Designing a Life You Love: Ann Liao Inspires Students to Build Meaningful Careers

By Lisa Nguyen

The seminar “Design a Life You Love: How to Build a Career and Identity That Lasts” was held at the Sun Yat-sen Auditorium on Ming Chuan University’s Taipei Campus, bringing an inspiring close to a meaningful academic- and career-focused gathering.

Before the seminar officially began, the university recognized outstanding academic excellence by announcing and awarding the Top Three Academic Performance students from each department. These students were honored not only for their excellent GPAs, but also for their impressive engagement in extracurricular activities, reflecting MCU’s emphasis on holistic student development.

The keynote speaker, Ann Liao, opened her talk with a personal and heartfelt introduction, sharing childhood photos and stories that immediately captured students’ attention. She described herself as a “third-culture kid,” born in Taiwan and raised across six different countries, including South Africa, the United States, the Netherlands, Australia, Germany, and South Korea. She explained that this diverse cultural upbringing has deeply influenced her identity, decision-making, and career path.

Drawing from her background in communication design, Ann shared her journey of founding a social innovation company and working across fields such as education, sustainability, food technology, and fashion. She emphasized that her current career is not a straight line, but rather a meaningful blend of her interests, values, and natural strengths. Reflecting honestly on the challenges she faced in her twenties, she encouraged students not to fear uncertainty, but to build careers aligned with what they genuinely care about.

According to Ann, lifestyle choices shape how people manage time and wealth, natural skills are gifts that should be embraced rather than avoided, and personal attractions reveal the environments and values where individuals truly belong. She emphasized that in today’s world, hybrid careers and side projects are not weaknesses, but strengths that make individuals more adaptable and interesting.

Ann also introduced the concept of “life design” and long-term planning. She explained that having a clear personal anchor—such as sustainability, education, or care for future generations—can help reduce anxiety caused by an overwhelming number of choices. By sharing real-life examples of founders, creators, doctors, entrepreneurs, and artists who once studied at MCU and later built careers based on their passions, she illustrated how small projects started during university years can grow into impactful and meaningful careers.

Addressing the future of work, Ann reminded students that while artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming industries, the most valuable skills moving forward will be deeply human ones, such as empathy, creativity, ethical judgment, and community building. She concluded with a powerful reminder: “A job earns you money, but a career builds your story.” Encouraging students to design careers that reflect who they truly are, she left the audience motivated to think beyond short-term goals and to build lives filled with purpose, resilience, and impact.

The seminar concluded with warm applause, thoughtful reflection, and a renewed sense of direction among students, making it a memorable and inspiring event at MCU.