Staff Spotlight: Tavia Ho
When Tavia moved to the United States with her parents at 16, she was scared. After growing up in Canton, China, she was worried about her limited English-speaking abilities preventing her from fitting in. “It was all so strange to me at first,” she said. “I didn’t want to go to school here. I didn’t want to have to miss anyone.”
Despite her fears, her determination and hard work ethic propelled her to succeed in school, eventually going on to pursue a degree in college where she felt confident – in accounting.
Yet even in this somewhat rigid field of study, she knew she wanted to help others, something her parents had instilled in her at a young age. After a few years working for a home care center and the NYC Comptroller’s Office, Tavia perspective shifted.
Her grandfather back in China started to become sick. Being the close-knit family that they have always been, Tavia visited him in Hong Kong. It was here that he taught her about the importance of philanthropy.
He shared memories of his time working for an organization that helped build schools for Chinese children in countryside villages. When he eventually passed, Tavia saw the outpouring of support and gratitude at his services, and she knew it was because he was a man who gave to others.
“That brought me to learn about the nonprofit field, because I was so impressed with him and what he had done,” she said. When she returned to the United States, she was determined to seek a career to where she could emulate her grandfather and serve as an inspiration to her own children.
Aside from being a mother, working at Make-A-Wish has been the single most rewarding thing Tavia says she has done. Although she works in our finance department, she keeps close to the mission by volunteering as a Wish Granter.
Her favorite memory was when she worked with a young girl, Hanyu, who had traveled to the United States for treatment of her eye cancer. She remembers being deeply impressed by Hanyu’s mother.
“She had to bring her daughter her by herself and she had nothing. She didn’t speak any English,” Tavia recalled.
Hanyu ultimately decided that although her ability to see was rapidly declining, she wanted a piano. Tavia was touched to be able to give the gift of music to the family, fighting through so much. “At the time, my own daughter was learning piano, so I knew just how much hope music can bring a child,” she said.
But Hanyu is just one of the many children Tavia has helped serve, using her Cantonese and Mandarin language skills to communicate with our families. The very same skills she felt limited her when she first came to the United States, now serve as her own superpowers. Her willingness to volunteer helps bring us closer to reaching every eligible child, including those, like her, whose first language is not English.
Amongst the recent rise of attacks on Asian Americans, Tavia remains proud of where she comes from. Her Chinese traditions are something that both her and her husband want to be sure to keep alive.
For Luke and Lara, their two children, their favorite tradition is celebrating the Chinese New Year. They love to hear about the superstitions of how to ring it in and of course receive “red pocket money” from their elders.
She also seeks to teach her kids to always stay grateful and humble. Currently, Lara is working on a picture book in school. When she is complete with the writing and illustrations, she hopes to print a few copies and sell them to fundraise for Make-A-Wish.
We couldn’t be more appreciative for all that Tavia has done to push us forward in our mission of granting a wish to every eligible child. Despite all she has already accomplished, we know that the best is yet to come!
Do you speak another language? We are always in need of bilingual volunteers to help support our wish families! Click here to learn how you can help.