Stella Guan, ’12, utilizes the storytelling skills she learned at La Salle every day in her career.
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Growing up in a small town in China, Stella Guan, ’12, began flexing her creative muscles from an early age. Today, the entrepreneur has created a name for herself working as a designer, teacher, and public speaker. Learning to tell stories, a skill she uses every day, was taught and refined at La Salle University, she said.
“One of the really important things I learned was storytelling,” Guan said.
The alumna, who studied communication, first arrived in the U.S. at age 18 to begin classes at 20th and Olney. She chose La Salle after observing through her online research it was where she could study the program she wanted to pursue while living in a major U.S. city. A scholarship didn’t hurt, either, she added.
“One of the really important things I learned was storytelling.” —Stella Guan, ’12
While there was a bit of culture shock for the international student, Guan said the small campus with attentive faculty and staff made the adjustment to La Salle and the U.S. easier.
“As an international student studying at La Salle from China, Stella has been such an involved, creative, and multi-talented student and alumna,” said Cherylyn Rush, La Salle’s multicultural affairs director. “Stella was very involved in many of our student organizations and was very active at the University and the Multicultural & International Center. Stella continues to live her quote, ‘Dress Elegantly, Love Fiercely, Live Boldly.’”
The Department of Communication prepared Guan with the tools to effectively convey a message to an interested audience, Guan said.
“It’s so important to learn what makes people tick and capture their attention,” she said.
Outside of class, she worked to rack up internships, helping her determine a career in television production wasn’t for her—but design was.
“Stella personified the extra-mile student. You ask for a two-page internship report; you got four or five pages,” said Brother Gerard “Gerry” Molyneaux, ’58, M.A. ’59, FSC, Ph.D., who oversees the communication department’s internship program. “She was delivering top-notch papers and projects while handling four courses here and interning in New York City. Her capacity for work seemed limitless and as if she were just hitting her stride, which she was.”
Following a stint in New York to continue her education and working as a visual designer and teacher, Guan moved to Los Angeles in 2020. She decided to take her passions and form her own companies—Path Unbound and Bezier Home. Path Unbound is a UI/UX design school that offers customizable creative education for those looking to shift careers and designers aiming to grow their skill set. Bezier Home is a postmodern, multi-functional furniture brand at an affordable price.
Guan created both businesses out of her multifaceted love for design and teaching. She’s hoping to see both ventures grow in the next year as she takes on a co-founder to help run Path Unbound as she dives more into designing for Bezier Home.
Without La Salle, Guan said she wouldn’t have discovered her true career path. She said students should dive headfirst into their curriculum while also taking on internships to learn what they’re drawn to. And, if the career field they thought was the right fit isn’t, be open to new opportunities because it could be a blessing in disguise.
“It’s more important to find your passion,” she added.
—Meg Ryan
