Margaret Yau
Margaret Yau
Margaret Yau

Margaret Yau believes teaching is a great way to give back to society.

And being on staff at a community college is one attribute the Crafton Hills College professor feels drawn to because she can reach a diverse student population.

“It’s a great setting to help bridge the gap for students who just came out of high school, or students who haven’t gone to school for a couple of years, or just a student who wants to learn,” Yau said this week after recently learning she was named one of CHC’s 2018 Professors of the Year.

Professors of the Year were announced in late-April and are chosen by their peers. Joining Yau are Snezana Petrovic, faculty chair of the CHC arts department, and Scott Simonson, a professor of music, announced Meridyth McLaren, department chair of human development, in an email to the Crafton community.

Teaching was not Yau’s primary focus growing up.

The Riverside resident grew up in Hong Kong before coming to the U.S. at the age of 15. She graduated from Walnut High School before heading off to University of California, Berkeley as a first-generation college student looking to earn her bachelor’s in electrical engineering and computer science.

But it was while working toward her master’s in computer science at University of California, San Diego Yau began exploring careers in education and didn’t look back, she said.

She started teaching at Crafton in 2011 as a professor of computer science and computer information system, a title she’s held since coming on board.

In addition to her work inside the classroom, Yau is active in several on-campus groups and boards, and serves as the advisor for CHC’s Computer Science and Technology Club, which allows students to partner up on hands-on technical projects in one setting.

It’s the students that keep her motivated to do as much as she can.

“I really enjoy helping the students learn. I especially like the ‘light bulb moment’ when they understand some concept or skill. That’s something I find rewarding,” she said. “I think teaching is a great way to give back to society because education is important for anyone looking to enhance their lives whether in education, job skills, or life-long learning opportunities.”

While Yau enjoys interacting with students, she also enjoys the idea of eliminating misconceptions associated with the field.

“Computer science is a fun discipline,” she said. “It is a field where you can be creative, where you can combine your interest in multiple subjects like art, business, science and really help society.

“There are a lot of opportunities in computer science,” she continued. “It’s a field where everyone can try it out and see if it’s something they’d want to pursue because it’s not boring at all.”