Cornell Tradition Fellow Jennifer Luu ’12 of San Jose has been chosen as one of two students to receive the Northern California Cornell Tradition scholarship. As a Freshman in the Hotel School, Jennifer is actively involved in Cornell activities, serving as a member of the Film Club, Cornell Concert Commission, Horticultural Club, Catering and Special Events Society, and HEC. Having a true entrepreneurial spirit, this hotelie founded Crumb by Crumb, an organization that brings together students with a shared interest in baking and giving back to the community. Luu hopes to one day own her own catering/special events business.
CAANC was fortunate enough to support Jennifer Luu through continued fundraising efforts, including a number of events held throughout the Bay Area.
Below is a note of thanks from Jennifer to CAANC:
Dear Cornell Alumni Association of Northern California,
Hello, my name is Jennifer Luu. I just wanted to write this letter as a little way of thanking you for all that you've done for me and to tell you a little about myself. I am from San Jose, the capital of the Silicon Valley. My father is a computer engineer and my mother is a homemaker. I am the second daughter and middle child of my family, but I never suffered from "middle child" complexes. I have an older sister (only by eleven months) who is currently in her second year at Santa Clara University, and I have a ten-year old brother who is extremely excited to be going on his fifth grade science camp outing this year.
As a child, I had always been interested in food. When I was young, I remember starting a restaurant in my kitchen called "Meal in a Basket." In this restaurant, I served my family members ham sandwiches, pickles, and cookies. At the time, my business skills were not too developed and I forgot to charge anyone for my meals, but it all didn't matter to me because I enjoyed the experience so much. It was in my sophomore year of high school that I learned that there was a major for what I was truly interested in. It was then that I found out about Cornell and its world famous hotel school. I was a part of many extracurricular/volunteer activities in California. The most prominent of these activities was my involvement with CASC (California Association for Student Councils). It was with this organization that I learned to become a leader within my school and community. Additionally, I earned my second degree black belt in Tae Kwondo and through my gym I became more involved within the community. In high school, I started Crumb by Crumb: Piedmont Hills' Bake Club. In this club, members participated in bake sales and bake club events of which proceeds went to various shelters in the community. In my sophomore year of high school, I took a job at a nearby mall at Hot Dog on a Stick. It was there I developed many skills that are still useful to mc now. In the next month or so here at Cornell, I plan to work at the Hotel School in the banquets department. And hopefully in the summer, I will be able to find an internship at a catering company.
Well, I just wanted to thank you again for your generous gift. Your gift really means a lot to my parents and my family. Your generosity will not be forgotten and I only hope that when I leave Cornell, I will be able to give back to its students as generously as you have done for me.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Luu
jdl237@cornell.edu
