On paper, Phillip Wu had all the requisites needed to go straight to a four-year college when he graduated from high school. He was in the top 25% of his class, came from an educated family and had already been accepted to UC Riverside.
However, Wu was just going through the motions, checking boxes, but not really engaged. And, frankly, he was a little scared.
“I wasn’t ready – at least not mentally. In high school, I lacked a clear sense of direction,” he said. “I didn’t know what I wanted to study or what kind of career I wanted to pursue. I even questioned whether college was the right fit for me at all.”
Naturally introverted and shy, the idea of the sprawling campuses, big-school pressure and large, impersonal lecture halls was intimidating.
Santiago Community College became the perfect answer, a place where Wu blossomed and charted a path that led to degrees at UC Berkeley, the University of San Francisco School of Law and a job at tech powerhouse NVIDIA, where he helps ensure compliance with global data protection laws.
For his achievements, Wu will be recognized by Santiago Canyon College at its 25th Anniversary Gala in November.
“Choosing SCC was one of the best decisions I’ve made,” Wu said. “It gave me the time and support I needed to grow, explore my interests and build confidence in myself. It wasn’t the path most people expected me to take, but it was the one that helped me find my way.”
Wu graduated from high school in 2003. At the time, Santiago Canyon College was just three years into its independent accreditation after having been a satellite campus in the Rancho Santiago Community College District.
As a result, like Wu, Santiago Canyon College was also discovering its own identity.
In particular, Wu credits Carolyn Motokane, a retired counselor at the school, for helping him find his way.
“Carolyn was more than just a counselor — she was a mentor, a guide, and a constant source of encouragement,” he said. “Her guidance played a huge role in helping me transfer to Berkeley within two years.”
Wu was also able to take classes outside his major and prerequisites that allowed him to learn about the broader world.
“One that stood out was sociology. It helped me understand how life outcomes are shaped not just by personal effort, but by larger social and institutional forces,” he said. “That insight changed how I think about success — not just as something earned, but also as something influenced by the systems around us.”
Santiago College is also where Wu learned how to be a college-level student, from critical thought to study techniques that would be foundational in law school.
“SCC reshaped my relationship with learning,” he said. “In high school, I did just enough to get by. But at SCC, I found myself genuinely engaged with the subjects I was studying and developed a growing curiosity about the world around me.”
The education and confidence Wu first developed at SCC helped carry him forward both through law school and in the professional world.
“Law school was tough. It attracts a lot of driven, high-achieving ‘Type A’ personalities. I definitely felt the pressure,” Wu said.
And while there were times he considered dropping out, Wu persevered.
“Once things began to click, I gained the confidence to tackle new subjects and trust my ability to learn,” he said. “Law school didn’t just teach me legal theory — it taught me how to think. It trained me to break down complex problems, analyze them from different angles, and find practical solutions. “
That has helped guide Wu professionally. Not surprisingly, Wu arrived at NVIDIA via an unusual path.
In 2019, after working in family and financial service law, Wu was looking for a new direction.
He learned of a temporary contracting job in data privacy compliance at NVIDIA, which was surging in the tech world.
“The pay wasn’t great, but I saw it as a potential gateway,” Wu said, betting on himself although he knew little about the language of tech or the challenges in the industry.
And it paid off.
“As the company’s needs evolved, I was asked to take on responsibilities beyond data privacy,” he said. “Saying yes — even when I wasn’t entirely sure I was ready — proved to be a good decision.”
Wu is also flexing some of the concepts of social responsibility he learned at SCC.
He helps head up the company’s LGBTQ+ employee resource group known as “NVPride.”
“It’s a safe place for like-minded people to share experiences and resources,” said Wu, adding that it also allowed him to make meaningful connections with colleagues across business units with which he might not otherwise engage.
It was through NVPride that Wu was able to meet NVIDIA CEO and cofounder Jensen Huang at NVPride’s Summer Celebration & Silent Art Auction.
As Wu looks ahead to where his career may lead, he now knows to trust his instincts and not always do what’s obvious or expected.
He said, “I’ve learned that sometimes, the best opportunities come when you’re willing to be flexible, take a different route and trust yourself.”