Alumna Profile: Lea Yip Shen ’91

In 1991, a nine-year-old Lea Yip (now Shen) walked onto the Westridge campus as a quiet and studious fourth grader. She joined a class of girls who each had a unique voice to be discovered, nurtured, and protected during their time as students. For Shen, that meant putting down the books sometimes to explore graffiti art with Ms. Linda Brownridge, learn hip hop with Kashmir Blake, tour Spain with Señor Marty Kaplan, and cook meals at Union Station with Ms. Betty Cole. Most of all, she remembered the many meaningful conversations with fellow schoolmates who had strong opinions while also staying committed to civil discourse and remaining curious about one another. Shen, who was a Westridge lifer, reflected that the school represented “a safe place for young women to develop into independent thinkers, creative problem solvers, and trailblazers.”

The transformative years at Westridge served her well at University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. “Westridge prepared me with a solid foundation to succeed in an environment where women were significantly underrepresented at the time.” Shen said. “I felt confident engaging in all the same activities as my male peers.” This was followed by several years of work in public sector consulting, where she implemented emergency preparedness and disaster relief plans for major cities around the United States.

I benefitted from an amazing whole-child education and treasured friendships because of the generosity of others who came before me.

In 2010, Shen welcomed her first child, Hudson, who was born with a cleft lip and palate, and she chose to leave consulting to care for him full time. Prompted by her son’s experience, Shen and her husband, Hubert, learned that children across the world are often abandoned due to birth defects that can be fully repaired with surgery. Their family became deeply involved with Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Show Hope, and Samaritan’s Purse—organizations that provide life-changing medical care for children globally. Of this pivot, Shen said: “Give a Westridge girl a challenge, and she’ll find a way to build something good out of it!”

Shen also has a daughter, Ella, a fifth grader. “Because Westridge has always stayed connected with me and welcomed my family, Ella also felt a sense of home when we attended campus events together,” she said. “We were very excited when she told us she was eager to be a lifer too. Our school is the best launching pad for young women, preparing them with the skills and providing support for every season.”

It is with this belief that Shen currently serves on the Westridge Board of Trustees. She and her husband also regularly contribute to the school’s Annual Fund, which supports continued forward-thinking opportunities for our students.

“Westridge is a lifelong relationship,” said Shen. “I benefitted from an amazing whole-child education and treasured friendships because of the generosity of others who came before me. And now, I have the privilege of investing in the next generation of Westridge.”

To learn more about the ways you can become involved with Westridge, visit www.westridge.org/give.