Pasadena City College Trustee Ryan Liu Named to Forbes ’30 Under 30′

Pasadena City College Trustee Ryan Liu, an attorney and nationally recognized advocate for accessible higher education, has been named to Forbes’ annual “30 Under 30” list in education for 2025, highlighting his work to expand access to higher education.

Liu, who currently serves as the youngest community college trustee in California, was selected from over 20,000 nominations of rising leaders from across North America.

In receiving this honor, Trustee Liu shared: “I’m deeply grateful to be recognized by Forbes. Over a decade ago, I enrolled at PCC. Like many community college students, I grew up low income and was the first in my family to go to college. That decision changed my life. PCC gave me the opportunity to become an attorney and uplift my family. I never forgot the chance that PCC gave me. And that’s why I’ve been involved at PCC ever since to help create these same opportunities for future generations of students like myself.”

As Board Clerk in the senior leadership of the Pasadena City College Board of Trustees and chair of the Facilities Subcommittee, Liu oversees PCC’s plans to utilize a $565 million bond for new construction and renovations. A key initiative includes building a state-of-the-art satellite campus in Rosemead to extend the college’s resources to more local residents. Liu represents Area 6 on the PCC Board of Trustees, covering parts of Rosemead, El Monte, San Gabriel, Temple City, and Arcadia.

Liu’s connection to PCC spans a decade. After graduating as valedictorian from PCC, he earned his bachelor’s from Yale College, Master of Science in Higher Education from the University of Oxford, and Juris Doctor from Yale Law School. He later served as deputy campaign manager for PCC’s successful $565 million bond campaign in 2022. His younger brother also attended PCC, and his partner taught there as an adjunct professor.

Since then, Liu has worked on local, state, national, and international levels to advance accessible and affordable higher education, including experience in politics, national campaigns, and policy and advocacy organizations.

The Forbes recognition was determined by Forbes editors and a panel of expert judges from each respective field, including the President and CEO of Common App and the Co-Founder and Head of Revenue of Grammarly. The annual “30 Under 30” list features rising leaders across 20 industries.

The full list of honorees can be found at: https://www.forbes.com/30-under-30/2025/education