你好！¡Hola! 안녕하세요. Olá! Привет. Terve. !مرحبا
My name is Yiya and I might be the ODDEST (Open Daring Determined Ebullient Subtle Teachable) person you’ll ever meet. I love exploring the world, wondering at its ineffable complexity, and being stunned speechless each time I attempt to figure it out. We’re taught early to narrow our vision, to have one passion, one true calling, but after years of struggling to encounter mine, instead of quenching parts of myself tingling to ignite just to fit in, I decided I did not want limitation in the dictionary of my life. I will have many passions, I will quench none, I will not fit in, but I will no longer be ashamed, for I will have stayed true to myself. If I have to have one true passion, that will be discovering the world to the full, whether through formal education, self-learning, backpacking/Couchsurfing, and improving what looked broken to my full capability through it all. I believe in the end, the most useful knowledge will prove themselves to be those that stick with us and apply to solving real-world problems. This requires real-world learning. I don’t believe in making college and quality education an elitist right. We could all embrace lifelong learning as a mechanism of formal education and create a culture of free learning that cradles multiple intelligences.
Read about my academic journey.
Determined to get the best education for myself, I came to the US alone from China, on my first airplane ride at age 18. Not knowing anyone, with self-taught spoken English skills, my ability to survive in a new country depended upon my openness to novel experiences, my hunger for knowledge, the courage to initiate conversations and friendships with complete strangers, and my willingness to step outside my comfort zones. When I finally reached San Francisco after two-and-half months of Couchsurfing at strangers’ homes, I met my current husband as a Couchsurfer and we got married four years later. We now raise a rambunctious three-year-old together. In January 2020, I could finally enroll in a community college full time as a permanent resident and not feel burdened by the astronomical tuition rates. I became a first generation college student at almost 25 years old. Significantly, I’ve discovered my fate as a lifelong learner by this time, which smoothed the path for the rest of my academic career. I’m in the process of getting a dual associate degree in Psychology and Economics at a community college and then transferring to a selective university to study Linguistics/Neuroscience, minoring in Data Science and/or Music. My goal is to use the knowledge I learn and the connections I build in university to bring positive impacts to the world. Specifically, through social innovation and starting/joining non-profits that address the most pressing issues in our society related to education. I believe developing a genuine love for loving is what’s lacking in our current model of education. Moving any society forward into cutting-edge growth will require filling the gap between job-based knowledge acquisition and self-directed learning in order to see and solve the bigger puzzle of the world. Meanwhile, I aim to deliver life education that emphasizes essential life skills to our most vulnerable and underprivileged population.
Get cozy and talk to me about…
social innovation, journalistic photography, gender and racial equity, social psychology, economic policies, impact/stock investing, data science, open-water swimming, big history, cognitive neuroscience, world literature, playwriting, acting/improvisation, language learning, instrument learning, parenting, Ecuador, Couchsurfing.
What they say
Words of wisdom can sometimes be a phrase containing no more than a handful of words; however, this does not take away from the weight of its emotion. Yiya Wang’s Moon and Her Lights is simultaneously connected and standalone, akin to winter lights. Its poems are strung together and hung on the same wire, yet each ‘bulb’ is capable of illuminating space on its own and bearing emotional weight for readers to absorb…(in this) coming-of-age tale, Wang takes the experiences from her youth: high, low, and everything in between, and bares it in its entirety. It is an illustration of her growth.
Keana Lebra, Editor-in-Chief of Literary Magazine, 2019
I had Yiya as a Mandarin tutor for over a year. The very first thing I noticed was her English ability. She has a thorough understanding of English grammar and humor… Over the course of a year, I really noticed an improvement in my pronunciation of tones and my speaking ability… Yiya is a valuable asset.
Ghio Anton, Mandarin Student, 2016
Yiya is very funny, friendly with a very good energy. We walked around the city together and we took a lot of pictures enjoying the Christmas lights. We even went to karaoke where Yiya demonstrated that she is really good on that even the owners of the karaoke were surprised by her voice…I recommend Yiya to anyone who has the opportunity to hang out with her, you will have a great and quality time.
Christian Andres, Couchsurfing host from Cuenca, Ecuador, 2020
More From Couchsurfing Hosts & Guests
I met Yiya during her short visit in Cuenca. She came to hike with my friend Henry and me at Cajas National Park. It was the perfect day to be in nature and we really enjoyed her company. It was definitely a photo op that she took advantage of! Yiya was very friendly and polite. She seems to be a true free spirit who has a genuine interest in discovering new places and cultures. I would highly encourage anyone to get to know her be it by hosting or traveling with her!
Samuel Sarmiento, CS host from Cuenca, Ecuador, 2020
Yiya es una persona muy agradable y siempre abierta a conocer algo diferente de la cultura local, con ella pudimos hablar en un español algo austero, sin embargo la pasamos muy bien paseando y probando comida local.
René Toapanta Mejia, CS host from Quito, Ecuador, 2019
Alojarnos con Yiya fue muy agradable, nos reimos juntas, compartimos platos típicos, la casa era suuuper limpia y acogedora, aunque no pudimos estar mucho tiempo juntas no hubo ningun problema. ¡Repetiría! Y espero que bengan a vernos a España, tanto ella como su familia. Muchas gracias Yiya!!
Raquel & Mel, guests from Spain, 2019
One of my best couchsurfing ever, Yiya & Kevin was so kind to accept me with very short time notice. Angel is the tireless and lovely dog who could be playing fetch for hours! But special mention to Yivin, the cutest and most social girl ever, who spent all her time playing with me. It was hard to say goodbye!
Pablo Munoz-Chapuli, guest from Spain, 2019
Yiya has been a perfect host. I stayed for one night in her San Francisco home before catching my flight back home and couldn’t have asked for better accomodation. Yiya is super nice and open and she has the sweetest family, you can imagine. If you don’t end up adoring this enchanting toddler of hers during your stay at Yiya’s, there might be something seriously wrong with you. As someone who is not used to being around babies, I was first a bit timid, but – if you are like me, don’t worry – the baby won’t let you any other choice but play, color, eat, or walk around the house together and you’ll probably love it. There’s also a cute young dog in the house, who will never ever get tired of playing fetch with you. I can vouch for that. Do I recommend couchsurfing at Yiya’s? Yes, 100%!
Janika Lohse, guest from Germany, 2019
Yiya is a very savvy and smart gal. She is extremely focused and knows what she wants and how to get it, such as learning English, of which she is an expert! We learned a lot from hosting Yiya and we wish her continued luck on Couchsurfing, in her long stay in the US, and of course in life.
Karen Miller, host from Santa Monica, US, 2014
Yiya is a wonderful, smart, energetic young lady with an open heart and a thirst for adventure. I can heartily recommend her to anyone in the Couchsurfing community. Hosting her was a rewarding experience for me… one that I will never forget.
Cassandra Grindall, my first host from Long Beach, US, 2013
Passion Projects
- The Online University – Complete 100 online courses with certificates
- Create mind maps/creative notes on tough concepts/subjects and share them here
- 100 Classics Challenge – Read 100 classic works of literature
- Create a mind map of plots, mark favorite quotes, and write a brief research essay after reading each one
- The Polyglot – Speak Finnish, Arabic, Korean, Russian, and German fluently
- Measure fluency by understanding a film without subtitles and holding a prolonged conversation with a native speaker
- Adult Prodigy – Pass ABRSM violin grade 6, then piano
- Books into University – Curate a reading list for college students
- Alcatraz Swim – Train to complete the 1.5 miles Alcatraz Invitational swim
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