-med bio forever.” And I was one of those that changed. My experience at UCLA guided me to dedicating my life to advocacy and serving the community.

I have to really thank the UC system and UCLA for requiring general education (GE) classes. I remember when I first got into UCLA I thought, “I’m going to become a doctor. Why do I need to take these classes? I don’t need them.” But it was those GE requirements that made me take the history class. All of these different classes helped me realize that I had different interests. I was heavily committed to pre-med bio, but in my third year I finally had the courage to go after my dreams. It was almost like I was a freshman again. I had the most fun in my GE classes, not the science classes. I love science and math, but it was those history and philosophy classes that really opened me up. The GE requirements were a tremendous help. Being at UCLA with the diverse array of experiences, people and backgrounds was eye-opening.

On his experiences being part of the Asian Pacific Coalition at UCLA:
The Asian Pacific Coalition at UCLA was the umbrella student group. I was involved with numerous organizations – not just the Asian Pacific Coalition – like the Prison Coalition, which was my first foray into serving in the nonprofit world. I was also very much involved with the Korean American Student Association, as well as the Korean American United Students for Education and Change, which I believe no longer exists. The reason that I got involved with the Asian Pacific Coalition at UCLA was because it was one of the larger organizations and, instead of just partaking in the social functions, I wanted to help organize students to do community volunteer projects. Those experiences and my involvement with the organization helped me realize my passion for helping people and advocating for those most in need.

On how the Asian Pacific Alumni of UCLA and his leadership experience with that organization contributed to his career:
When I was considering a run, it was the UCLA alumni that were the most encouraging. It wasn’t that UCLA alumni got together and said, “David, you’ve got to run,” but when I look at a cross-section of all of my supporters the most unifying theme is that they all went to UCLA. They were my biggest supporters – they volunteered, they donated, they did everything that they could do. It was really unexpected in many ways, but I realized UCLA is like a family. It’s hard to believe, because you know how big we are. You always hear about USC alumni and how they are very tight-knit and strong – they are fewer in number so it’s easier for them to do that. For UCLA, we’re so large that you never think about it in that way. I think UCLA graduates outnumber everybody else on the Los Angeles City Council – there’s a family bond there. I couldn’t be more thankful to UCLA and the alumni for helping shape this great life I have had the privilege to live thus far.

For more info on Councilmember David Ryu and his campaign, visit www.ryuforcouncil.com.

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