Born in China, raised in Canada, and educated in Hawaii, Joy Tang’s journey to BYU–Hawaii spans continents and cultures. Now graduating with a degree in business management and marketing, Tang credits her time at the university with shaping both her professional direction and her faith.
Miracles
Tang’s faith-filled journey begins at birth. “The first prayer my dad ever said in his life was when I was born,” she shared. During that time, both she and her mother were experiencing life-threatening complications— “both of us weren’t really breathing,” she said. “The doctor actually asked my dad to make a choice—do you want to save the wife or do you want to save the daughter?”
At the time, Joy’s father was not religious, nor did he believe in a god. Nevertheless, in that desperate hour of need, Joy’s father did something that, back then, was unthinkable—he uttered his first ever prayer. “He prayed that his wife and daughter could both live—and we did,” Tang said. “It was a miracle.”
That whole experience changed the course of their lives, leading them ever closer to the Savior. “After that, my dad decided that when we moved to Canada, one day he would join a church and find God.” Tang shared. “He wanted to express gratitude for what had happened that day.”
Years later, Tang’s curiosity about Jesus Christ was sparked by a friend of hers who attended another Christian Church. “I started asking my dad questions about Jesus Christ, but he didn’t really know how to answer me,” Tang said. “One day, he went online and saw an ad for a free DVD about Jesus Christ.”
Turns out, it was an ad from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which in time led the missionaries to their door. They were taught the restored gospel and converted to the faith, and Tang was soon baptized at the age of eight.
Finding BYU–Hawaii
When asked what influenced her to attend BYU–Hawaii, she said that her home ward played a huge role. “I grew up in a Chinese ward in Canada that was founded by BYU–Hawaii alumni from Hong Kong and China who had gone to school here,” Tang shared. “Because of that, there was a strong BYU–Hawaii influence in our ward, and all of their children eventually came here.” She later added, “When it was time for me to apply to university, my bishop—who was also a BYU–Hawaii alumnus—invited me into his office with a PowerPoint presentation ready to introduce me to the school. He was fully prepared to pitch the university to me.”
After careful consideration and much prayer, she felt strongly that BYU–Hawaii was the right school for her and that she needed to attend. It wasn’t just an academic decision for her, it was a spiritual one—a decision that would soon lead her to a deeper understanding of BYU–Hawaii’s mission.
“After I returned from my mission, I prayed about whether I should transfer, but I felt a strong impression that I needed to come back to BYU–Hawaii,” Tang said. “Being here helped me realize how much I loved the mission of the university, and it inspired me to pursue opportunities in Asia—something I wouldn’t have considered at another institution.”
Tang ultimately completed a marketing internship with a Chinese company seeking to expand into the Canadian market. In her role, she conducted market research and helped evaluate how the company’s products would perform with North American consumers—an experience that reinforced both her academic interests and sense of purpose.
Because of Him
“I believe God gives us gifts and talents so we can use them to bless others and help build His kingdom,” Tang said. “I’m grateful that BYU–Hawaii helped me develop those gifts and talents so I could use them to fulfill the mission of the university.”
In times of chaos and struggle, there is always hope. “My time at BYU–Hawaii taught me a lot about resilience,” Tang said. “Being here helped me see that the gospel doesn’t mean life will be easy,” she said. “But it does help make things easier because you have faith, a temple close by, and people around you who are examples to lean on. No matter how hard things were, I knew I had Heavenly Father to rely on,” Tang said.