Artwork from the Heart

WSU grad-turned-recruiter named Talent of the Year in the final Crystal Crest Awards

Yuqi Liu’s 2020 Crystal Crest Talent of the Year Award came as a surprise to her, especially since she painted as a hobby, not as a major. On the day the awards were announced, she received a congratulatory email from a colleague at work. “‘What happened?’” she replied.

Liu was one of the final winners of the Crystal Crest Awards, which celebrated individuals and organizations in the areas of scholarship, talent, leadership, achievement and instruction. The awards were held annually for 38 years.

While she didn’t expect an award, her stunning art and charitable work make her the clear winner.

A fall 2020 graduate in business administration, Liu now recruits students for WSU’s International Student & Scholar Center. On the side, she has practiced oil painting and traditional Chinese watercolors since childhood. She has donated artwork to a Chinese charity established to help fund children’s education. “It means a lot to me to notice my talent in this area,” said Liu, whose art subjects range from cultural Chinese scenes to still lifes to go-kart racers.

While she expresses herself through art, she said WSU public speaking instructor Greg Larson helped her find her voice in his class, where she had to step out of her comfort zone to deliver five speeches or presentations to Larson and her peers in English, a language she was actively learning.

“Yuqi was part of that class when she had recently come from China and perhaps the biggest obstacle she faced was her transition from classroom English learned in China to conversational American English,” Larson said. “Besides her intelligence, two of her strongest qualities were courage and the willingness to work very hard to achieve her goals.”

Liu chose WSU because she thought Utah would be a peaceful state for studying. At WSU, she discovered an institution that supported international students. She made friends from many countries, including the U.S., and with them explored local culture.

“She is the kind of student that we hope to have at WSU, and she deserves to be recognized for her amazing talents and also commitment to making Weber State University great, Great, GREAT!,” said Tiana Witkamp, administrative specialist for the International Student & Scholar Center who nominated Liu for the award. “She makes every effort to happily serve her fellow students and consciously wants to make a difference for others, especially those in need.”