The High Point Legacy: Alumni Spotlight: Jonathan Fan (Class of ‘98)



Welcome to “ The High Point Legacy: Alumni Spotlight,” a series celebrating the lives of Pasadena’s High Point Academy graduates. Alumni will share their journeys, showcasing the transformative impact High Point Academy’s nurturing environment has made on their lives. Each story will provide insights into the values and opportunities that define the HPA experience.

Join us as we celebrate the accomplishments of HPA alumni, revealing the essence of what makes High Point Academy exceptional.  For more information about HPA, please click here.

“More so than anything, High Point brought together a great group of kids, their families, teachers, and a community that supported and continues to support each other.” — Jonathan Fan

After graduating from High Point in 1998, I went to La Salle High School, and then on to the University of Southern California. I graduated from USC with a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial & Systems Engineering. I lived and worked in Tokyo, Japan, for about 8 months before moving to Northern California to work in the technology industry. After spending 5 years as a software product manager, I moved on to work in development and operations at a well-known “fruit company” called Apple. (My joke!) I worked on iMac and iPad products there, then I left for the startup world and did a stint at a small company called Otto. Finally, I joined Meta (then known as Facebook), working on a few virtual reality (VR) headsets under their recently-acquired Oculus brand. I’m currently working on some next generation Augmented Reality (AR) products.

Most importantly, I met my wonderful wife Ngan in 2007. We eventually settled in San Jose, where we live to this day. My daughters Sofia and Maya are the love of my life, and we have spent a lot of quality time together, especially during the pandemic. We’ve also been fortunate to have traveled to quite a few places, including all parts of the western United States and to Taiwan, Vietnam, Australia, New Zealand, and Mexico, to name a few.

My High Point Experience—

While I was attending grades K-8 at High Point Academy, Mrs. Betty Cowan and Mr. John Higgins were the heads of school. HPA was such a big part of my life throughout. It provided a safe environment and nurtured the kids in a positive way.

Whenever I come back to Pasadena to visit my parents, I drive past the HPA campus to show my family where I spent my formative years, but I haven’t attended any alumni events to date. I have kept in touch with a few of my old classmates, however. Most recently I connected with Mosey (Maureen) Nuccio and Bryan Holst, as well as Emily Earhart.

My Personal Observations and Reflections—

I have so many fond memories of High Point. A few that come to mind are running the hill at the direction of P.E. teachers Mr. Mejia, Mr. Banks, and Mrs. Krause—grueling but also rewarding—and hiking around Eaton Canyon with Mr. Schaeffer, the science teacher, who taught us some amazing bird calls. The fourth-grade Sacramento trip included panning for gold, and the junior high trip to CIMI in Catalina gave us the opportunity to camp, canoe, and snorkel while learning about marine biology.

In thinking about the arts, I remember so many school plays with the late great Mrs. Sandi Brune. The image of her conducting and singing along will always be part of my core memories. The sixth-grade production of “Night on the Nile” was great fun, and “Meet the Masters” was an opportunity to learn about famous artists with slide presentations and hands-on activities.

Finally, eighth grade graduation, celebrating and saying goodbye to many close friends over nine years, set the tone for the future. The transition to high school was very seamless. HPA did a great job preparing me for many of the challenges that I experienced at La Salle. More so than anything, it brought together a great group of kids, their families, teachers, and a community that supported and continues to support each other.

Unofficial HPA class reunion in 2018: Top row from left to right: Ira Chui, Jessica (Steinberg) Zadaka,Douglas (Robbie) Tucker, Emily Earhart, Gerald Clayton, Jamie Rokus, Brian Edson. Bottom row from left to right: Robyn (Young) De Torres, Mosey (Nuccio) Dunn, Joel Lipman, Jonathan Fan

 

 

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