Andy Pang
Andy Pang is a lifelong learner with a remarkable story. Born to illiterate parents in Hong Kong he is the fifth of seven children – the only one to earn a college degree. He spent the first three and one half years of his life living on a houseboat in Hong Kong Harbor. Despite growing up in primitive living conditions, no electricity, no running water and no bathroom, Andy says he had a happy childhood. He helped his family make ends meet by making plastic flowers at home. Pang says, "I kept wondering who were buying these millions of silly plastic things. Imagine my surprise and joy when I first stepped into a K-mart in 1989 in Dallas and saw the darn thing on sale!" At the age of 14 Pang determined he would head 'west' to pursue higher education. After high school and two years of Business College, Pang worked for five years to save money towards this goal. He left Hong Kong with just enough money for one year’s tuition.
Pang attended Richland College 1990-1993. With a 4.0 GPA and a full scholarship, he transferred to Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island where he majored in Marketing. There he graduated Summa Cum Laude completing the 4 year degree program in 2 years and 3 months while working at least 20 hours a week throughout the entire program. Pang also holds an MBA in International Business from UTA. He earned this degree while holding a fulltime job.
Pang has spent years tutoring and mentoring underprivileged children and adults here and around the world. From October 2004 through September 2005 he took a sabbatical from his successful career in the computer industry. He traveled around the world spending half of the time in Costa Rica teaching English and Computer Applications as a volunteer for different organizations. His sights and experiences are published in his book, Life’s Scenic Lookout.
On his personal website Pang describes himself this way, "In a nutshell, I am one of the most blessed people in this world and often times I envy myself."